North Carolina – Republicans
In the Tank
Since I’ve been rough on Governor McCrory – and will be again – I’m providing equal time today to a TAPster who makes a valid point: “Here’s one vote to stop harassing Governor McCrory over expenditures to make the mansion a modern, livable home. In fact, those of us who care about the state should…
Read MoreGrudges
Rob Christensen wrote a tribute to Jack Hawke and in it mentioned hardball politics and Jack’s run-in with the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice – there’s more to the story: During Senator Helms’ 1990 campaign, when Jack was Republican Chairman, I asked him for a favor – to work with…
Read MoreElection Takeaways
The Republican civil war takes off, Obamacare takes a hit, Virginia is still purple, a big GOP personality wins big in blue New Jersey, public pollsters lose big and a new generation of Democratic leaders rises across North Carolina. Let’s run it all down. GOP civil war: The skirmishes are over, and the real…
Read MoreSaluting Jack Hawke
Somehow it’s right that Jack passed away at election time. His life revolved around election days. I suspect Pat McCrory would be a better governor if he had listened more to Jack this year. I know politics won’t be as much fun with him gone.
Read MoreFrom Bush to Cruz
Remember when George W. Bush ran as a “compassionate conservative” in 2000? Ted Cruz could run in 2016 as a “cruel conservative.” The distance between the two Texans shows how far right the Republican Party has gone, thanks to the Tea Party. It’s a hell of a thing when Bush looks good in hindsight.…
Read MoreThe Barber Factor
Some Democrats fear – and Carter sincerely hopes – that the Rev. William Barber will become the face of the Democratic Party. But ponder this: If Barber can inspire thousands of people to protest on “Moral Mondays” – and 900 of them to get arrested – how many people can he inspire to the polls…
Read MoreDriving Republicans Crazy
Whatever else it does, Obamacare drives Republicans into a frenzy of hype, hypocrisy, irrationality and overreaction. Exhibit A: Republicans in Congress are outraged that website glitches prevent Americans from signing up for a program Republicans compare to slavery. Why are they complaining? They should take a cue from George Holding, take a nap and…
Read MoreIt’s the Character, Stupid
If Democrats want to come back in North Carolina, they need to avoid their usual mistake of thinking it’s all about the issues. It’s in Democrats’ DNA to do that. We’re issues people. We care a lot about things like Medicaid expansion, Common Core curriculum, growth strategies and infrastructure. It’s not that voters…
Read MoreTrouble Ahead
What’s the over/under on how many bad headlines and headaches will come from Governor McCrory’s plan to shift job recruitment from the N.C. Department of Commerce to a new “public-private nonprofit corporation”? The N&O’s Rob Christensen reported that similar partnerships across the country have been criticized for “misuse of taxpayer money, conflicts of interest,…
Read MoreThe Target was Democrats
The judge, after I asked about Eric Holder’s lawsuit, grunted and said, Whatever gave you the idea that law and justice are the same thing – the law can be a darn peculiar beast. Not long ago the Attorney General of the whole United States sued the whole state of North Carolina to put…
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