Roy Put NC First
Like President Biden, Governor Roy Cooper put party and duty ahead of personal political ambition.
The President did it when he stepped aside for Vice President Kamala Harris.
The Governor did it when he stepped away from VP consideration.
This is key from his statement: “This just wasn’t the right time for North Carolina and for me to potentially be on a national ticket.”
Along with his personal and family considerations, there was the risk of giving Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson an opening for political stunts and mischief when Cooper was out of state.
Robinson did it last October. The Governor was on a trade trip to Japan, and Robinson seized the spotlight to declare “North Carolina Solidarity With Israel Week.”
The “Acting Governor” acted like a fool, and his act backfired.
As WRAL’s Will Doran reported then, “Robinson spent most of Thursday’s press conference defending past remarks downplaying Nazism, promoting conspiracy theories about Jewish control over finance and Hollywood, and other statements. Robinson resisted calls to apologize for those remarks Thursday, saying he’s not actually antisemitic.”
Still, Robinson can’t help himself. He’d have another go at it.
And Republicans in the legislature – who can’t muster their super-majority to pass a budget – would find some way to cause mischief.
For them, playing politics is far more important than, say, helping public schools.
Republicans here were chortling last night over Cooper’s withdrawal, like they’d won some prize.
Don’t they realize this means the most popular office-holder in the state, who commands the biggest microphone, will be here full-time to campaign for Harris, Josh Stein and all Democratic candidates?
Roy did the right thing, and we haven’t heard the last from him – this year and in years to come.
My blog yesterday, about why Cooper would be a good running mate, was posted in the morning. But, for technical reasons beyond my ken, it didn’t go out by email until last evening, after the Governor withdrew. The post didn’t age well, but I still think I was right.
Roy Put NC First
Like President Biden, Governor Roy Cooper put party and duty ahead of personal political ambition.
The President did it when he stepped aside for Vice President Kamala Harris.
The Governor did it when he stepped away from VP consideration.
This is key from his statement: “This just wasn’t the right time for North Carolina and for me to potentially be on a national ticket.”
Along with his personal and family considerations, there was the risk of giving Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson an opening for political stunts and mischief when Cooper was out of state.
Robinson did it last October. The Governor was on a trade trip to Japan, and Robinson seized the spotlight to declare “North Carolina Solidarity With Israel Week.”
The “Acting Governor” acted like a fool, and his act backfired.
As WRAL’s Will Doran reported then, “Robinson spent most of Thursday’s press conference defending past remarks downplaying Nazism, promoting conspiracy theories about Jewish control over finance and Hollywood, and other statements. Robinson resisted calls to apologize for those remarks Thursday, saying he’s not actually antisemitic.”
Still, Robinson can’t help himself. He’d have another go at it.
And Republicans in the legislature – who can’t muster their super-majority to pass a budget – would find some way to cause mischief.
For them, playing politics is far more important than, say, helping public schools.
Republicans here were chortling last night over Cooper’s withdrawal, like they’d won some prize.
Don’t they realize this means the most popular office-holder in the state, who commands the biggest microphone, will be here full-time to campaign for Harris, Josh Stein and all Democratic candidates?
Roy did the right thing, and we haven’t heard the last from him – this year and in years to come.
My blog yesterday, about why Cooper would be a good running mate, was posted in the morning. But, for technical reasons beyond my ken, it didn’t go out by email until last evening, after the Governor withdrew. The post didn’t age well, but I still think I was right.