WWOW: Where Obama Went Wrong One thing I always enjoy about working with Governor Hunt is his passion and enthusiasm for new ideas. From primary-reading programs to Smart Start to new industry, he never stops pursuing bigger and better things for North Carolina. So, naturally, he had a thought about what Obama might…
Read MoreJust when I thought I’d seen it all out of the blue I ran head-on into a living breathing piece of devilment called the Recount. In North Carolina the recount medusa only raises its head if a candidate wins by less than 1% of the vote. In Renee Ellmers’ race with Congressman Bob Etheridge…
Read MoreIn business, government and education, one of Erskine Bowles’ great strengths – and, as a politician, one of his great weaknesses – was a fondness for speaking blunt truths. He relishes telling people what they don’t like to hear. But now he has truly surpassed himself. First, he set North Carolina on its…
Read MoreHere’s some tonic for Democrats depressed about last week’s elections. In North Carolina, 2.7 million people voted Nov. 2 – a turnout of 43 percent. In 2008, 4.3 million North Carolinians voted – a 70 percent turnout. That’s a drop of 1.6 million voters. Nationally, 75 million people voted last year. In 2008,…
Read More“WOWW” stands for “Where Obama Went Wrong.” Beginning today, I will present various theories I have heard from Democrats. Then I will unveil my own super-secret, foolproof answer. Obama’s theory – articulated by him before the election and by several Democrats since – is that he “got the policy right and the politics wrong.”…
Read MoreRepublican legislators say they’ll balance the state budget by combing through every item. Now comes Ag Commissioner Steve Troxler – a Republican. The Greensboro News & Record reports that he “says there’s nowhere left to cut in his department and he has refused to give Gov. Bev Perdue recommendations on where to cut…
Read MoreGovernor Perdue faces a critical policy and political choice. The media is focused on what the new Republican legislature will do to balance the budget. But the Governor has to make the first move. She proposes the budget. And the course she takes could decide whether she becomes North Carolina’s first one-term…
Read MoreFirst Carter and Renee Ellmers go to war with Washington Republicans over funding her recount fight. Then Republicans begin jockeying for legislative leadership positions. It proves the truth of James Carville’s old age: “Transitions are when you stop fighting your enemies and start fighting your friends.” Except he used a more colorful…
Read MoreNorth Carolina Democrats have survived three near-death elections: 1972, 1984 and 1994. But will 2010 be the one when the dam finally breaks and we go the way of the rest of the South? Some smart Democrats here think so. They see a decade – or more – of Republican dominance ahead. They believe…
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