Carter Wrenn
Gary Pearce
Boo!
In Trump’s America, every day is Halloween. His political MO is fear. He sees ghosts, goblins and boogeymen everywhere. His rallies stoke fear and loathing. He can’t even sustain a forced show of empathy for mass-shooting victims; his Twitter finger itches to get back to picking on somebody or just picking at scabs. He’ll never…
I love October now
I hated October when I worked in campaigns. It was the worst month. You were already dead tired when October got here. Then things got worse. Busier, crazier and more stressful. Ask anybody in a campaign how they’re doing in October, and they all say: “I’ll just be glad when it’s over.” You count down…
Move on
Does Trump (“Tiny”) really think it’s right to get in a Twitter fight with a porn star (“Horseface”)? Does Mitch McConnell (“Turtle”) really think it’s right to say the deficit is so big (thanks to Republican tax cuts) that Congress has to cut Social Security and Medicare? Does Elizabeth Warren (“Pocahontas”) really think it’s right…
They’re cooperating!!
The Raleigh political world is abuzz and agog! The legislature and the Governor are cooperating! Democrats and Republicans are working together on hurricane relief!! Oh, happy day!!! Has a new age dawned? Have we entered an era of bipartisanship, brotherly love and dogs and cats living together? Not so fast, my friend. Pardon my cynicism,…
Mad Men
Just as Hurricane Florence upended the Carolinas, Hurricane Kavanaugh has upended the 2018 elections. Will there be a blue wave? Or will it look like that NASA photo of dark and dirty waters flooding into the ocean after Florence? It comes down to who is maddest. Is it women (and men who support them) energized…
A Teaching Moment
I believe Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. How can you not? Her testimony was powerful, persuasive and painful. She clearly was traumatized by what Brett Kavanaugh did to her. Her life was derailed. And now she has to go through this. If Republicans stick with Kavanaugh, they have only one way to go: “Well, what a…
Disaster politics
Governor Cooper excelled at his first three tasks in the wake of Florence: command (resources), communicate (be safe) and comfort (we’re with you for the long haul). Now comes the long haul. And politics. And bureaucracy – federal, state and local. And inevitable human frustration at the pace of relief. Nearly 20 years ago, after…
The worst of times, the best of people
The worst times bring out the best in us. Before we go back to bashing each other over politics, let’s salute all those who rose to Florence. Salute first the responders who are always there first. Salute the thousands of volunteers who saved lives (human and animal), served meals and succored those in need. Salute…
The Gathering Storm
Carter once said a wave election is like a hurricane. You know it’s coming. But you don’t know if it’ll be a Category 1 or a 5. And you don’t know if it’ll hit Wilmington or Nags Head – or everywhere. We’ve got a big one coming at us now. We’ll worry about the election…