Posts by Gary Pearce
MCain vs The Times
John McCain has enjoyed laudatory Mainstream Media coverage for so long it’s understandable he’s mad at The New York Times. The Times finally broke a story – which apparently has been an open secret among insiders for two months – about a potentially unethical relationship between McCain and a lobbyist eight years ago. The story…
Read MoreIs Hillary Toast?
The Clinton campaign may not be dead, but it’s on life support. She could change the momentum by winning Texas and Ohio in two weeks. But it’s hard to change the delegate math. She would have to win 70 percent of the vote in the primaries left – including North Carolina. Who would have thunk…
Read MoreThe Charlotte Curse
People from Charlotte are obsessed with the so-called Charlotte Curse: the repeated failures of Charlotte mayors to be elected to statewide office: Eddie Knox, Harvey Gantt, Sue Myrick and Richard Vinroot. There is no curse – at least among voters. Poll after poll has shown they don’t mind a candidate from Charlotte. But there is…
Read MoreIs Moore Less?
Richard Moore’s ad strategy doesn’t add up. Last week, his campaign pulled their ads off the air – after one public poll showed Beverly Perdue increasing her lead. The Moore campaign said the ads were pulled because the presidential campaign may soon dominate the air wars. That makes no sense. If that were so, wouldn’t…
Read MoreThe Media Primary
Hillary Clinton’s biggest constituency problem isn’t black voters or young voters or any other demographic group. It’s the media. She’s overwhelmingly losing the media primary. In fact, if you listen to the talking cableheads, you’d think her campaign is in total meltdown. Every primary, every caucus, every finance report, every change in her campaign, every…
Read MoreWhat is Easley running for?
Governor Easley apparently gave an impressive speech to the Emerging Issues Forum this week. He talked about making North Carolina a leader in developing an advanced generation of electric cars. Energy was his topic, but it was his own energy that grabbed reporters’ attention. Jack Betts blogged about it. One capital reporter called around asking…
Read MoreHow North Carolina Can be ‘The Decider’
The Clinton-Obama race is about two things: delegates and momentum. On both counts, North Carolina’s primary election counts. Here’s why. After today’s Potomac Primary – with 238 delegates – five big primaries are left: Wisconsin, next Tuesday, 92 delegates Ohio, March 4, 161 delegates Texas, also March 4, 228 delegates Pennsylvania, April 22, 188 delegates…
Read MoreThe Mind Reels
North Carolina’s Democratic politicos and media types are in a frenzy over the presidential primary. As Rob Christensen wrote Sunday, the circus is coming to town! So here’s what we’re working on, as they say on TV. Will North Carolina pick the nominee? Has our time come? Or will our moment be stolen from us?…
Read MoreCamelot Dreams
Even the most secular Democrats fervently await the Second Coming. Of John Kennedy, that is. Barack Obama is the latest in a long line of latter-day JFKs. There were Bobby and Teddy, of course. Also, Gene McCarthy, George McGovern, even Jimmy Carter, Gary Hart, Joe Biden (1988 model), Bill Clinton and John Kerry (who had…
Read MoreOn To North Carolina
Mark Johnson writes in today’s N&O and Charlotte Observer that it’s a mathematical certainty North Carolina’s presidential primary will count this year. But that doesn’t mean it will be decisive. Or that all Tar Heel Democrats will be happy about it. Take Richard Moore and Beverly Perdue. Suddenly, their calculus has a big X Factor.…
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