North Carolina – Democrats
Joe John
State Representative Joe John, who died today, looked something like a friendly but fierce bulldog. He fiercely loved the law and our system of justice. He loved public service. He was one of few people to serve with distinction in all three branches of state government: judicial, executive and legislative. He loved baseball and the…
Read MoreWomen Warriors
The Democratic Party needs to get tougher, and that’s a job for Democratic women. Sydney Batch (photo), the new Senate Democratic leader in North Carolina, signaled a tougher approach toward Republicans in an op-ed in The News & Observer: “Gerrymandered voting maps, efforts to strip power from Democratic elected officials and the consolidation of authority…
Read MoreStein’s Party Lines
Governor Josh Stein wisely ignored my semi-serious suggestion that he devote his inaugural speech to denouncing power-obsessed Republican bosses in the General Assembly. But he made the point. He said, “We have real problems to solve. And we do not have time to settle petty political scores or fight divisive culture wars.” The Governor noted…
Read MoreDisaster Duty
Climate change has changed governors’ jobs. They now must be masters of disasters: floods, fires, hurricanes and winter storms. As soon as he was sworn in, Governor Josh Stein signed executive orders for Hurricane Helene relief. He went to hard-hit communities to see the situation and talk to victims. Just like with Roy Cooper eight…
Read MoreInaugural Punch
Governor Josh Stein likely will seek common ground with Republicans in his inaugural speech Saturday. Instead, I wish he’d punch them in the nose from the get-go and pummel them across the stage until he sits down. I wish he’d say, “The greatest threat to North Carolina’s strength, growth and progress in the coming four…
Read MoreGovernor Stein
Because he grew up in Chapel Hill and went to Ivy League colleges, Josh Stein sometimes is portrayed as a departure from past Democratic governors in North Carolina. He’s actually the latest in a political bloodline that goes back to Terry Sanford in 1960 and runs through Jim Hunt, Mike Easley and Roy Cooper: a…
Read MoreCooper for President
Roy Cooper could be just what the Democratic Party will need in 2028. A progressive with a Southern accent. A proven winner in a swing state. A two-term governor who leaves office even more popular than when he took office. A successful leader who – despite a gerrymandered Republican legislature – won healthcare for 600,000…
Read MoreAnother Story from Politics
Watergate sunk Nixon. Jimmy Carter was elected. Two years later Jesse Helms ran for reelection. In 1972, he’d been the only Republican to win a Senate election in North Carolina in the 20th century. After sweeping statewide elections in 1974 and 1976 Democrats were on a roll. Here’s a story about Jesse’s 1978 campaign from…
Read MoreJim Hunt’s Gift
Forty years ago this month, at a low point in his political career, Jim Hunt had his best idea. It became the Centennial Campus at North Carolina State University. You can argue with “best.” He had plenty of good ideas and initiatives. Like: Smart Start, raising teachers’ pay to the national average, the Primary Reading…
Read MoreMissing the Mark
This story from Axios Charlotte was either a cheap bid for clicks or revealed a basic ignorance of how state government works. The headline: “Cooper, Robinson have no record of speaking in days before, after or during Helene.” It began like “Breaking News” on CNN: “North Carolina’s governor and his next-in-command seemingly had zero communication…
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