Posts by Gary Pearce
JFK
In September 1960, John F. Kennedy brought his campaign for President to Raleigh. My parents, strong Democrats, supported him. They read that he and his entourage would stop at Glenwood Village Shopping Center a couple of miles from our house and get into a motorcade to Reynolds Coliseum at N.C. State College for a night-time…
Read MorePicking Apart Polls
My opinion of the Meredith College poll is higher than of media polls – because of David McLennan, professor of political science at Meredith and director of the poll. Responding to my blog questioning media polls, McLennan said we shouldn’t overreact to any poll now, for two reasons: “1. It is too early. There is…
Read MoreCapital Corruption
Corruption will be big in North Carolina politics in 2024. As soon as House Speaker Tim Moore (pictured) announced his run for Congress, his Republican opponent Pat Harrigan, a former Army Green Beret who won two Bronze Stars in Afghanistan, ambushed him: “Tim Moore carries a legacy of corruption, from being bought and paid for…
Read MoreHe’s a Fascist
Donald Trump’s Veterans Day speech in New Hampshire sounded right out of a 1930s Nuremberg rally. The Washington Post: “Trump calls political enemies ‘vermin,’ echoing Hitler and Mussolini.” Forbes: “Trump Compares Political Foes to ‘Vermin’ on Veterans Day, Echoing Nazi Propaganda.” Trump vowed to “root out…the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the…
Read MoreIgnore Media Polls
A week ago, The New York Times published a poll predicting disaster for President Biden and Democrats in big states a year from now. Two days later, voters gave Democrats big victories in big states: Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia and Pennsylvania. Why are media polls so wrong so often? My suspicion: they’re done on the cheap.…
Read MoreOblivious on Abortion
It was THE story of Tuesday’s elections, but Wednesday night it took NBC 90 minutes to ask Republican presidential candidates about abortion. Their answers were tortured, because Republicans know they’re in trouble on the issue. But why didn’t NBC ask them sooner and push them harder? Why is big media so oblivious to the power…
Read MoreAbortion Lies
Watching Democrats and abortion rights win across the country Tuesday night, I tweeted: “Just a reminder that Mark Robinson and NC Republicans want a total ban on abortion, including in cases of rape and incest.” Several Republicans tweeted back, “That’s a lie.” One said, “It’s a lie. Please stop.” No. It’s true. And I won’t…
Read MoreThe Donkey Kicks Back
Polls don’t predict. And media chatter don’t matter. Democrats across the country – and North Carolina – showed yesterday what matters: abortion rights, good candidates like Governor Andy Beshear of Kentucky, and the hard work of organizing, raising money and communicating with voters about issues that matter. And democracy matters. As a wise old Democrat…
Read MorePoll Panic
The New York Times sent Democrats across America into shock Sunday morning with this story: “Trump Leads in 5 Critical States as Voters Blast Biden, Times/Siena Poll Finds.” There are three ways to look at this. First, don’t panic At the first poll briefing I ever went to, in Jim Hunt’s first campaign for governor…
Read MoreThe River
When I introduced Chair Anderson Clayton at a Democratic Party fundraiser this week, I told the crowd about her first meeting with Governor Jim Hunt. I told them how Hunt and Clayton connected despite the 60 years between them. It took me back to when I was about Clayton’s age, and working to elect Hunt…
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