Carter Wrenn
Gary Pearce
A Democrat concerned about Obama’s allegedly anti-small business statement (“you didn’t build that”) asks: “What did he really say? The quote sounds bad.” It does indeed, and Republicans have jumped all over it. Obama made the statement on July 13, in a campaign speech in Roanoke, Va. Here’s the full quote: “If…
The Republican (Civitas) poll says Pat McCrory leads Walter Dalton 47-37. The Democratic (N.C. Citizens for Progress) poll says McCrory’s lead, once 12 points, has been cut in half – from 46-34 in April to 45-39 in July. So what does this really tell us? First, McCrory’s five-year campaign has given him an…
Pat McCrory and Walter Dalton are debating whether North Carolina lost its competitive edge. The question is: Who are we competing with? And is competition just about taxes? Rob Christensen’s N&O story Sunday asked whether we’re still a “Dixie Dynamo.” But some people who work in economic development think that’s too narrow. We’re not…
Gun rights vs. gun control: Except for race, it is the starkest divide in America today. The Batman killings revived the familiar debate. One side says, “When are we going to do something about the easy availability of guns and bullets in America?” The other says, “If somebody had been packing a gun in…
This presidential campaign has a hint of 1980. A Democratic President is running for reelection in a bad economy. Americans are feeling down. The President’s poll numbers are worrisome. He is criticized as weak and disconnected. The Republican is veteran campaigner who lost the nomination four years ago. He’s attractive, but his record…
Years ago, Congress passed a law saying able-bodied people who receive welfare should work for their benefits. That sounded fair. And reasonable. After all, sometimes even the hardest working folks land hard in a place but, when they do, requiring them to work in return for a helping hand is better for everyone. However…
This is why people turn off television news. A couple of weeks ago, Rep. Becky Carney’s miscast vote led to enactment of the fracking bill. This week, WSOC-TV in Charlotte breathlessly reported: “Now, for the first time, Rep. Becky Carney is telling only Channel 9 what went wrong.” Not exactly, WSOC. Rep.…
The Democrats’ treasure chest has vanished. Year after year in elections, Democrats like Jim Hunt and Marc Basnight had war chests brimming with cash. Bev Perdue defeated Pat McCrory last election by outspending him by $7 million. But now the Democrats’ larder is empty. Phil Berger’s outraising Martin Nesbit (Basnight’s Senate heir) seventeen to one…
Given the fiscal cliff facing states, maybe it’s not a bad time for Democrats to let Republicans own Raleigh. Speaker Thom Tillis says Republicans already “own” North Carolina’s economy. If Pat McCrory wins and they keep the House and Senate, they’ll have sole ownership of the state budget. The State Budget Crisis Task…
The political sniping began even as chaos still reigned at the White House Correspondents Dinner. My…
A new nationwide poll shows that, if they could run against each other in 2028, Barack…
Senator Phil Berger was out of touch with voters in his district – and suffered the…