Posts by Gary Pearce
Barking Yellow Dogs
When a Washington Post reporter asked me about Democratic congressmen from North Carolina voting against health-care reform, I told him: “You buy a dog, don’t be afraid when it barks.” When Nancy Pelosi, Rahm Emanuel and the DCCC recruited Health Shuler and Larry Kissell to run in 2008, they knew what they were getting.…
Read MoreThe Trust Deficit
It’s bad news for Democrats when only 22 percent of Americans say they trust government. That number comes from a Pew Research Center poll, which found “a perfect storm of conditions associated with distrust of government — a dismal economy, an unhappy public, bitter partisan-based backlash, and epic discontent with Congress and elected officials.” …
Read MoreState of the Arts
When it comes to art and music, I’m as uncultured as you can get. But even I can appreciate the new North Carolina Art Museum. It’s a stunning achievement for a state. And it’s mostly due to the persistence and political savvy of Larry Wheeler. I suppose the Tea Party types would say…
Read MoreTea Time Part II
The revealing New York Times/CBS poll on the Tea Party demographics turned up two golden nuggets. One explains their anger. The other exposes their hypocrisy. The anger: 63 percent of Tea Partiers say Fox is their main news source. Even among Republicans, only 46 percent depend mainly on Fox. A steady diet…
Read MoreA Case for Roy Cooper
A wise old legal eagle points out a recent article in the National Law Journal that shreds the 18 showboating state attorneys generals who want to challenge the health-care reform law. The article, written by a law professor at Washington & Lee, concludes: “This complaint not only represents shockingly shoddy lawyering but should…
Read MoreTea Time
The Tea Party movement may return the Republican Party to power – or ruin it. Whichever, the Tea Party controls the GOP’s future. If Mushmouth Mitch McConnell and Suntan John Boehner become majority leaders in the next Congress, they’ll have no choice but to walk the Tea Party line. That would pretty much…
Read MoreCal’s Air War
Cal Cunningham officially becomes the front-runner in the Democratic Senate primary by getting on TV first. But does a “war” message work in a Democratic primary? Opponents argue that his service record won’t impress anti-war Democrats – that it will make him look too conservative. I think it’s a strong ad. And…
Read MoreThe New Buzzword
What is it with “narrative”? We used to talk about “message” in campaigns. Now candidates have a “narrative.” Rob Christensen did a recent column about the different “narratives” of the Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate. “Message” implied issues. It implied addressing the concerns of voters. “Narrative” implies telling a compelling story…
Read MoreThe Fetzer Factor
North Carolina Republicans have an asset this year Democrats don’t have: Tom Fetzer. Fetzer is travelling around the state like a heat-seeking missile. His attacks on Governor Perdue make headlines week after week. Democratic Chair David Young is a stark contrast. He’s clearly not comfortable playing the role of political hit man. …
Read MoreWhy So Angry?
There’s a lot of free-floating anger in America today. We saw it throughout the health-care debate. And Republicans are counting on it to fuel big election wins in November. It’s mostly on the right side of the spectrum. I see it in comments on this blog. Frank Rich wrote recently in The New…
Read More