General
Twitter Patter
Just before the game last night, Bob Etheridge – or @Etheridge4Gov – tweeted: “Who are you all pulling for in the big game tonight? Both UNC and Duke are good teams, it will be a close one – that’s for sure.” Someone shot back: “bob, gonna need you to take a stand on this…
Read MoreSusan G. Komen and the Anatomy of a Social Media Wildfire, including a guest appearance by @rachelsklar
Few would dispute that Susan G. Komen Foundation has dramatically helped advance the fight for a cure for breast cancer. The organization has helped make pink the national color for October, elevating the search for a cure to the top of the national dialogue for an entire month. Its work has resulted in NFL players…
Read MoreUnfit for Duty
A lot of facts and statistics were thrown around at the Emerging Issues Forum on Generation Z, but here’s one that stunned me – from Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus: Three out of four Americans between 18 and 24 are not qualified to join a branch of the military. That’s 75 percent. …
Read MoreWarp Speed
It’s always easy to forget how fast things can change in politics. Then they do. Two weeks ago, the governor’s race had settled into a predictable story line: “Governor Perdue in a tough race for reelection against the same opponent she beat four years ago.” Today that story has disappeared. All the buzz…
Read MoreBob Etheridge’s Vision
Bob Etheridge stepped to the podium, grasped the microphone and intoned solemnly, ‘This is a defining moment in history’ – then the next words out of his mouth were he’s running for Governor. Because, he added, as the son of a Harnett County tenant farmer he understands North Carolina’s ‘journey.’ Where on earth…
Read MoreTalking About GenZers
I’m one of the GenGeezers attending this year’s Emerging Issues Forum about GenZers – those born 1990-on. They’re facing a changing and challenging economy. Their jobs will last an average of four years. They have an average college debt of $20,000. One-third of them are obese or overweight. They send an average of 3,000-plus…
Read MoreTillis and the Media
This topic is left over from when I was gone, but it demands comment. Thom Tillis threw another temper tantrum at the media. This is astoundingly bad judgment. Tillis got great media coverage through most of last year – the session and his listening tour. Things went sour after the midnight override of…
Read MoreSuper Bowl Winner
I’m talking about the ads, of course. And the winner was…Chrysler and Clint Eastwood. Fast Company makes the case here. As soon as the ad ran, Twitter lit up with Democrats tweeting that Clint sounded like he was doing a Reelect Obama ad. Maybe with a headline from four years ago: “Romney…
Read MoreArt Pope Responds
Following is an email from Art Pope responding to my blog post yesterday. I reprint it here in full, and I appreciate Art responding – and reading: Gary, I realize that in your blog you are simply reporting a story “going around,” and not vouching that it is true. Please let me assure…
Read MoreThe Democratic ‘Old Guard’
Governor Perdue didn’t call a press conference or step to a microphone, instead she pulled up the drawbridge to the Governor’s mansion then sent out a short message saying she wasn’t running for Governor – which Democrats, with quiet politeness, greeted with a sigh of relief because the most unpopular Governor in memory was no…
Read More