National Republicans
Getting on the Same Sheet of Music
North Carolina Republicans have one bona fide, big league, blue chip campaign that has all the ingredients for success this year: Elizabeth Dole’s. Senator Dole has built the only major Republican campaign in North Carolina that is raising more money than her opponent. And she has polls. And effective ads. And her campaign team has…
Read MoreWe’re Officially In Play
For a month Obama’s been talking about North Carolina being in play. The rumor mills – at least over here on the Republican side of the aisle – are churning, saying everything from, ‘He’s crazy if he thinks he can win North Carolina’ to ‘He’s sent a legion of workers here to register 500,000 new…
Read MoreOdds and Ends
Well, I hope Gary’s dead-on right (see below) when he says John Edwards running for Vice President with Barack Obama is a fantasy. I’m keeping my fingers crossed. But this morning didn’t help. My wife turned on Good Morning America and there Edwards was grinning like a Cheshire cat, gushing over Obama, sounding like a…
Read MoreEchoes of 1998
This year’s presidential race reminds me of John Edwards’ Senate race 10 years ago. You have a fresh – but inexperienced – face (Edwards, Obama) running against an old – but experienced – face (McCain, Lauch Faircloth). As we did in Edwards’ campaign, Obama sees his chance in the public’s disgust for Washington and desire…
Read MoreSkip’s Gamble
House Republican Leader ‘Skip’ Stam is turning thumbs down on North Carolina casting its electoral votes for the candidate for President who wins the popular vote – but it may turn out to be a political gamble that backfires. Last year – when Democrats put electing the President by popular vote on the table –…
Read MorePresidential Campaign Winners and Losers
Winner: Campaign Symbols Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are holding their Unity Rally in – no kidding – Unity, New Hampshire. Apparently they could not find a place called Change. And Bill Clinton owns the deed to a place called Hope. Loser: Edwards for Veep Elizabeth Edwards publicly questioned whether Obama should have opted out…
Read MoreBushed
2008 must look worse for the Republicans than I thought. At least, they think so. President Bush stole into and out of Raleigh Friday with nary a photo op or video with Pat McCrory, Liddy Dole or any other Republican politician. This is major. I cannot remember the last time a Republican president – or…
Read MoreMcCrory and Bush
Cullen Browder from WRAL-TV asked me if it helps or hurts Pat McCrory for President Bush to do a fundraiser in North Carolina. The answer is: both. McCrory has several hundred thousand reasons to bring in Bush: That’s how much money he’ll raise. But McCrory doesn’t want too much coverage. So Bush is coming at…
Read MoreMore Than a Head Fake?
The Obama campaign may be serious about targeting North Carolina. I heard last week they are sending 280 field organizers into the state. The Rasmussen poll on WRAL showed Obama behind McCain by only 45-43. Obama’s 43 percent is almost exactly what every Democratic presidential candidate going back to Dukakis in 1988 received here. Big…
Read MoreThe Dam Breaking
Albert the pollster’s just gotten back a national poll and he’s in a funk. Albert, as he says, has three levels of warnings when he’s advising a campaign. The first example is when the campaign wants to make a silly mistake, but one that won’t do a great deal of harm. When that happens Albert…
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