North Carolina Republicans have one bona fide, big league, blue chip campaign that has all the ingredients for success this year: Elizabeth Dole’s.

Senator Dole has built the only major Republican campaign in North Carolina that is raising more money than her opponent. And she has polls. And effective ads. And her campaign team has experience. They’ve won statewide elections before.

I’m not trying to take anything away from Pat McCrory or Robert Pittenger; they’re making progress, but they can’t – yet – match their opponents’ resources. Senator Dole is in a league by herself.

Now, all these campaigns – from Senator to State Legislator – are asking themselves the same questions: Will Obama’s campaign turn into a national Democratic tidal wave? How will that affect North Carolina? How do we deal with President Bush’s unpopularity? What’s our message? And right now, each campaign is devoting part of its meager resources to answering those questions. And each, no doubt, has something to offer in the way of answers. But Senator Dole, with the most resources and most sophisticated campaign, has the most carefully researched answers.

So here’s a suggestion: Granted, no campaign is going to share a dime with another. Or a contributor list. Or an idea on how to raise money. But information is different. Sharing information doesn’t diminish its value. And it actually benefits everyone if all the candidates share the same – or similar – messages. The major Republican campaigns – McCain, Dole, McCrory, Pittenger, and the Republican House and Senate Caucus – should start getting together, say, once a week, to share their answers.

Senator Dole will benefit the least. But sharing information has a trickle down that benefits everyone and if the down ballot races pick up a bit of momentum that may help her too, if there is a tidal wave.

Most Republican campaigns in North Carolina, lacking money to match their Democratic opponents, are counting on McCain’s coattails to pull them through. But that’s looking iffier and iffier. Republicans’ next best hope is a shared message – so they ought to consider circling the wagons and getting on the same sheet of music.

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