Most candidates view asking people to give money to their campaigns like having a tooth pulled; over twenty years, Jesse Helms never picked up the telephone, dialed a number, and asked for a contribution. Once, during a meeting, after Jesse finished answering questions his chief fundraiser asked the group of businessmen to contribute.

After a less than enthusiastic response Jesse stood up, said, Well, if it doesn’t matter to you folks it doesn’t matter to me – and headed for the door.

Either Roy Cooper’s inclined to ask and ask a lot or he has one of the finest Finance Chairmen you ever saw – because one of the most shocking facts (in an election filled with sex tapes and FBI investigations) is Roy Cooper outraising Pat McCrory by $8 million ($22 million to $14 million).

That’s never happened before – every incumbent Governor from Jim Hunt to Jim Martin to Jim Hunt again, outraised his challenger but this year the fundraising world turned upside down.

That’s not the final word. It doesn’t spell  d-e-f-e-a-t  for Pat today. But it’s sure easier to win when you spend $8 million more than your opponent.