North Carolina – Republicans
Go Negative, Young Men
The Richard Moore and Barack Obama campaigns have more in common that just that Moore endorsed Obama. Both seem to be debating the same question: Attack her? Obama’s debate is more open in the national media. His campaign clearly was thrown off balance by Clinton’s “kitchen sink” attacks. Now they’re trying to decide whether –…
Read MoreRichard Moore: Stonewalling?
Here’s an unusual political twist: Ten weeks before the Democratic primary the North Carolina State Employees Association, a politically powerful, mostly-Democratic group spent $30,000 on a newspaper ads attacking State Treasurer Richard Moore – a Democratic candidate for Governor. SEANC has a bone to pick with Treasurer Moore – who manages their $75 billion pension…
Read MoreCooking the Math
Fox News has a new pundit: Karl Rove. After Super Tuesday, whipping out a white chalkboard, writing columns of numbers, he made his first prognostication on Hannity and Colmes, declaring Mike Huckabee is kaput. Rove said – according to the math – Huckabee must win 83% of remaining delegates – an impossibility. In his words…
Read MoreRun This Ad Tomorrow
The News & Observer reports how the candidates for governor are spending their money. Republican Fred Smith led the way spending the most, including $360,000 to publish his book, A Little Extra Effort, $100,000 for Lee Greenwood to write a song about him and $90,000 for barbecue. The second biggest spender, Bill Graham, spent $1.5…
Read MoreOn To North Carolina
Mark Johnson writes in today’s N&O and Charlotte Observer that it’s a mathematical certainty North Carolina’s presidential primary will count this year. But that doesn’t mean it will be decisive. Or that all Tar Heel Democrats will be happy about it. Take Richard Moore and Beverly Perdue. Suddenly, their calculus has a big X Factor.…
Read MoreMoore of the Same in Gov’s Race
Three recent developments in the Governor’s race sharpen the perception that Beverly Perdue’s campaign is not in the same league as Richard Moore’s. First was the Perdue debacle over Randy Parton. Then Moore came out against Duke’s Cliffside coal plant. Perdue panicked, then meekly took the same position. (But neither candidate, as The N&O pointed…
Read MoreForget Appointing the Superintendent
Bob Orr is a smart guy. Even though he’s a Republican. He may be right that North Carolina would be better off with an appointed Superintendent of Public Instruction. But it ain’t gonna happen. The problem is simple. And it simply cannot be overcome: Making the Superintendent appointed requires a constitutional amendment. That means a…
Read MoreThe City Council Strikes a Blow for Butterflies
Seven of eight members of the Raleigh City Council live south of the 440 Beltline. So, maybe, it’s no surprise their attention is less than riveted on North Raleigh. For the first time in 30 years, the city was poised to build a gym and community center in North East Raleigh on city owned property.…
Read MoreGarage Band Equals Carlessness
During the Republican debate last week, Pat McCrory said “twenty percent of the inmates” in the Charlotte jail are illegal immigrants. He also said in a speech last week over fifty-percent of the babies born at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte are Latino. McCrory didn’t make the numbers up. But it turns out he was…
Read MoreRepublican Governor’s Debate
Last week’s Republican debate started out as a sleeper. No controversial stands. No sparring. No real debate at all. Fred Smith said he was best qualified because of his life experience. Pat McCrory said he was the man to deal with a crisis. Bill Graham said he’d listen to the people. Bob Orr explained he’s…
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