Archive for September 2008
A Brick from Skip
I received a curious email, followed by a phone call, from Richard the Intellectual. Richard tends to watch politics from afar but something happened yesterday that left him completely, absolutely enraged. He got a brick in the mail from State House Republican Leader Skip Stam. That’s right, a brick. The kind, as Richard said, he…
Read MoreThirteen Days?
When I read James Romoser’s story in the Winston-Salem Journal about Senator Dole spending only 13 days in North Carolina during 2006, my immediate reaction was: “That’s an ad.” Thirteen days out of 365? Less than two weeks out of 52? This is a gift from the political gods to Kay Hagan’s campaign. Any bets…
Read MoreMaybe It Is Change
Who knows, this election may really be about change and not just political double talk about change from politicians reading polls. Or, at least, whether the politicians beating the “change drum” are sincere or not – the voters are dead serious. Which would explain some curious poll numbers we’re seeing right here in North Carolina.…
Read MoreWho Gets It?
I miss Bill Clinton. Not the bad Bill, who can’t bring himself to say a good word about Obama or a bad word about McCain-Palin. But the good Bill. The only person in politics who can talk both intelligently and empathetically about The Problem and The People. That’s what this Great Financial Crisis – Depression…
Read MoreWinners and Losers
While tonight’s debate could change everything, here are winners and losers in the wake of this week’s financial-political panic: Winner (for now): John McCain. Once again he stopped his precipitous slide in the polls. He put himself in the position to be the hero on the bailout, if it passes. Or to be the worst…
Read MoreDemocrats and Corruption
Democrats in North Carolina have a long-running problem. There is a culture of corruption a mile wide and a mile deep that runs right through the heart of their politics. The core of their problem is how they raise the money that pays for their political operations, from the North Carolina Democratic Party to their…
Read MoreWho’s the Democrat?
Pat McCrory’s ad has the same message as Barack Obama: It’s time for a change. Therein may lie Bev Perdue’s challenge. Public Policy Polling found that she is weak with Democrats around Charlotte. Question: Do they know she’s the Democrat and McCrory’s the Republican? Like Obama, McCrory is calling for change. Like Obama, McCrory is…
Read MoreCrash Politics
Rob Christensen compared this year’s election to 1992 – 16 years ago. I’d go back another 60 years – to 1932. Americans were in a panic about the economy. The Republican candidate for president was an experienced, respected veteran of Washington who believed the fundamentals of the economy were sound. The Democrat was a relatively…
Read MoreTruthiness
Democrats are apoplectic about the McCain campaign’s distortions, distractions and outright lies. It’s the old Rovean, Swift-Boat strategy: say anything, no matter how outrageous, until it sticks. Let’s not get too huffy. Bev Perdue’s campaign showed that Democrats can play the game. Pat McCrory’s campaign took a predictable shot at her: Return the money you…
Read MoreThe N&O Lives
Pat Stith convinced me that The News & Observer won’t lose its soul when he leaves. I told you he was a loyal guy. He is also persuasive. Stith says his retirement does not stem from the buyouts. He is 66, after all. He has been pondering retirement for a while. And he wants to…
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