North Carolina – Republicans
A Shortage of Truth All Around
Here’s a recap of George’s race with Renee so far: Renee came out swinging saying (on Facebook) how deeply she cared for the voters in her district while George Holding had voted against farmers and highways. George set that straight by explaining what had really happened: That what he had voted against was increasing Food…
Read MoreThe Old South State
A TAPster sent this satire (I think it’s satire): Things got so bad on Jones Street today that legislative leaders asked staff to research steps necessary for the state to secede from the Union. “We might as well,” said Senate leader Phil Berger. “The federal government is cutting off our money and services. We have…
Read MoreDown the river we go
When Carter and I speak to groups, we often compare politicians to ants on a log floating down a river. The ant thinks: “I’ve got this log going good!” But the river is running things. So it is this election. A year ago, everybody thought it would Jeb Bush vs. Hillary. In North Carolina, we…
Read MoreThe Second District: Food Stamps
In George Holding’s race with Renee Ellmers there’re two issues that no one’s talked much about and which haven’t received a lot of attention. But they should. The first, and most important, more or less defines the difference between George Holding and Renee Ellmers. And the political sleight of hand going on in this…
Read MoreSpecial Elections and a Look Inside a Political Campaign
For one reason or another I haven’t blogged in awhile so I’m going to make it all up in one fell swoop by writing about the campaign that’s been keeping me busy. Back in early March, when the two candidates in the 2nd District were George Holding and Renee Ellmers, George’s campaign took a poll.…
Read MoreHell, yes! Let’s vote on HB2!
Democrats in the legislature should immediately embrace a statewide referendum on HB2. This issue is killing Republicans. A referendum will keep it alive all year. A cascade of national money will flow in to help Roy Cooper, Deborah Ross and Josh Stein. Pat McCrory’s “Carolina Comeback” will drown in a tide of ongoing news about…
Read MoreGrading teacher pay
Here’s another way the crowd in Raleigh today is hurting North Carolina. WRAL will broadcast a documentary at 7 pm tonight, “Grading Teacher Pay.” The station’s overview: “During the 1990’s Governor Jim Hunt worked with Republicans and Democrats in the legislature to raise the average salary for public school teachers to the national average in…
Read MoreThe great GOP crack-up
Like all Gaul, the Republican Party is divided into three parts, and all three seem to be at war with each, in North Carolina and nationally. In North Carolina, the Cultural Conservatives (Part I) who run the legislature have made HB2 – and the consequent economic damage – the big issue for 2016. That has…
Read MoreCivil War
North Carolina politics used to divide regionally: East vs. West. For much of the 20th Century, there was a tradition that a Governor from the West was succeeded by a Governor from the East. And each region had one U.S. Senator. Today, the civil war is City vs. Country. The ever-wise Ferrel Guillory, director of…
Read MorePhil flushes Pat
As Governor McCrory paddles furiously to stay afloat, it becomes clear that Senator Berger sold him down the HB2 river. This is a three-fer for Berger: (1) He makes his base happy; (2) he screws his enemies in the cities and (3) he punches a hole in McCrory’s reelection boat. Why does Berger want McCrory…
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