Basnight had been rumored to be considering retirement but has said he plans to run again.  With his Democrat leadership team largely departing the Senate and his own health problems, I wonder if this is just a show to get past the short session and he will then drop out?

The numbers in Basnight's district are actually fairly favorable toward Republicans.  The largest county in his district actually has had a GOP county commission majority for almost a decade and there are scattered GOP commissioners in about half of the counties in the district.

For several election cycles, there have been suggestions that the state put some money behind a candidate to take on Basnight as it would have a huge multiplier effect in tying up the money that Basnight would otherwise have to help other Democrats.  There were some Stewpid consultants in Raleigh, however, who did not see it that way.

Lately, the only candidate the GOP has put up is a guy who has a history of bad checks in a couple of the district's counties who would never say bad things about Basnight except in all-Republican meetings.

Given Basnight's overall situation, trotting out a substantial GOP candidate that the state was preparing to help fund might be all it takes for Basnight to make a final decision to quit.  Then that candidate could start out with a head of steam in an open and winnable district.

Again there may be Stewpid decisions made in Raleigh to lay low, but I certainly hope not.

Even if Basnight were to run, he has a big Achilles Heel this election and it is that extravagant pier that he earmarked the state funds for in Nags Head.  The one Carter used in his Doug Berger ads.  With the economic crisis, voters are very upset and focused on wasteful projects such as this.  Run ads showing unmet needs locally and compare it with how much was wasted on this pier.  I spent a weekend in Dare County a couple of months ago, and even locals I talked to down there thought it was a boondoggle of huge proportions.  Runs enough ads ramming his stinking pier down his throat and he will be an ex-Senator.

Anonymous said :

Even if Basnight were to run, he has a big Achilles Heel this election and it is that extravagant pier that he earmarked the state funds for in Nags Head.  The one Carter used in his Doug Berger ads.  With the economic crisis, voters are very upset and focused on wasteful projects such as this.  Run ads showing unmet needs locally and compare it with how much was wasted on this pier.  I spent a weekend in Dare County a couple of months ago, and even locals I talked to down there thought it was a boondoggle of huge proportions.  Runs enough ads ramming his stinking pier down his throat and he will be an ex-Senator.

What was the vote on that pier?  If I'm not mistaken it had widespread support across party lines when it was proposed.  It was only after it passed the GA that it became an issue.  Better make sure it doesn't come back to bite you.

Russ

Anonymous said :

What was the vote on that pier?  If I'm not mistaken it had widespread support across party lines when it was proposed.  It was only after it passed the GA that it became an issue.  Better make sure it doesn't come back to bite you.

Russ

My recollection is that there was not a seperate vote on funding the pier.  It was just rolled into the budget, which most, maybe all, Republicans voted against because of lots of problems in it last year.
 

But, of course, any challenger could hit any incumbent who voted for the bill that funded this boondoggle, regardless of party.  I just don't think many Republicans, if any, put themselves in that bullseye last year.

Anonymous said :

Anonymous said :

What was the vote on that pier?  If I'm not mistaken it had widespread support across party lines when it was proposed.  It was only after it passed the GA that it became an issue.  Better make sure it doesn't come back to bite you.

Russ

My recollection is that there was not a seperate vote on funding the pier.  It was just rolled into the budget, which most, maybe all, Republicans voted against because of lots of problems in it last year.
 

But, of course, any challenger could hit any incumbent who voted for the bill that funded this boondoggle, regardless of party.  I just don't think many Republicans, if any, put themselves in that bullseye last year.

I suppose it was voting it out of committee or something like that.  I'm not that familier with the ends and outs but just remember comments to the effect that R's had supported it at the time.

Russ

Anonymous said :

I suppose it was voting it out of committee or something like that.  I'm not that familier with the ends and outs but just remember comments to the effect that R's had supported it at the time.

Russ

There aren't many, if any, Republicans who have their fingers on compilation of the budget bill.  Indeed, few even have a chance to read it.  It is a huge bill, many pages long, and the Democrats trot it out at the last minute. 
 

From what I hear on the ground, all of the legislative recruitment efforts seem to be coming from the county and sometimes district parties.  The NCGOP is AWOL.  This makes candidate recruitment particularly difficult in large multi-county districts like Basnights.

Our party is sorely in need of someone who will take a leadership role like Flaherty, Rouse, or Hawke did no legislative recruitment.

