North Carolina – Republicans
A Lethal Tool that Backfired
Years ago when Jim Hunt was thrashing Jesse Helms in his Senate race, Arthur Finkelstein dropped a poll on the table, lifted both hands in the air in front of him, palms open. “There’re two kinds of elections.” He waved one palm: “There’re issue elections.” He waved the other open palm: “And character elections. This…
Read MoreJosh Stein’s Fighting Start
Josh Stein’s announcement signals a different kind of Democratic campaign for Governor: an aggressive fight over values. Values usually are Republican turf, but Stein seized that ground. From the get-go, he defines his likely opponent, Mark Robinson, as having the wrong values for North Carolina today. Stein’s start promises Democrats the kind of tough, inspiring…
Read MoreIt Wouldn’t Be the First Time…
Last fall on Sunday before election day political ads ran back-to-back on TV – one snarled, Cheri Beasley’s for rapists, another snapped, Ted Budd hates democracy, ads rolled on and on but with one odd twist: Full of razzmatazz, dark voices, snarls, growls, they all looked, sounded, alike. Like they’d been made by the same…
Read MoreJim Hunt, 50 Years On
Last Wednesday, former Governor Jim Hunt was on the floor of the state Senate, holding the Bible for the swearing-in of his daughter, Senator Rachel Hunt. Almost exactly 50 years before – on Wednesday January 10, 1973 – newly elected Lieutenant Governor Jim Hunt presided over the swearing-in of the Senate. Things were different then.…
Read MoreI’m Back
Start the presses. I’m blogging again. I took a break in August 2021 to work on a book about my life and my experiences in politics and newspapers. I’ve written 200+ pages, and there’s more to come. One day I’ll get around to publishing it. Some parts will have to wait until I’m gone. For…
Read More“We’re Back”
There was ice in the room the day I met Gary – sitting in a law office staring across the table I saw a devil; staring back Gary saw a devil. We worked out the four Helms-Hunt debates back in 1984. Left. Sitting in another office years later Gary told doctors in a fight with…
Read MoreAnother Senate Whiff for NC Democrats
Once again, Lucy (North Carolina voters) pulled the football (a Senate seat) away from Charlie Brown (Democrats). In the 50 years since 1972 – when the two-party era began in North Carolina and Jesse Helms won the first of five Senate elections – there have been 18 Senate elections. Democrats have won four and lost…
Read MoreNational Relief, But NC Disappointment
The election left me feeling better about our country than I have for six years. But worse about North Carolina. 2022 showed that Americans are tired of the Trump Show, which has been running nonstop at full volume for seven and a half years since he rode down the golden escalator on June 16, 2015.…
Read MoreThe “Red Wave” Never Came Ashore
There was no “red tsunami,” no wave. Barely a ripple. Before the 2022 election, Republicans boasted they would deliver a 1994- or 2010-like shellacking to a Democratic President. Inflation was up. President Biden’s approval ratings were down. Voters were down on the economy and down about the direction of the country. But Biden had the…
Read MoreThe Senate Primary
83% of voters – in a poll – said Taliban is a terrorist group and said Trump shouldn’t have negotiated with Taliban. To elect Ted Budd, in an ad Trump says Budd’s always supported him – here’s a question Budd is bound to be asked: Do you think Taliban’s a terrorist group? Was Trump wrong…
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