Posts by Gary Pearce
GodfatherGate
The news last night looked like a mashup remake of “The Godfather” and Watergate. Michael Cohen flipping on Trump is like consigliere Tom Hagen turning state’s witness against Don Corleone. Then Trump came on saying Cohen was “a weak person” whom he hired “because he did me a favor a long time ago.” Did Cohen…
Read MorePelosi for Speaker
Women voters, women volunteers, women donors and women candidates made this the best year for Democrats since Watergate. Now some Democrats want to dump the highest-ranking female elected official in the nation? Nancy Pelosi has taken Hillary Clinton’s place as the most-demonized politician in America. That’s to be expected from Republicans. They hate her because…
Read MoreBeto 2020?
I had resisted Beto-hype. I resist any hype about the next JFK-RFK-Obama. Then an old Democratic war horse (older than me, even!) called a few days before the election. He was watching Beto O’Rourke on MSNBC. “Check out Beto!” he enthused. “He’s our hope for 2020!” I still resisted, because the experts predicted Ted Cruz…
Read MoreCooper 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?…
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