North Carolina – Republicans
The Disappearance of the Machines
For years the Democratic Party’s marched onto political battlefields and vanquished Republicans, winning every Governor’s race in North Carolina for two decades and, except for one brief hiatus, holding control of the State Senate and House in an iron grip for over a century. But this election Pat McCrory’s led Walter Dalton in the…
Read MoreNewby, O’Conner and Judicial Conduct
Here’s more fuel for the Paul Newby redistricting-recusal fire (see my blog yesterday). A lawyer notes recent comments by former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Conner and the contents of the N.C. Code of Judicial Conduct. O’Conner, a Republican appointed by Ronald Reagan, has strongly criticized SuperPac participation in state judicial races, the…
Read MoreShould Newby Recuse Himself on Redistricting?
Looking at the big money backing Supreme Court Justice Paul Newby, a knowledgeable lawyer warns: “There would seem little doubt now but that Justice Newby will have to recuse himself from any redistricting case that might come before the high court.” The lawyer says Newby may also have to recuse himself from cases involving…
Read MoreMcGovern, Helms and Hunt
For an epic election loser, George McGovern had a big impact on North Carolina politics. Like Jesse Helms and Jim Hunt. If not for McGovern’s landslide loss to Richard Nixon in 1972, North Carolina never would have had a Senator Helms. The Nixon tide swept Helms into Washington. It also brought a Republican, Jim…
Read MorePretty is as Pretty Does
I’d just finished breakfast and opened the newspaper when a dyed-in-the-wool yellow dog Democrat crossed the restaurant, sat down across the table and said, ‘That new ad of Paul Newby’s makes him look like a fool.’ He was talking about the Newby Super PAC ad – which has hound dogs braying in hot pursuit…
Read MoreGoldman’s Sacks
Debra Goldman seems to be an equal-opportunity 911 caller. She apparently has called the police now about two fellow board members. This on top of dozens of calls to her Cary home in recent years. If she gets elected State Auditor, the police may need to build a substation at her office. No wonder…
Read MoreNo Contrition in Sight Anywhere
The election in North Carolina has moved from old fashioned elbow-throwing into a more interesting topic – sex. When she lived in Pennsylvania Debra Goldman was a volunteer firefighter – then she moved to Raleigh, ran for School Board, won in the Republican sweep in 2009 and now she’s running for State Auditor. …
Read MoreThird Graders
It made all the newspapers: Last week Mitt Romney announced he’s pulling staffers out of North Carolina, where he now has a lead, to send them to Ohio where the race is closer. It was perfectly rational. Romney has a little breathing room in North Carolina so he’s moving few people to another state he…
Read MoreMcCrory’s Scandal Response
If Pat McCrory is elected governor, he better get better at handling scandals. And he better hope that Debra Goldman and Chris Malone don’t get elected. McCrory’s statement yesterday started right. His spokesman said he would reserve judgment on the “convoluted situation.” He should have stopped there. But the spokesman went a bridge…
Read MoreSchool Board Not Boring
All this time we thought firing the Wake schools superintendent was a juicy story. Who knew? As the N&O’s Keung Hui wrote on his blog yesterday: “It’s not every day that one elected official accuses another of potentially committing a felony and then both tell police about their relationship.” Especially when both are…
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