North Carolina – Republicans – Page 170

We’re Officially In Play

By Carter Wrenn | July 15, 2008 |

For a month Obama’s been talking about North Carolina being in play. The rumor mills – at least over here on the Republican side of the aisle – are churning, saying everything from, ‘He’s crazy if he thinks he can win North Carolina’ to ‘He’s sent a legion of workers here to register 500,000 new…

Odds and Ends

By Carter Wrenn | July 11, 2008 |

Well, I hope Gary’s dead-on right (see below) when he says John Edwards running for Vice President with Barack Obama is a fantasy. I’m keeping my fingers crossed. But this morning didn’t help. My wife turned on Good Morning America and there Edwards was grinning like a Cheshire cat, gushing over Obama, sounding like a…

Veepstakes

By Gary Pearce | July 11, 2008 |

The silly season of the presidential campaign is officially open: a CNN blog suggested that Mike Easley or John Edwards might be Barack Obama’s running mate. Let us count the many ways neither makes sense. The apparent theory is that one of them could help Obama carry North Carolina or a Southern state. This myth…

Give ’em Helms

By Gary Pearce | July 10, 2008 |

I was not going to blog any more about Jesse Helms. But my previous posts got so many people stirred up (see our Comments section) that I can’t help myself. My critics suggested I was being classless and disrespectful by attacking Helms so quickly after his death. Actually, I waited four days. He died Friday…

Enough Already

By Gary Pearce | July 9, 2008 |

A lot of people of my political stripe believe the N&O went overboard in its coverage of Jesse Helms’ death. One called it “hypocritical.” Another said the N&O is “atoning” for its coverage of Helms – which is nothing to atone for. Another said the paper is taking the “easy” way out. Most agree the…

Jesse Helms’ Place

By Gary Pearce | July 8, 2008 |

Jesse Helms was the last of the old-time racist Southern politicians. He built his reputation on race-baiting. He won his elections with race-baiting. And he used his Senate office as a platform for race-baiting. So you won’t find me falling all over myself to find some redeeming quality in the man. This may surprise some…

Weighing History: Helms

By Carter Wrenn | July 7, 2008 |

A friend told me that when Harvey Gantt was interviewed on TV about Jesse Helmsâ death the reporter â apparently looking to stir up a bit of controversy â asked Gantt something like, Well, what did you think about Jesseâs record on race? And Gantt said, Well, nowâs not the time to discuss that. My…

Echoes of 1998

By Gary Pearce | July 3, 2008 |

This year’s presidential race reminds me of John Edwards’ Senate race 10 years ago. You have a fresh – but inexperienced – face (Edwards, Obama) running against an old – but experienced – face (McCain, Lauch Faircloth). As we did in Edwards’ campaign, Obama sees his chance in the public’s disgust for Washington and desire…

Skip’s Gamble

By Carter Wrenn | June 26, 2008 |

House Republican Leader ‘Skip’ Stam is turning thumbs down on North Carolina casting its electoral votes for the candidate for President who wins the popular vote – but it may turn out to be a political gamble that backfires. Last year – when Democrats put electing the President by popular vote on the table –…

Bushed

By Gary Pearce | June 23, 2008 |

2008 must look worse for the Republicans than I thought. At least, they think so. President Bush stole into and out of Raleigh Friday with nary a photo op or video with Pat McCrory, Liddy Dole or any other Republican politician. This is major. I cannot remember the last time a Republican president – or…