Carter Wrenn
Gary Pearce
The Star of UNC-TV
Politicians are nothing if not creative and what they’re most creative about is making themselves look good. With the ‘Great Recession’ roaring along some politicians in state government decided paying UNC-TV to run programs to tell voters what a great job they’re doing spending money was a first rate idea. You’d think the state’s…
Independent Minds
Here are the numbers that should scare North Carolina Democrats: 1.4 million and 47-18. The 1.4 million is the number of voters registered unaffiliated. That’s nearly a fourth of the state’s 6.1 million registered votes. And 47-18 is how much those independent voters favor Republicans over Democrats in legislative races this year, according…
Silly Season
At last the Democratic Senate primary gets ugly. Usually the negatives start flying long before the final week. And it’s always the same scenario: A lagging candidate decides – or gets persuaded – to lash out at the leaders. So it is with Ken Lewis. He has a radio ad attacking Cal…
High Anxiety
Three headlines capture three scenarios in the Democratic Senate primary: “Marshall looks for another statewide win in Senate primary.” (From WRAL, whose poll has her leading.) “Dem Senate primary in North Carolina could be headed to runoff.” (From The Hill in Washington.) “Poll: Cunningham Closes the Gap in North Carolina.” (From Congressional…
Pachyderms and Feuds
The other day there was a minor eruption in the press when a group of Republicans got mad at former Republican Co-Speaker of the House Richard Morgan for criticizing Governor Perdue and Cabinet Secretary Lanier Cansler for passing out no bid contracts. Now if that seems unusual it took the Governor (who laughed and told…
Landing in an Odd Place
There’s a political war going on in the Republican Primary for State House down in Jacksonville. Martin Aragona, a former County Commissioner, is running as is Phil Shepard who, it turns out, is supported by the local leaders of the Perdue-Easley political machine (including a former Easley Highway Commissioner). At their first debate Aragona asked…
One Week to Go
The money-starved Democratic U.S. Senate primary limps to a finish next Tuesday – with a runoff possible and Richard Burr sitting on $5 million for the fall. Elaine Marshall’s campaign promises a healthy TV buy this week. They hope it will check Cal Cunningham’s comparative blitz of ads. Her campaign even talks hopefully…
Reeves versus Miller
It’s no secret I’ve been supporting my old friend Bernie Reeves in his race against Congressman Brad Miller. Here’s Bernie’s ad: