Posts by Gary Pearce
Bev and the Badgers
There aren’t too many surprises in the contribution reports from Bev Perdue and Pat McCrory. McCrory’s money is largely coming from Charlotte and the usual Republican suspects. Perdue’s money is largely coming from the East and the usual Democratic suspects. McCrory has Duke Energy, NASCAR and the Downtown Charlotte bank and brokerage boys. Perdue has…
Read MoreTurning Point?
When the histories of the 2008 presidential race are written, last week may be seen as the turning point. No, the polls won’t show it yet. They may look more like 1980, which was a dead heat between Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter until everything broke Reagan’s way the final weekend. Then, as now, voters…
Read MoreSurging
Unless he trips coming around third base, Barack Obama has hit a grand slam with his grand tour. The pictures are the story. Obama conferring with foreign leaders. Getting off a presidential-looking jet. Carrying a flak jacket. Riding in military helicopters. Listening to military commanders. Greeting troops. Sinking three-pointers. Obama looked like a President. Meanwhile,…
Read MoreWho Flip-Flops?
The only card McCain and the GOP have to play against Obama is the flip-flop charge that Carter & Co. used so effectively against Jim Hunt in 1984. The irony is laughable. McCain could give lessons in flip-flopping. The Bush challenger of 2000 is the Bush lackey of 2008. The opponent of Bush’s tax cuts…
Read MoreKay Hagan and the DSCC’s $6 Million
I don’t believe the DSCC is bluffing about spending $6 million-plus for Kay Hagan in North Carolina. The DSCC chairman, Senator Chuck Schumer, told one of Hillary Clinton’s top North Carolina supporters in March that he would put real money into the race. He probably had to make that commitment to entice Hagan to run.…
Read MoreObama-McCain Poll
WRAL’s poll last week showed that John McCain is irrelevant to this election – and Barack Obama still faces a challenge. The poll showed McCain leading only 45-42. The good news for Democrats: McCain is weak, weak, weak. His problems: He’s old, and he represents George Bush’s third term. The bad news: Obama is still…
Read MoreDrill We Must?
Dick Morris can be slimy and smarmy, but he’s smart. This week he put his finger on an issue that Democrats need to think hard about: offshore – or, as the Republicans call it – “deep-sea” drilling for oil. Clearly the Republicans have drilled down on this issue with some heavy-duty polling. Almost simultaneously, John…
Read MoreThe 24-State Strategy
Inside word is that the Obama campaign is targeting 24 states – for now. And North Carolina is one of them. If 24 states end up being competitive in November, this is going to be a landslide for Obama and the Democrats. If he stays active in North Carolina, it’s good news for Kay Hagan…
Read MoreIs the N&O Too Sensitive?
A reader and N&O critic says the N&O posted two different quotes on its website after Keith Hempstead of Durham sued the paper for cutting its news pages. Last Thursday afternoon, Executive Editor John Drescher said on the site: “We’ve had some really good papers recently, and they’re worth more than the 36 cents a…
Read MoreGetting to Know Him
Presidential races can turn in the summer. John Kerry got swift-boated. Al Gore got beta-maled. Bob Dole got Dick Morrised. George Bush Sr. got Peroted. Michael Dukakis got Willy Hortoned. Summer is the dead time when voters – millions of them – who haven’t paid attention start getting to know the candidates. Here is what…
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