From what I hear on the ground, all of the legislative recruitment efforts seem to be coming from the county and sometimes district parties.  The NCGOP is AWOL.  This makes candidate recruitment particularly difficult in large multi-county districts like Basnights.

Our party is sorely in need of someone who will take a leadership role like Flaherty, Rouse, or Hawke did on legislative recruitment.

From what I hear on the ground, all of the legislative recruitment efforts seem to be coming from the county and sometimes district parties.  The NCGOP is AWOL.  This makes candidate recruitment particularly difficult in large multi-county districts like Basnights.

Our party is sorely in need of someone who will take a leadership role like Flaherty, Rouse, or Hawke did on legislative recruitment.

The information that Carter dug up on Basnight (great work, as usual, Carter!) on Basnight's Construction Company participating in the construction of that boondoggle pier, and Basnight lying about it is political dynamite that has the potential to blast Basnight right out of the Senate.  Republicans need to go after him hard on this issue, and they need to do it with a consultant with more brains that Stewart.

Here's what the editor of Carolina Politics Online had to say about the matter:

''Personally, I would include Marc Basnight as being potentially vulnerable this year. He represents a district that is just barely Democratic and in a year in which voters may throw his party overboard on top of him orchestrating a huge tax increase on the people of this state. The state Republicans would be wasting a colossal opportunity to not recruit a decent candidate against him. They have plenty to beat him over the head with.

So as I’ve said before North Carolina Republicans have an opportunity to capture the State Senate this year for the first time in, well, ever, providing their organization is competent enough to do so. Redistricting will begin next year and the Republicans will want to take control so they can undo the gerrymandering done by the Democrats and turn around and gerrymander it all over again in their favor instead. We really need an independent commission drawing districts in this state.''

What I hear on the ground talking to people in two counties in the district is that the NCGOP has not done anything apparent to recruit in this district or the corresponding House districts.  There is local interest in challenging Basnight, but there has not been the coordination between counties that the state party should have been providing.  Even so, a local activist who was a regional coordinator of some description for Adams (no one knows if he had an exact title in that campaign) has taken it upon himself to facilitate communication between counties.  They are hoping to come up with a candidate.

Run Jennifer Alligood.

Anonymous said :

Run Jennifer Alligood.

Jennifer would be a great candidate.  I think she has been approached by local Republicans in each of the last two election cycles and asked to run against Basnight but has declined.  She has a very high profile and is very well regarded from her leadership in the battle against that landing strip.  If she could be talked into running, she would send Basnight back home to Manteo.

I am curious about those reports on the fire at Basnight's restaurant, which were required by law to be released, and there was a lot of discussion on TAP earlier about how they had not been.  Have they ever been made public?  My guess is that they have not.

It would seem that this could be a good issue to stir on Basnight.  Why is the law not being followed?  An opposing candidate could start with a press conference making a demand on both Basnight and the custodian of the records for their release.  When they fail to do so, follow it up with a Public Records (state equivalent of Freedom of Information) lawsuit.  Coverups are usually more fatal politically than whatever it is that they are covering up.

From the prior discussion on TAP it seems that enough had seeped out that it was apparent that the fire was likely set by a professional arsonist, what is called a ''torch''.  If that gets out in the popular press, the general reaction of voters is probably going to be, ''hey here's another Jimmy Green'' and think ''insurance fire''.  That assumption is probably the first damage control Basnight would have to deal with initially.

IMHO, this was NOT an insurance fire, however.  For one thing, it was also brought out that Basnight was underinsured.  Underinsured people generally do not go staging insurance fires.  Well, that could just be disinformation, you might say, but even granting that there is another factor that makes the insurance fire theory unlikely.  The fire occured right at the start of the restaurant season on the Outer Banks.  I cannot imagine anyone staging an insurance fire right at the start of their busy season when they make their money and thus putting themselves out of businees for that year.

The more likely explanation is a revenge fire, where Basnight crossed someone who plays hardball.  Was it a business dispute with one of Basnight's enterprises, a dispute over a woman, or some undelivered promise of governmental action?  Who knows, but it clearly involved a ''heavy dude'' because the usual disgruntled businessman, husband, or constituent does generally not have a clue of where to hire a professional torch.

The key is to open up Basnight's can of worms and see what crawls out.

