North Carolina – Republicans
Enough?
One thing is clear from the John Edwards trial, a second thing is much less clear and a third will play out over time. What is clear, after days of mind-numbing retelling of the sordid tale, is that Edwards did terrible things. And so did several other characters. The prosecutors did a fine job…
Read MoreQuestion for Pat
The next time Pat McCrory answers reporters’ questions, he should be asked: “You say you want to get rid of the politics-as-usual system in Raleigh. Will you follow the example Speaker Tillis set with his staff?”
Read MoreTin-Ear Tillis
Thom Tillis once looked like a formidable statewide candidate. First he overcame the birthers, flat-earthers and Skip Stam to get elected Speaker. He ran the House with crisp – if sometimes heavy-handed – efficiency. He went on a statewide tour that gave him an aura of openness. He seemed to have something of a…
Read MoreGeorge Holding: Kenneth Starr Redux?
The breakfast talk turned to John Edwards’ trial – and to a recent PBS special on President Clinton. Someone asked: “Is George Holding going to go down in history as the Kenneth Starr of North Carolina politics?” Starr will forever be remembered as the obsessed special prosecutor who produced a detailed, explicit examination of…
Read MoreRender Unto Caesar
Back in 2010 instead of giving a million dollars to candidates the Democratic Party decided to give the money to local party officials to spend; it didn’t work out too well as the Democrats lost control of both the State House and Senate but it was popular with local officials who then elected bow-tied David…
Read MoreTime to Pull Over
A frustrated TAPster vents at both parties: “The ‘check engine’ light is flashing on the dashboard of North Carolina politics, and a quick look under the hood shows the problem is more than a bad tank of gas. “We are emerging (hopefully) from a generation of incompetent political leaders. Governor Perdue’s mindless comparison…
Read MoreJust Kidding
After I posted my blog on the Democratic Executive Committee’s meeting being a plot hatched by Art (“I Am Not An Heir”) Pope, a TAPster emailed me: “You’re being facetious, right?” Surprised, I replied: “Of course.” She wrote back: “I figured, but you’d be amazed how many of my rabidly Dem friends are posting…
Read MoreBackwards
Like almost everything else in modern times politics has changed – in odd ways. In the old days when Jesse would run for Senate the Republican parties scattered across counties across the state had one mission: They figured their job was to elect Republican candidates. A lot of times what they could do was limited…
Read MoreThe Manchurian Committee
There is only one logical explanation for what happened at the Democratic Party Executive Committee meeting: It was a vast right-wing conspiracy masterminded by the Dr. Evil of North Carolina politics, Art (“I Am Not An Heir”) Pope. Here’s how the nefarious scheme worked: Years ago, Pope saw that David Parker had run…
Read MoreThe Rules
A TAPster reminds me that Tuesday’s primaries reinforce the three rules of politics: Rule 1: Money talks. Rule 2: Never forget Rule 1. Rule 3: There are no other rules in politics. When Bob Etheridge conceded Tuesday night, he said he didn’t like raising money, but he sure enjoyed visiting 45…
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