Posts by Gary Pearce
The Runoff
Cal Cunningham obviously knew what was coming Tuesday. He knew he would trail Elaine Marshall, and he knew he would face immediate pressure not to call a runoff. So he didn’t wait. He called for the runoff that night. He was interviewed live on WRAL before 7 a.m. Wednesday. And he was buzzing around…
Read MoreHard-core
A Democratic consultant pegged it mid-day Tuesday: “This is a base-vote primary.” That’s why Elaine Marshall nearly won, Cal Cunningham disappointed and Ken Lewis did better than expected. It has to gall Cunningham that his DSCC backing got him just 27.3 percent, just 116,000 votes. Even more galling has to be the N&O…
Read MoreJohn A.
John A. Williams, Jr., who died this week, was one of the big reasons Jim Hunt was a successful governor. John A. looked and talked like your kindly grandfather. But he was tough as a Mafia don. Few people remember that Hunt had a sometimes-rocky first year, especially when it came to managing…
Read MoreMarshall or Cunningham?
The Democratic heavyweights in Washington who anointed Cal Cunningham – after dithering for months with Bob Etheridge – are probably sweating today. Elaine Marshall, the candidate they didn’t want to run against Richard Burr, may end up being the candidate they get. Public Policy Polling shows her with a 28-21 lead, but it’s still…
Read MoreIndependent Minds
Here are the numbers that should scare North Carolina Democrats: 1.4 million and 47-18. The 1.4 million is the number of voters registered unaffiliated. That’s nearly a fourth of the state’s 6.1 million registered votes. And 47-18 is how much those independent voters favor Republicans over Democrats in legislative races this year, according…
Read MoreSilly Season
At last the Democratic Senate primary gets ugly. Usually the negatives start flying long before the final week. And it’s always the same scenario: A lagging candidate decides – or gets persuaded – to lash out at the leaders. So it is with Ken Lewis. He has a radio ad attacking Cal…
Read MoreHigh Anxiety
Three headlines capture three scenarios in the Democratic Senate primary: “Marshall looks for another statewide win in Senate primary.” (From WRAL, whose poll has her leading.) “Dem Senate primary in North Carolina could be headed to runoff.” (From The Hill in Washington.) “Poll: Cunningham Closes the Gap in North Carolina.” (From Congressional…
Read MoreOne Week to Go
The money-starved Democratic U.S. Senate primary limps to a finish next Tuesday – with a runoff possible and Richard Burr sitting on $5 million for the fall. Elaine Marshall’s campaign promises a healthy TV buy this week. They hope it will check Cal Cunningham’s comparative blitz of ads. Her campaign even talks hopefully…
Read MoreBev’s Numbers
Let’s look at two sets of numbers important to Governor Perdue: her budget and her polls. Her proposed budget is a solid response to a stinky mess. She spread around the pain. And she still made important investments in economic development, education and human services. She deserves credit for keeping the state on…
Read MoreBurr’s Edge
Richard Burr has a much easier primary campaign than Kenneth Lewis or Elaine Marshall. But he has an ad on TV, and they don’t. That dramatizes the huge financial advantage Burr has this year. His ad is notable for two things: black faces and veterans. He’s softening any Tea Party-image with general-election voters.…
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