 I've talked to some of the Republican leaders over in Basnight's district and they say that their phones have been ringing from both the state GOP and the Senate GOP asking about candidates.  This started around Thanksgiving. They tell me no one wants to run because Basnight is so vindictive.  Most people being approached are business owners and they are afraid of the repercussions from Basnight and the "Dare County Mafia" if they even put their name on the ballot. Others were retirees and they were also afraid of going up against a man who has such a nasty reputation when someone crosses him.  None of them believe they have a chance against his money and the fact that even Republicans acknowledge how much he has brought to the area.   One told me that if the Republicans take control of the Senate, they think Basnight will resign.  They say with the GOP in control, it is a Republican seat.   Just passing along what I've heard.  

Just heard an interesting report from a friend who lives in the district and supports Republicans, although not openly as he has to deal with some of the crony network in his business.  His information came from one of the high ranking cronies whose tongue had apparently been loosened by alcohol at a social function.  It seems the reason the pier deal had to be put through last session is that this term will be Basnight's last.  He is saying he will run again because he wants to keep down any other candidacies until they can fully set things up for their chosen successor, and also Basnight would prefer not to be regarded as a lame duck during this year's short session.

This fits since there was a succession deal when Basnight took over the seat from his uncle, Sen. Daniels.  I wonder if this will be another intra-family play?

Since the timing for the transition seems to be after the short session, it looks like Basnight would file, let filing close, expect no other Democrats to file and keep his fingers crossed no top tier Republicans do.  Then he could resign the nomination and have the skids greased for a handpicked successor through the district executive committee.  He could even resign the seat, too, and let the new candidate run as an incumbent.  The latter would only be necessary if there was a Republican with some stature in the race.

You're right about how vindictive Basnight and his boys can be.  You can lose your business or job, your home, your reputation and maybe even your family.  And woe to any family members who might work for state or local government.

Anonymous said :

 I've talked to some of the Republican leaders over in Basnight's district and they say that their phones have been ringing from both the state GOP and the Senate GOP asking about candidates.  This started around Thanksgiving. They tell me no one wants to run because Basnight is so vindictive.  Most people being approached are business owners and they are afraid of the repercussions from Basnight and the "Dare County Mafia" if they even put their name on the ballot. Others were retirees and they were also afraid of going up against a man who has such a nasty reputation when someone crosses him.  None of them believe they have a chance against his money and the fact that even Republicans acknowledge how much he has brought to the area.   One told me that if the Republicans take control of the Senate, they think Basnight will resign.  They say with the GOP in control, it is a Republican seat.   Just passing along what I've heard.  

Nice try to spin excuses, Tom - or is it Stew? - but it doesn't flush.

I am afraid that is what we will see statewide - excuses instead of performance when it comes to legislative recruitment.

Let's look at your excuses.  First, calls ''since Thanksgiving''.   Thanksgiving is the start of the holiday season, when peoples focus is elsewhere.  That is incredibly late to be STARTING candidate recruitment.  No competent effort sits on its ass that long.  When I have been involved in legislative candidate recruitment efforts in the past, we started in the summer.

Next, you mention the quite correct intimidation by the Dare County Mafia, which does make people in Dare County think twice about their political involvement.  That makes it appear that no calls were made to other counties in the district.  The Dare County mafia does not scare people in the northern and western parts of the district, which is where a competent a candidate recruitment effort should have concentrated.  Indeed Pasquotank and Beaufort counties are both larger counties than Dare.

You mention only phone calls to party leader(s), but successful state chairmen have gotten on the phone themselves to talk to prospective candidates.  The fact that you do not mention any such calls is glaring.

Next you do not mention any coordinated effort to recruit current or former GOP elected officials in the district to run against Basnight, and I know for a fact that has not been done.  Why not?  There are county commissioners, mayors, town councilment, even a retired 2-term sheriff.

Next there are the past prospective candidates.  Someone mentioned Jennifer Alligood being approached in the past, and I do not know why she declined then, but the fact that she was approached in two election cycles shows that whatever her reason was, it appeared locally to be something that would not necessarily stop her in a future race.  The N&O and other statewide papers reported the hugely succesful grassroots operation she led to stop the OLF. If you look at where the OLF was to be located, it was in Washington County, the most Democratic county in the district giving her wide popularity in an area that would be tough for most Republicans.

I do not know if an elected official or somelike like Mrs. Alligood could be recruited, but I know that what I see and hear of the NCGOP's half-assed charade at candidate recruitment is nothing short of political malpractice.

