North Carolina – Democrats
Voller’s Folly
Chairman Randy Voller continues to embarrass himself and the North Carolina Democratic Party. Now it’s for saying Republicans are “raping” North Carolina. After numerous Republicans committed political self-immolation last year by talking loosely about rape, you would think any man in politics would have the good sense to avoid the word. Not Voller. …
Read MoreTwitter Oops
Sharp-eyed readers no doubt note I goofed in “Foxx at the Wheel” (below): Mel Watt was named to head the Housing Finance Agency, which is not a Cabinet appointment. Blame Twitter. I had seen a tweet about “Watt to Housing.” I misunderstood. It’s like what The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart said recently when a…
Read MoreFoxx at the Wheel
Liddy Dole rode DOT to a Senate seat from North Carolina and a presidential race. Where will it take Anthony Foxx? Such is the power of a President: Obama elevated Foxx to the head of the political line in North Carolina. He is now a clear contender for Governor or Senate. He is the…
Read MoreOne-Party Rule
Raleigh has never seen this kind of one-party control. Hold on, you say – especially my Republican friends: Democrats had one-party control for over 100 years. No, not like this. For most of those years, the Democratic Party was two parties. Think Terry Sanford and I. Beverly Lake. Or Jim Hunt and…
Read MoreWorrying About Primaries
A legislator looked at a bill, winched, looked at another legislator and said, ‘Well, if I don’t vote for it I guess I’ll land in a primary.’ ‘You think,’ the second legislator said, ‘that Republicans in your district are for people carrying guns in bars?’ The bill allowed people carry guns in bars, restaurants…
Read MoreJamie Kirk Hahn
Absolute good met absolute evil in a quiet Raleigh home Monday evening. Early Wednesday morning, Jamie Hahn lost her fight to live. Her husband Nation and her family are devastated. But, as always happens at times like this, the best in people comes out. All day Tuesday, friends streamed into WakeMed to do what…
Read MoreMurdering Santa Claus
For years Jesse Helms wrote every speech he made, typing each on an old reporter’s typewriter, then one year when he was unusually harried he decided it was time to hire a speechwriter – so we hired ‘John.’ John was an unusually gifted writer but for all his virtues he had a peculiar view…
Read MoreWhen a Politician Goes Too Far
Republicans and Democrats over in the legislature have been battling hammer and tongs but, still, it raised eyebrows last week when the News & Observer reported Republicans have declared war on the cities. House Speaker Thom Tillis explained the new conflagration philosophically, saying ‘Part of the conflict is due to a different world view…
Read MoreRead This Blog
I commend to your attention PoliticsNC, a new blog by Thomas Mills, a Democratic consultant who gives me great hope for the future. Here’s a sample from a recent post he did that stirred up some Democrats: “Two myths seem to be dominating Democrats’ analysis of their problems. The first is that Art…
Read MoreOne Wrong Begets Another
Years ago some crafty Democratic gnome sitting cloistered in a cell pouring over reams of demographics (trying to figure out the political inclinations of people who didn’t vote) had a revelation: If those folks did vote, a lot more Democrats were going to get elected. Now, in a way, that sounds odd (after all,…
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