North Carolina – Democrats
I Told You So
You could see this train wreck coming. Less than a week after Bev Perdue promised a positive campaign, the N&O headline says: “Mailer contradicts Perdue’s message.” It turns out the National Education Association “had already sent 10,000 glossy attacks on Moore to retired educators in North Carolina.” So Moore is holding a news conference this…
Read MorePerdue’s Meltdown – Chapter Two
Bev Perdue once called herself ‘the coal-mine’s daughter.’ And there was some truth in it. Her father once worked in a coal mine. But unlike Loretta Lynn’s father he ended up owning it. Several of them. Not long after Mrs. Perdue arrived in the State House – in 1986 – a cohort of her fellow…
Read MoreThe Mahatma Gandhi School of Political Theory
Politics is nothing if not full of surprises. First, the Governor’s office said Dempsey Benton fired Debbie Crane. For incompetence. Then Dempsey said he didn’t. And she wasn’t. That, of course, lead the newspaper reporters straight back to the Governor’s door, Who fired Debbie Crane? The governor’s chief-of-staff, Franklin Freeman, said the Governor had her…
Read MoreGovernor Easy
The News & Observer wrote last weekend what Raleigh insiders have been saying for the last eight years: Mike Easley is – as Senator Tony Rand said – “weird.” Actually, Rand didn’t say Easley is weird. He said his working style is weird. But a Governor is his working style. The Governor says measure me…
Read MoreChutzpeh
Richard Moore – in his official role as state Treasurer – gave a company owned by a couple of his contributors the inside track to sell dental and vision insurance to state retirees. (He also gave his contributors company, free, a list of state retirees – but wouldn’t give the same list to their competitors).…
Read MorePerdue Gets In a Huff
Well, Beverly Perdue has had enough of negative ads. She’s pulling hers. In an e-mail – unless it’s a hoax – she’s announced for the good of the state she’s pulling her negative ads and it’s all hearts and flowers from now on. Richard Moore must be counting his lucky stars. Maybe Mrs. Perdue had…
Read MoreBev’s Blunder
Bev Perdue’s positive-ad ploy is a blunder that could cost her the nomination. It sounds good today. But she will regret it. Especially if she ends up giving a concession speech the night of May 6. A candidate who unilaterally disarms usually loses. Moore will keep pummeling her with the ads that closed the gap.…
Read MoreSticking the Knife in Obama
On “Good morning America” Elizabeth Edwards told Diane Sawyer she – and John – are neutral in the Democratic primary – but then, in the next breath, she added Hillary’s health care plan is better than Obama’s. In one breath she says she’s neutral. In the next she sticks the knife in Obama. From where…
Read MoreEmails
Governor Easley’s charged right into the middle of the great email flap. The Governor says he’s not convinced two notes made by state public information officers mean his staff ordered emails destroyed. Here’s what one note said, verbatim: “Delete emails to/from governor’s office everyday.” But, according to the governor there’s another interpretation. He suspects his…
Read MoreGarin Takes the Helm
Speaking of polls, a pollster with North Carolina experience – Geoff Garin – is now one of two message czars for the Clinton campaign. Garin – with old Clinton hand Howard Wolfson – replaces the disgraced and conflicted Mark Penn Garin knows North Carolina. He goes back to Jim Hunt’s 1984 race against Jesse Helms,…
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