Rand’s Bombshell

Democrats who didn’t panic after Tuesday’s election might panic over Tony Rand leaving.
 
They can see the dominoes falling. Martin Nesbitt replaces Rand as majority leader. The campaign machine that Rand and Marc Basnight built sputters. Republicans win a Senate majority in 2010. Nesbitt becomes minority leader.
 
Raleigh is abuzz with conspiracy theories about Rand. But the answer may be simple.
 
There’s always a young lion hungry to challenge the old lion and become leader of the pack.
 
Not many old lions are smart enough to go out on top.
 
Say what you want, Rand and Basnight ran one of the most successful political operations in the history of North Carolina politics. 
 
They kept Democrats in the majority when other Southern legislatures were going Republican.  They survived the Republican landslide in 1994. 
 
With Rand leaving – whatever the reason – we’re not likely to see anything like it again.
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Gary Pearce

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Rand’s Bombshell

Democrats who didn’t panic after Tuesday’s election might panic over Tony Rand leaving.
 
They can see the dominoes falling. Martin Nesbitt replaces Rand as majority leader. The campaign machine that Rand and Marc Basnight built sputters. Republicans win a Senate majority in 2010. Nesbitt becomes minority leader.
 
Raleigh is abuzz with conspiracy theories about Rand. But the answer may be simple.
 
There’s always a young lion hungry to challenge the old lion and become leader of the pack.
 
Not many old lions are smart enough to go out on top.
 
Say what you want, Rand and Basnight ran one of the most successful political operations in the history of North Carolina politics. 
 
They kept Democrats in the majority when other Southern legislatures were going Republican.  They survived the Republican landslide in 1994. 
 
With Rand leaving – whatever the reason – we’re not likely to see anything like it again.
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Gary Pearce

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