Carter Wrenn
Gary Pearce
Bob Etheridge was ready to run, but not ready to take a stand. The old cager was poised to jump into the governor’s race the moment Erskine Bowles announced he wouldn’t suit up. But Etheridge wasn’t ready to say whether he supported the gay marriage amendment or the school tax. He could have…
Read MoreThe guest blog below was sent to me by a TAPster Friday, before the Komen Foundation cried uncle – or aunt. But it’s worth posting today: Anyone who watched yesterday’s Andrea Mitchell interview with Susan Komen Foundation founder Ambassador Nancy G. Brinker could plainly see a train wreck in slow motion. Not only did…
Read MoreDemocrats are down in the dumps: Erskine Bowles and Joe Hackney are both out. And Heath Shuler (though there was less love loss there). The N&O’s top headline proclaims an “exodus” from the legislature. But take it from an old gray head: We’ve been down before. In 1988, Democrats had just lost a…
Read MoreIt’s a rule of political thumb: the longer it takes a potential candidate to decide whether to run, the more likely the answer will be no. Still, North Carolina Democrats sit and wait while Erskine Bowles sits and ponders. And time’s a’wasting. The primary is in three months, the election in nine. …
Read MoreAmong the people maddest at Governor Perdue are those who gave money to her campaign – especially big money when she was putting on a big push recently. She hasn’t decided what to do with the million-plus she has. Give it back? Give it to charity? Here’s an idea: turn the money over…
Read MorePat McCrory’s announcement statement showed that he hasn’t figured out how this campaign has changed. McCrory has spent four years running against Bev Perdue. Now he’s like Wiley Coyote running over the cliff: his legs are still pumping but there’s nothing underneath him anymore. To switch metaphors, he’s signing the same old song.…
Read MoreThe two things that matter most in a political campaign are being right with the Lord and money. Today, candidates in the Republican Primary for Congress in the 13th District filed their year-end FEC reports. They showed total income for each campaign: George Holding: $462,500. Paul Coble: $135,200. Now, before I go any…
Read MoreLast week I was literally at sea – on a cruise. For the last 48 hours, I’ve been immersed in the stormy seas of Democratic politics. The first thing that struck me is the generational divide. Many older Democrats (i.e. – older than me) see Perdue’s decision as a potential disaster and Erskine…
Read MorePrediction: Erskine Bowles won’t run. Suggestion: He shouldn’t. Yesterday I gave Laura Leslie and Rob Christensen all the reasons Erskine would be a great governor. The problem is that he’s a terrible candidate. Even he has admitted: “I have empirical data that I was a terrible politician.” He has proven it twice. That…
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