Posts by Gary Pearce
A Thumpin’
At this point, North Carolina Democrats are reduced to asking: How bad will it be? Will Republicans have only a slim margin in the state House and Senate – an invitation for coalition mischief? Or will they win upwards of 25 Senate seats and 65 House seats? Will Marc Basnight land on his…
Read MoreThey’re Back
In North Carolina, the most in-demand Democrat on the campaign trail is my old boss Governor Jim Hunt. Nationally, the most in-demand Democrat is President Obama’s old nemesis Bill Clinton. In California, the next governor may be Jerry Brown, who was elected California’s youngest governor ever in 1974. In Iowa, the next…
Read MoreThe Obama Mystery
Time’s Joe Klein puts his finger on President Obama’s problem in an engrossing essay “Encountering Anguish and Anxiety Across America:” “Even among his most passionate supporters, Obama is something of a political mystery. He doesn’t challenge the Republicans; he doesn’t fight back; he doesn’t even tout his accomplishments….The Obama mystery is compounded by the…
Read MorePope Power
I wish I had a dollar for every time a Democrat has told me over the last decade: “We need something like a John Locke Foundation.” Democrats don’t, because they don’t have an Art Pope: somebody who puts his money – big money – where his convictions are. You know he’s made it…
Read MoreGood Intentions Gone Bad
A friend of mine who has done well as a lobbyist in Washington told me this story about the unintended consequences of campaign-finance reform. Congress decided that the integrity our democracy is threatened by lobbyists buying meals – even a cup of coffee and a sandwich – for members. So a lobbyist now…
Read MoreProsecution Complex
Ten days before the election, we learn there is a federal investigation into Governor Perdue’s 2008 campaign. It drowns out her push on state government reform. Which I seriously doubt was going to solve her political problems anyway. The first thing I heard from Democrats: Why is George Holding still there? Would a…
Read MoreRemain Calm
A wise old Democrat I know offered this thought about the prospect of big Republican gains next week: “Sometimes the best offense is a good defense. This may not be too bad a time to let them have the ball.”
Read MoreI Apologize If You’re Offended
It has to be the most insincere and overused political phrase of the year: “I apologize if anyone was offended by what I said.” In other words, “you’re an oversensitive wimp to be upset about what I said but I’ve got to make some kind of apology to satisfy the media.” The latest:…
Read MoreUnstable Times
Historians and politicos yearn for stable, predictable political eras. Arthur Schlesinger Jr. wrote about the “cycles” of American politics – the Progressive Era, the Republican Roaring 20s, the Age of Roosevelt, etc. After 2008, James Carville predicted 40 years of Democratic dominance. After 2000, Karl Rove predicted a permanent realignment. So…
Read MoreMemo to Paul Coble
I don’t care for Paul Coble’s politics, but I like him personally. So I’m giving him some advice about his TV ads: lose the rich furnishings. I regret I don’t have a link to the ads. Couldn’t find it anywhere. The ads are short – maybe 10 or 15 seconds. Paul is talking…
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