National Republicans
Winning the news war
Trump is both creature and creator of today’s hyper-speed, Twitter-hype news cycle. To win in 2020, Democrats need a candidate who beats him at the communications game. The New York Times reports: “By all accounts, Mr. Trump’s consumption of cable television has actually increased in recent months as his first scheduled meetings of the day…
Read MoreHis Own Worst Enemy
After President Trump signed the new NAFTA agreement I thought, Trump got that one right – but then, before the ink dried, Trump erupted, twice, tweeting he hoped Michael Cohen would spend a long time in jail and that he and the President Xi of China were “the only two people who can bring about…
Read MoreImpeachment talking points
Democrats, repeat after me: “Impeachment should be done only on a bipartisan basis. Ask Republicans what they think about impeaching Trump.” This is smart for two reasons. First, it’s the right thing to do. Bill Clinton’s impeachment showed that it shouldn’t be done on party lines. The country is divided enough already. Second, it’s good…
Read More41
Democrats 30 years ago would be shocked at how Democrats today are extolling and eulogizing President George H.W. Bush. In 1988, while Bush talked about a “kinder, gentler” America and “a thousand points of light,” he let Lee Atwater run a viciously negative, racist (Willie Horton) campaign against the hapless Michael Dukakis. Atwater apologized on…
Read MoreGodfatherGate
The news last night looked like a mashup remake of “The Godfather” and Watergate. Michael Cohen flipping on Trump is like consigliere Tom Hagen turning state’s witness against Don Corleone. Then Trump came on saying Cohen was “a weak person” whom he hired “because he did me a favor a long time ago.” Did Cohen…
Read MoreTwo Worlds
Two Worlds Before the election, two polls landed on my desk the same day. One was taken in a rural county. The other was taken in suburban Wake County (Raleigh). And reading them was like looking at two different worlds. One world was religious, traditional (not politically correct), and most voters had lived there all…
Read MoreThe Next Presidential Election
The Friday night before the election, walking to a table in a restaurant, I stopped to say hello to a lady I’ve known for years, and she asked, Well, tell me – what’s going to happen Tuesday? That was the question everyone was asking that week but, of course, there was no answer – so…
Read MoreCrazy in the Opposite Direction
Yesterday I described how, when President Trump goes on a tear, Democratic activists go a little crazy and morph into mirror images of Trump only on the opposite end of the political spectrum. Just before the election Trump tweeted, I’m a nationalist, ok? I’m a nationalist. Then at a White House press conference a PBS…
Read MoreThe Con Man Versus the Constitution
The Judge had two things to say about Trump: “He’s a con man. And he’ll cause a constitutional crisis by Christmas.” The Judge grew up and still lives in his hometown in Eastern North Carolina. He’s been in politics and the law all his life. He’s seen a lot of politicians and a lot of…
Read MoreAn Unexpected Gift
We knew George Holding’s race for Congress would be close a year ago and, three months ago, George actually trailed in the polls by three points – then a month before the election the unexpected struck. When an election’s over it’s human nature for people to say, I did this, or, I did that –…
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