General
Shedding Light on the Rhubarb
Most of the political pundits in the newspaper said the disagreements between the three tribes of Raleigh Republicans were ideological – they broke it down like this: Tribe #1 – Conservative; Tribe #2 – Less Conservative; Tribe #3 – Least Conservative. But a college professor (who’s usually dry as a bone when talking about the…
Read MoreTime for Choosing
So is this the direction North Carolina wants? More restrictions on voting and on women’s health care – and fewer on trash-hauling, landfills and fracking? Less help for people out of work, less health care for the sickest and poorest – and more tax cuts for people on top of the pile? Most of…
Read MorePuffed Up
The N&O’s striking front-page photo of Speaker Thom Tillis looks like a caricature of a pompous, puffed-up politician. Now, all of us have been captured on film in less-than-flattering poses. But not on the front page. And not at a time and in a way that seems to capture all the things that people…
Read MoreDemocrats’ MVP
It’s hard to be an all-star when your team is getting steamrolled every day. Still, a number of Democratic legislators have fought hard, stood their ground and spoken eloquently. But I’m awarding this coveted honor (the TAP MVP) to the Democrat whose star has risen fastest and farthest this session: Senator Josh Stein of…
Read MoreA Mischievous Genie
Over a week ago in a newspaper story – after a day of women chanting “shame, shame, shame” – a Republican consultant declared bluntly House Speaker Thom Tillis had better support the Senate’s abortion bill or just about every Republican was going to be mad with him. Next, in the same story, a Democratic…
Read MoreGOP MVP
The Republican team’s best player this season is – the envelope please – Senator Phil Berger. Now, this is a judgment about political skills, not philosophy. I disagree with Berger on probably every issue. But as I look at all the Republican players on the field this year – particularly compared to Governor McCrory…
Read MoreNo Trust, No Peace
The powers-that-be at William Peace University need to learn the basic lesson of leadership: If you want people to trust you, you better tell them the truth. Instead, three years of secrecy and closed-door decisions are putting the school’s future at risk. Full disclosure: My PR partner Joyce Fitzpatrick and I have counseled…
Read MoreOn the Air With DG
Carter and I taped “Who’s Talking” with D.G. Martin on WCHL FM 97.9 for this weekend. It is scheduled to run this Saturday and Sunday at 6am, 1 pm and 11pm. You can also hear it at http://chapelboro.com/category/wchl/lifestyle-weekly/whos-talking/ . We talked with D.G. about the legislature, the size of government, Moral Mondays and…
Read MoreWhere’s Our Wendy?
Because it’s about a big electoral prize that Democrats dream about – and because it has some salience to North Carolina – this long article in Texas Monthly is worth a read for Democrats. (Sorry, Republicans, it’s banned for you.) The article addresses this proposition: “Democrats once ruled Texas. Then came five decades of…
Read MoreTaxes, Jobs and Education
Thankful yet? You get a tax cut. And North Carolinians get more jobs. At least, that’s the theory. Cary Republican Rep. Nelson Dollar called it the “jobs bill of a generation.” Sen. Josh Stein, a Raleigh Democrat, called it “tax breaks for the wealthy and out-of-state corporations.” Here’s the economic question: Will…
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