North Carolina – Republicans – Page 112

Coming Unglued

By Carter Wrenn | April 27, 2012 |

I’ve seen candidates say some bizarre things when their campaigns fall apart – but this one has to take the cake. Paul Coble’s actually slamming George Holding for prosecuting Mike Easley and John Edwards – and saying those prosecutions were a waste of taxpayers money. We just entered the twilight zone. Paul’s poll numbers have…

Another Day, Another Scandal

By Gary Pearce | April 27, 2012 |

It certainly didn’t take the Republicans long to pick up where Jim Black left off. Democrats can have a field day: “The Speaker’s chief of staff, roommate and best friend had a romantic relationship with a lobbyist who had legislation before the House.” They can ask: “What did the Speaker know and when…

Let’s Fact-Check the Fact-Checkers

By Carter Wrenn | April 23, 2012 |

I think I’m going to start writing columns about reporters who write columns telling folks what’s true and untrue in political ads. After all, the reporters are setting themselves up as referees so why not fact-check the fact-checkers? For instance: A respected reporter here in Raleigh recently wrote a fact-check about the American Foundations…

Concrete Pillars

By Carter Wrenn | April 19, 2012 |

My wife is a remarkable woman with an eerily perfect sense of timing – for instance, she went into labor with our first child while sitting in her doctor’s waiting room. After that, things got more hectic. When we got to the hospital and the doctor walked into Page’s hospital room he looked so…

By the Neck, Bob

By Gary Pearce | April 16, 2012 |

A Democratic TAPster has an intriguing idea for a Bob Etheridge ad: “I know what to do about the schools. I did it in the legislature and as State Superintendent. And I know how to handle the Republicans in the legislature. “If they give me any trouble, I’ll grab them by the scruff…

Wrong answer

By Carter Wrenn | April 13, 2012 |

Gary used to tell a story about Tony Rand, running for Lt. Governor, debating Jim Gardner back in 1988: Gardner let fly and ripped into Tony saying he was a backroom politician who along with eight other backroom politicians (who called themselves the ‘Gang of Eight’) had written the whole state budget in secret in…

A Debatable Primary

By Gary Pearce | April 12, 2012 |

Here are two questions that answer all you need to know about the Democratic primary for governor. Have you seen a TV ad by any of the candidates? Do you plan to watch any of the three back-to-back debates next week? With no ads running, the debates will give most primary voters…

An Example of Spin

By Carter Wrenn | April 12, 2012 |

For the last month Paul Coble’s been running a TV ad criticizing Congress for raising the national debt 50%. Then, the other day, The American Foundations Committee (which is running an independent campaign supporting George Holding) ran an ad pointing out Coble has supported raising Wake County’s debt 93%. Coble’s response: He told the press…

New Governor, New Legislature, New Reality

By Gary Pearce | April 11, 2012 |

Here’s a question that should come up in the Democratic gubernatorial candidates – a question no Democratic candidate for governor has ever been asked: How will you deal with a legislature controlled by Republicans? The closest we came was 1996, when Jim Hunt was running for reelection and Republicans controlled the House. But Hunt…

Skewering Newt and Mitt

By Gary Pearce | April 5, 2012 |

Rick Santorum’s national campaign may be lagging, but he’s getting hard-hitting help in North Carolina. Bob Harris, the legendary Congressional Club researcher (“Where do you stand, Jim?”) has done two TV ads for Santorum. Harris said the ads began running in the Wilmington market this week. They’re sponsored by his super-PAC, Keep Conservatives…