National Democrats
Retroactive
The other day at lunch a Democratic friend of old Will Patton’s was giving Mr. Patton down the river about Thom Tillis and Phil Berger cutting all the Democratic ‘Sacred Cows’ like ‘More at 4’ and ‘Smart Start’ and laying off teachers and when he’d heard enough Mr. Patton shot back, Well, one thing’s for…
Read MorePolicies and Personas
In the 1980s, Democrats were in disarray and Ronald Reagan stood astride the political world like a colossus. Then, as today, Democrats comforted themselves by saying: “Polls show the American people agree with us, not him, on the issues.” Yep, they did. Go through a list of issues, just like today, and the…
Read MoreDraft Hillary?
As far as some Democrats are concerned, the only thing wrong with James Carville’s “Panic, Fire, Indict, Fight” advice for President Obama is that, for once, old James didn’t go far enough. It’s time, they say, for President Obama to consider standing down next year and letting another Democrat (read, Hillary Clinton) take the…
Read MoreCarville: Panic!
James Carville has a way of cutting to the chase. A TAPster sent along what he said on CNN this week: “People often ask me what advice I would give the White House about various things. Today I was mulling over election results from New York and Nevada while thinking about that very question.…
Read MoreNY Wipeout
Given President Obama’s visit here today, this is a timely and well-put rant from a North Carolina Democrat: “The head of the DNC - Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz - attributed last night’s staggering loss in New Yorks’ 9th CD to ‘a large number of people who went to the polls tonight who didn’t support the President to…
Read MoreOutsmarting Themselves?
Democrats are high-fiving President Obama’s “American Jobs Act.” Progressive pundits and editorial/op-ed writers are applauding because he took their advice. He’s taking the fight to the Republicans, they all say: bearding the elephant in its own den. For months, the pundits have been preaching that Americans don’t care about arcane things like deficits and…
Read MoreThe Comeback Kid
I’ve been critical of President Obama lately. His poll numbers keep dropping, and he looks like a 97-pound weakling being pushed around by (of all people) John Boehner. I even called him “Jimmy Obama” in one blog, comparing him to a famous one-term Democratic President. So now it’s time to predict a comeback.…
Read MoreObama’s Last Chance?
President Obama better connect this time. His much-hyped economic speech next week may be his last chance. For all his strengths, Obama has one great failing: He hasn’t been able to forge an emotional connection with the American people since the election. He did it during the campaign by fulfilling a yearning…
Read MoreA Call From 60 Minutes
Back in 1985 I got a call from George Crile a producer at 60 Minutes who said he and Mike Wallace wanted to come to Raleigh to interview Tom Ellis and me. I thought, An interview with 60 Minutes – what’s the difference in that and sticking your head in a lion’s mouth? I…
Read MoreThe Blind Date Syndrome
Overnight Rick Perry has soared from unknown to Republican frontrunner; — it’s reminiscent of four years ago when another unknown appeared out of nowhere, soared into the lead in the Democrat Primary, then rolled straight into the White House. Now, Rick Perry – Governor of Texas, Air Force pilot, rugged cowboy – is the…
Read More