Posts by Gary Pearce
Democrats’ MVP
It’s hard to be an all-star when your team is getting steamrolled every day. Still, a number of Democratic legislators have fought hard, stood their ground and spoken eloquently. But I’m awarding this coveted honor (the TAP MVP) to the Democrat whose star has risen fastest and farthest this session: Senator Josh Stein of…
Read MoreGOP MVP
The Republican team’s best player this season is – the envelope please – Senator Phil Berger. Now, this is a judgment about political skills, not philosophy. I disagree with Berger on probably every issue. But as I look at all the Republican players on the field this year – particularly compared to Governor McCrory…
Read MoreNo Trust, No Peace
The powers-that-be at William Peace University need to learn the basic lesson of leadership: If you want people to trust you, you better tell them the truth. Instead, three years of secrecy and closed-door decisions are putting the school’s future at risk. Full disclosure: My PR partner Joyce Fitzpatrick and I have counseled…
Read MoreOn the Air With DG
Carter and I taped “Who’s Talking” with D.G. Martin on WCHL FM 97.9 for this weekend. It is scheduled to run this Saturday and Sunday at 6am, 1 pm and 11pm. You can also hear it at http://chapelboro.com/category/wchl/lifestyle-weekly/whos-talking/ . We talked with D.G. about the legislature, the size of government, Moral Mondays and…
Read MoreWhere’s Our Wendy?
Because it’s about a big electoral prize that Democrats dream about – and because it has some salience to North Carolina – this long article in Texas Monthly is worth a read for Democrats. (Sorry, Republicans, it’s banned for you.) The article addresses this proposition: “Democrats once ruled Texas. Then came five decades of…
Read MoreTaxes, Jobs and Education
Thankful yet? You get a tax cut. And North Carolinians get more jobs. At least, that’s the theory. Cary Republican Rep. Nelson Dollar called it the “jobs bill of a generation.” Sen. Josh Stein, a Raleigh Democrat, called it “tax breaks for the wealthy and out-of-state corporations.” Here’s the economic question: Will…
Read MorePat Pops Off
Governor McCrory has a bad habit: He says what he thinks will impress the person in front of him. That gets a politician in trouble. And it has him. It’s why he’s breaking his promise on abortion. It’s why he made himself a punching bag over whether he was in a Moral Monday crowd.…
Read MoreZeb Alley
Zeb Alley was truly a happy warrior. He was a real warrior, a warrior wounded in combat in Korea. For the rest of his 84 years, he loved life, laughter, lobbying, the legislature, people, a party, a good meal, a good time and the Democratic Party. For all my happy memories of Zeb, I…
Read MoreA Gift to Democrats
Nine times out of 10 in politics, what you think is a conspiracy is just incompetence. So it is with the Republicans and abortion. Several TAP readers believe that all the GOP’s thrashing on abortion is a well-thought-out plan to pass new restrictions and avoid the political consequences. They may achieve the first…
Read MoreBranding Politics
“Employers must go where employees want to be” – Red Hat CEO Jim Whitehurst. Raleigh City Councilman Randy Stagner quoted that line this week. It sums up the challenge that Raleigh and all North Carolina face today under the state’s new management. Rob Christensen captured it in his strikingly strong column Sunday: “North…
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