General
True Believers
A poll last week seemed to support Karl Rove’s argument that Hillary Clinton is a “fatally flawed” candidate. But the results may say more about how polarized voters are today. The poll, by the Pew Research Center, said: “Among voters of all parties with an opinion, Clinton is viewed favorably by 55 percent, the lowest…
Read MoreGilding the Lily Can Be Risky?
Rudy Giuliani has done a little lily gilding of his own, declaring in a campaign appearance he’d “been in the ruins of the World Trade Center Towers as often, if not more than the cleanup workers.” Unfortunately for the Mayor that wasn’t how the workers remembered it. They complained. And the New York Times did…
Read MoreFrom Choirboy to Pitt Bull
It wasn’t too long ago that John Edwards running for Senate as a moderate choirboy was promising to stay above gutter politics and negative smears. By gosh, he said, he was going to keep to the high moral ground. Times change. Nine years later, our choirboy has become a pit-bull attacking Hillary, Rupert Murdoch and…
Read MoreThe Power of Apology
I confess to not knowing much about Senator Janet Cowell from Raleigh, who wants to run for State Treasurer. But she did something rare for a politician last week. And my opinion of her immediately went sky-high. She apologized. She admitted she made a mistake. She owned up to it. And she did so in…
Read MoreNCAE Politics
Richard Moore’s campaign believes the fix is in for Beverly Perdue at the N.C. Association of Educators. Moore sent a letter to the NCAE President asking for a delay in the endorsement in the Democratic governor’s primary. A Moore aide sent me an email suggesting I blog on the matter: “Given NCAE’s history of endorsements…I…
Read MoreNothing Coy About Him
Coy Privette has joined the dubious ranks of self-proclaimed moral leaders who got caught with their morals and their pants down. For more than 30 years, Privette has been a blustering, bullying political presence in North Carolina. He preached – and politicked – against sin, demon rum and the immorality of liberals and Democrats. I…
Read MoreKarl Rove and the Wizards of Oz
There is one thing on which all political consultants of all political stripes agree: the importance of perpetuating the myth of political consultants. And there is one thing on which all political candidates agree: the importance of minimizing the myth of political consultants. As a recovering political consultant, I consider myself an expert on both…
Read MoreDemocrats 33, Republicans 1
For thirty years, Republicans have been steadily gaining on Democrats in party registration. But the numbers about who’s raised what in the governor’s race tell a completely different story (News & Observer). The two Democratic candidates have raised $8.4 million. The three Republicans have raised $500,000. Advantage to Democrats by 17 to 1. The contrast…
Read MoreRove’s Legacy
Back in the days when Ronald Reagan was first running for president, trying to dethrone the Republican Establishment in the primaries in 1976 and 1980, Karl Rove – along with Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld – was working the other side of the street. Of course Reagan won and the Establishment, ever practical, promptly changed…
Read MoreNew York, New York
It’s been 60 years since both parties nominated New Yorkers for President (FDR vs. Dewey). But today, New Yorkers lead the race for both parties (Clinton vs. Giuliani). I already hear the quibbling that Hillary’s no New Yorker. My position is, if they elected her to the Senate twice, she’s a New Yorker. In fact,…
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