Posts by Gary Pearce
Cooper Wins Veto. Again
Governor Cooper has won the veto twice now. This year, he broke the Republican supermajority. More than 20 years ago, he helped pass the veto in the first place. Former Governor Jim Hunt reminded me of how that happened. Before 1995, North Carolina was the only one of the 50 states where the governor didn’t…
Read MoreThe Con Man Versus the Constitution
The Judge had two things to say about Trump: “He’s a con man. And he’ll cause a constitutional crisis by Christmas.” The Judge grew up and still lives in his hometown in Eastern North Carolina. He’s been in politics and the law all his life. He’s seen a lot of politicians and a lot of…
Read MoreLetter from Texas
Beto O’Rourke’s strong race in Texas has Democrats buzzing, about Beto and the state’s changing politics. For insight, I turned to my politically astute brother-in-law in Texas, Tillman Cooley. He allowed me to share this note, which he wrote to his grandkids: All my life I have generally voted Republican. I live in a very…
Read MoreAttaboy, Roy
Yes, Governor Roy Cooper was a big winner in the 2018 elections. He also was the big reason for Democrats’ big wins – in the legislature, in the courts and against the Republicans’ power-grabbing constitutional amendments. There are two lessons here. First, never underestimate a Governor’s ability to energize and mobilize his party. Second, never…
Read MoreGood start, right direction. A lot left to do
Democrats should be smiling big today, in North Carolina and across the nation. They should be optimistic about 2020 and beyond. Above all, there are now checks on Trump in Washington and Republicans in Raleigh. Trump now faces Speaker Pelosi, a Democratic House and investigative bloodhounds instead of toothless lapdogs. Governor Cooper has a real…
Read MoreLet the fight begin again
Whatever happens tonight, the fight begins anew tomorrow. Trump and Trumpism are not temporary aberrations that will magically disappear. If Democrats have a good day, we go to work on 2020. And maybe some Republicans will get courageous and challenge Trump. If Trump and the Republicans have a good day, you can imagine what’s coming…
Read MoreDaylight Dog Time
Regardless of their owners’ politics, dogs overwhelmingly agree that the time change is a bad thing. Our dog Ringo is strongly opposed. Every year we go through this. Yesterday afternoon it started at 4 o’clock. Ringo (lip quivering and tail wagging): “Time to eat!” Me: “Not yet. You have to wait an hour.” Ringo: “What?…
Read MoreThe T-factor
X-factors are outside forces and events that can upend elections and are beyond the control of candidates and campaigns. Think James Comey’s announcement in the waning days of 2016 that the FBI was again investigating Hillary Clinton’s emails. This year’s X-factor is Trump. But is he magic – or toxic? Clearly, 2016 has him intoxicated.…
Read MoreBoo!
In Trump’s America, every day is Halloween. His political MO is fear. He sees ghosts, goblins and boogeymen everywhere. His rallies stoke fear and loathing. He can’t even sustain a forced show of empathy for mass-shooting victims; his Twitter finger itches to get back to picking on somebody or just picking at scabs. He’ll never…
Read MoreI love October now
I hated October when I worked in campaigns. It was the worst month. You were already dead tired when October got here. Then things got worse. Busier, crazier and more stressful. Ask anybody in a campaign how they’re doing in October, and they all say: “I’ll just be glad when it’s over.” You count down…
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