Carter Wrenn
Gary Pearce
The other day on TV a mother wearing a long white sweater sitting beside her dining room table talked about her son dying of a fentanyl overdose – then said she typically voted Republican but this time ‘Josh Stein is who I want to be governor.’ The same day in a video on Facebook, waving…
Read MoreThe News & Observer headline said, “Mark Robinson changes his position on abortion law.” No, he hasn’t. His position is still the same. He believes politicians in Raleigh, not women, should make decisions about pregnancy. In a new ad about his wife’s abortion (photo), Robinson says, “I stand by our current law.” That doesn’t mean…
Read MoreThe safe, conventional-wisdom running mate for Vice President Kamala Harris is a middle-aged, middle-American Dad-type like Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania or Tim Walz of Minnesota or a military-astronaut guy like Mark Kelly of Arizona. The bold choice is Pete Buttigieg. No one can better build on the energy and enthusiasm Harris has generated. No one…
Read MoreOn one screen, Simone Biles and the women’s gymnastics team were smiling, winning gold and bringing pride to Americans. On another screen, Trump was scowling, insulting Black women and sowing hate among Americans. Let’s turn off the Trump channel.
Read MoreReagan battled Tip O’Neill for years but two Irishmen became friends. When Reagan was wounded O’Neill was one of the first men to visit him in the hospital, knelt by his bed, said a prayer, rising, leaning down, kissed Reagan on the forehead. George Bush and Bill Clinton, the younger Bush and Al Gore, Obama…
Read MoreBeing a stubborn old man myself, I didn’t want President Biden to quit. I was wrong. I feared the Democratic Party would descend into civil war. I was wrong. I feared Vice President Kamala Harris wouldn’t be a strong candidate. I was wrong. I’ve never been so glad to be so wrong. I’ve never seen…
Read MoreRaising more money, making stronger ads, Republicans once had an edge over Democrats in elections. But, of course, over time Democrats learned from their mistakes. Kamala Harris just raised $200 million in one week – no Republican’s done that. For years Republicans’ flashy ads full of melodrama worked but voters have now seen so many…
Read MoreWinds change and without warning politics changes: In 1980 Reagan and Carter were running neck and neck ten days before the election – winds changed, Reagan won 44 states. Sitting in my office ten years later during Jesse Helms’ Senate campaign our pollster pointed to one question in his poll: 80% of the voters disagreed…
Read MoreNo one saw it coming: Running for governor, neck and neck with Josh Stein, Mark Robinson just got upended. Robinson’s family business – Balanced Nutrition – is paid by the state to provide meals for needy children in day care centers. Robinson’s wife, who runs the company, makes $160,000 in salary. Robinson, his son, daughter,…
Read MoreWatergate sunk Nixon. Jimmy Carter was elected. Two years later Jesse Helms ran for reelection. In…
Read MoreWe Americans are angry this Christmas. 77 million voters were so angry they elected Trump. 75…
Read More‘You tell a lot of good stories about Reagan, like his saying a prayer for the…
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