Posts by Gary Pearce
Bailing Out the Enemy
Carter likes to say that politics is an exercise in human folly and error. Both parties seem set on proving it in Washington. A few weeks ago, President Obama’s job ratings fell when the news was focused on Syria. But Washington Republicans came to his rescue. They shut down the government. Everybody forgot about…
Read MoreTrouble Ahead
What’s the over/under on how many bad headlines and headaches will come from Governor McCrory’s plan to shift job recruitment from the N.C. Department of Commerce to a new “public-private nonprofit corporation”? The N&O’s Rob Christensen reported that similar partnerships across the country have been criticized for “misuse of taxpayer money, conflicts of interest,…
Read MorePatronage Shocker
We all are shocked – shocked, I say – that Governor McCrory and the Republican Party are putting political cronies in state jobs. Like that has never happened before. I’m reminded of the Jim Hunt supporter who wanted to get a state job for a local boy. The Governor’s patronage chief, Joe Pell, asked,…
Read MoreObamacare Rx
Republicans couldn’t defund Obamacare, and Democrats seemingly can’t defend it. Some states (where there’s competition) are seeing lower insurance rates, and some (where Republicans blocked competition) are having sticker shock. Nobody understands what Obamacare is, but everybody understands a website that won’t work, so we’re obsessing about that. Maybe we’re overcomplicating this. Maybe…
Read MoreGoing Viral
Matt Brown did what digital experts would run over their grandmothers to do. He got a half a million people to read his message, and it didn’t cost him a cent. North Carolina politicians better take notice. Think about those numbers for a second. A half-million readers. In a state where 4.5 million…
Read MoreCooped Up
Roy Cooper has made strong moves to clear the 2016 Democratic primary field for Governor. But he also may be putting a big obstacle in his path. The AG is adamant that he can go into court and defend Republican-supported laws on voter identification and same-sex marriage, even though he adamantly opposes those laws.…
Read MoreError Message
For a year we’ve heard how the digital geniuses in the Obama campaign demolished Mitt Romney. Now they can’t make the website work for the biggest thing in his administration? This might say something about the difference between campaigns and governing – or between the private sector and the public sector. Government IT programs…
Read MoreCivility or Civil War?
Don’t spike the ball too early, Democrats. The Tea Party may be a taste of what’s ahead for our party. Last weeks’ Armageddon – or maybe, “Armadebtaggon” – looks now like a disaster for the GOP. The episode turned Americans and many Republicans against the Cruz crusaders. But the Republican civil war may…
Read MoreCivility or Civil War?
Don’t spike the ball too early, Democrats. The Tea Party may be a taste of what’s ahead for our party. Last weeks’ Armageddon – or maybe, “Armadebtaggon” – looks now like a disaster for the GOP. The episode turned Americans and many Republicans against the Cruz crusaders. But the Republican civil war may…
Read MoreJamie Kirk Hahn Foundation
A point of personal privilege. We lost a bright light when we lost Jamie Kirk Hahn six months ago. Now, the Jamie Kirk Hahn Foundation has been established to honor her life and continue the work she cared about. Hundreds of friends, colleagues, family members and even people who barely knew Jamie have made…
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