National Democrats
Today’s News
Two pairs of stories in today’s N&O capture the shifting state of politics nationally and in North Carolina. First, North Carolina. The front page spotlights $270 million going to the highway loop in Fayetteville, home of Secretary Lyndo Tippett and Senator Tony Rand. Then Under the Dome says Marc Basnight wants Governor-elect Perdue to name…
Read MoreAfter the Fall
To most people – like Bill Clinton losing his party’s control of Congress in 1994 – one election is usually enough of a wake-up message. But Republicans are hard-headed – if madness is repeating the same mistake over and over with the same result we qualify. We shrugged off 2006, so history repeated itself in…
Read MoreThe Failure of the Southern Strategy?
When folks lose elections they go into paroxysms of contrition – usually confessing to the wrong sins. And when they win, there’s a parallel temptation – they attribute victory to virtues that had little to do with their success. Now, mi amigo Gary surely has a point when he says Republicans are in danger of…
Read MoreRout of the OWGs
Here’s one way to look at the 2008 election: The Old White Guys who were running things got fired. There’s George Bush, the MBA Presidency and all his OWGs running the war and the economy. There’s Mike Easley. Bev Perdue spent the final weeks of her campaign promising “change orders” on day one to put…
Read MoreTeam of Rivals
Barack Obama is going to fill his Cabinet with a “Team of Rivals?” Like Lincoln. This is going to be one big mistake. Let me get this right: Obama is going to appoint people who disagree with his policies (which they will promptly torpedo) and, when they do, he can’t fire them because he’s established…
Read MoreTrapped by the Southern Strategy
Richard Nixon and Strom Thurmond ginned up the Southern Strategy in 1968. For 40 years, Dixie gave the Republicans an almost insurmountable edge in the Electoral College. The GOP won seven of the next 10 presidential elections. Now Republicans are trapped by their history. The only counties where Republicans gained in 2008 were in Appalachia…
Read MoreThe Great New Debate
Back in Jesse Helms’ campaign in 1990 when we made the ‘infamous White Hands’ ad one of the handful of people sitting in the studio was Alex Castellanos; lately Alex has been spending time on CNN and the other night he was asked how the Republican Party could save itself politically – after Barack Obama…
Read MoreCompetence, for a Change
You will recall that George W. Bush was going to give America the “MBA Presidency.” Apparently, that turned out to mean “Management by A–holes.” The Republicans were done in by the Bush team’s incompetent management of Iraq, Katrina and the economy. Ironically, the Obama campaign – and, so far, the transition – holds the competence…
Read MoreCompetence, for a Change
You will recall that George W. Bush was going to give America the “MBA Presidency.” Apparently, that turned out to mean “Management by A–holes.” The Republicans were done in by the Bush team’s incompetent management of Iraq, Katrina and the economy. Ironically, the Obama campaign – and, so far, the transition – holds the competence…
Read MoreWhoops!
The morning newspaper was a blow to Obama supporters and the legions of young people who just voted for change: Because in the Obama administration, lobbyists are in. Back during the campaign Obama excoriated lobbyists by saying, “They won’t find a job in my White House” – but his post-election transition team is welcoming them…
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