Moore’s Choice
2012-02-13 - by
In some ways, no candidate is better positioned for the now wide-open Democratic governor’s race than Richard Moore. He’s a smart, charismatic candidate with enough personal resources to be an instant front-runner.
Moore has strong credentials. He was Governor Hunt’s Secretary of Crime Control and Public Safety. He was state Treasurer for eight years. He can appeal to progressives and business people – the classic Hunt coalition.
And he can’t be called part of the Perdue “culture.” Like Pat McCrory, Moore ran against her in 2008.
But Moore’s problem lies in what happened after he lost that primary. Many Democrats fault him for his behavior. He didn’t campaign actively or raise money for the ticket. Instead he vocally held grudges against people he had hoped would support him.
Even today, apparently, he remembers all that people didn’t do for him. Likewise, people remember what he didn’t do for the party.
If Moore is waiting for them to say, “You told us so,” he can forget it. If he wants to get back in, he has to start with “I’m sorry. Give me another chance.”
If he does, he can be governor. If he doesn’t, he’ll be remembered as a sore loser – and a might-have-been.
Moore’s Choice
2012-02-13/
In some ways, no candidate is better positioned for the now wide-open Democratic governor’s race than Richard Moore. He’s a smart, charismatic candidate with enough personal resources to be an instant front-runner.
Moore has strong credentials. He was Governor Hunt’s Secretary of Crime Control and Public Safety. He was state Treasurer for eight years. He can appeal to progressives and business people – the classic Hunt coalition.
And he can’t be called part of the Perdue “culture.” Like Pat McCrory, Moore ran against her in 2008.
But Moore’s problem lies in what happened after he lost that primary. Many Democrats fault him for his behavior. He didn’t campaign actively or raise money for the ticket. Instead he vocally held grudges against people he had hoped would support him.
Even today, apparently, he remembers all that people didn’t do for him. Likewise, people remember what he didn’t do for the party.
If Moore is waiting for them to say, “You told us so,” he can forget it. If he wants to get back in, he has to start with “I’m sorry. Give me another chance.”
If he does, he can be governor. If he doesn’t, he’ll be remembered as a sore loser – and a might-have-been.