National Democrats
Blaming the Messenger
I feel Robert Gibbs’ pain. In a New York Times magazine article Sunday, President Obama said, “We probably spent too much time trying to get the policy right than trying to get the politics right.” Gibbs, the White House press secretary, noted ruefully in the article, “I haven’t been at a policy-problem meeting…
Read MoreThe Forgotten Issue
Back when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, we figured fightin’ was going to be the key to winning the war, so we told General McArthur to charge and keep charging and not to worry about the amount of havoc he wrecked until the Japanese were whipped. In the same vein in 1944 and ’45…
Read MoreBad Sign
Whenever a politician or party talks about “mobilizing the base” in the final weeks of a campaign, you know they’re in trouble. That’s exactly where President Obama and the Democrats are, as this story from the New York Times noted: “With four weeks until Congressional elections that will shape the remainder of his…
Read MoreThe Politics of Principle
Michael Barone of Fox News made an astute point about Obama at this week’s John Locke luncheon. He said Obama is a very different president from Bill Clinton: Clinton was “unencumbered by principle,” while Obama is an “ideologue.” Now, “ideologue” is a loaded word. You could also say “principled.” You could apply the…
Read MoreThe Main Attraction
Today’s N&O story by Jay Price and Mandy Locke captured a telling vignette from the competing political rallies by the “Spending Revolt” bus tour and Organizing For America: Both featured videos of President Obama. It reminded me of a conversation I had with a thoughtful Republican. He opined that the anger driving this year’s…
Read MoreThe Obama Voters
In 2004, George Bush beat John Kerry by 51-47 percent in the popular vote. Four years later, President Obama beat John McCain 50-49 among the same voters. A significant swing, but not huge. What gave Obama a landslide victory was the surge of new voters. Among people voting in 2008 for the first…
Read MoreThe Wrong Message
Gary, doggone it, itâs like âdéjà vu all over againâ â here you are [see below] attacking me for a TV ad. Canât a fellow even oppose the Ground Zero mosque without being called a bigoted skunk? And how did the folks opposing the mosque become the wicked, hard-hearted âdividersâ as opposed to the Iman…
Read MoreJFK, NC and Me
The N&O had a letter today and a guest column last week about John Kennedy’s campaign visit to North Carolina 50 years ago – September 1960. I had my own brush with history that day. Kennedy was campaigning with Terry Sanford, who was running for governor. Sanford had broken with most of the North…
Read MoreNimrud’s Earrings
President Obama says the war’s over but according to the newspaper an odd problem has cropped up in Iraq: A 4,000 year old statue of King Entemena of Lagash has vanished. In fact it turns out over our seven years in Iraq a lot of antiquities have disappeared. Now when it comes to plunder…
Read MoreBarking Up the Wrong Tree
There’s an old cartoon that showed an owner fussing at his dog: “Bad dog, Rover. Don’t ever do that again, Rover. You know better, Rover. Bad dog, Rover.” Then the cartoon showed what the dog was hearing: “Blah, blah, Rover, blah, blah, blah, Rover, blah, blah, Rover.” I’m afraid that’s all the voters…
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