Anonymous said :

The information that Carter dug up on Basnight (great work, as usual, Carter!) on Basnight's Construction Company participating in the construction of that boondoggle pier, and Basnight lying about it is political dynamite that has the potential to blast Basnight right out of the Senate.  Republicans need to go after him hard on this issue, and they need to do it with a consultant with more brains that Stewart.

Yes Carter did a great piece on the peer but I believe it was Civitas who did the digging and discovering.
 

Nice try to spin excuses, Tom - or is it Stew? - but it doesn't flush.

I am afraid that is what we will see statewide - excuses instead of performance when it comes to legislative recruitment.

Let's look at your excuses.  First, calls ''since Thanksgiving''.   Thanksgiving is the start of the holiday season, when peoples focus is elsewhere.  That is incredibly late to be STARTING candidate recruitment.  No competent effort sits on its ass that long.  When I have been involved in legislative candidate recruitment efforts in the past, we started in the summer.

Next, you mention the quite correct intimidation by the Dare County Mafia, which does make people in Dare County think twice about their political involvement.  That makes it appear that no calls were made to other counties in the district.  The Dare County mafia does not scare people in the northern and western parts of the district, which is where a competent a candidate recruitment effort should have concentrated.  Indeed Pasquotank and Beaufort counties are both larger counties than Dare.

You mention only phone calls to party leader(s), but successful state chairmen have gotten on the phone themselves to talk to prospective candidates.  The fact that you do not mention any such calls is glaring.

Next you do not mention any coordinated effort to recruit current or former GOP elected officials in the district to run against Basnight, and I know for a fact that has not been done.  Why not?  There are county commissioners, mayors, town councilment, even a retired 2-term sheriff.

Next there are the past prospective candidates.  Someone mentioned Jennifer Alligood being approached in the past, and I do not know why she declined then, but the fact that she was approached in two election cycles shows that whatever her reason was, it appeared locally to be something that would not necessarily stop her in a future race.  The N&O and other statewide papers reported the hugely succesful grassroots operation she led to stop the OLF. If you look at where the OLF was to be located, it was in Washington County, the most Democratic county in the district giving her wide popularity in an area that would be tough for most Republicans.

I do not know if an elected official or somelike like Mrs. Alligood could be recruited, but I know that what I see and hear of the NCGOP's half-assed charade at candidate recruitment is nothing short of political malpractice.

Jennifer would be great and of course NCGOP doesn't get that or are afraid that she would become the ball busting Sarah Palin of NC Repubs.  But Jennifer has her family to focus on and besides she has done her duty above and beyond the call.

I am afraid that this might be a pattern for all of our GOP candidate recruitment - starting late, making a half hearted effort, not calling all the right people, not making a real effort to identify and recruit all of the potential candidates, etc. After all, the 1st Senate district has to be among the top 8-10 Senate targets.

It looks like state HQ was just checking off a box and noting the excuses to use for their failure, not trying hard to find a good candidate.  I don't see concentrating their calling in Dare County, Basnight's own county.  In checking back, I found that the GOP has run candidates against Basnight  6 times, 1 challenger being from Pasquotank, 1 from Hyde, 1 from Dare, and 3 times from Beaufort.  With signs pointing to Basnight riding off into the sunset, even if he does go through the motions of filing again, this is the time to have a top notch candidate.

I remember when we had real hands-on state chairmen who went all out on candidate recruitment, people like Dave Flahtery and Jack Hawke.  If local chairmen weren't getting the job done, they would take it would themselves to see that it got done.

In particular I remember being called on very short notice for a Congressional District executive committee meeting in the chairman's professional office on a weekday evening.  Only four of us committee members turned up.  The district chairman called the meeting to order, said that state headquarters wanted to know if we had a congressional candidate, and asked if anyone knew of any candidate intending to run.  We all said no, and he said he did not either.  He then went through the same procedure with legislative candidates, and then adjourned the meeting.  Nothing was ever said about trying to recruit anyone.  A few days later, I ran into one of the other attendees at the post office, and he proceded to tell me that he was running for Congress.  He said that Dave Flahery had called him from state HQ, said we did not need to let the district go unchallenged, already had a filing fee raised, and a pledge of additional suppport.

I also remember when Betty McCain decided to run against GOP House incumbent Larry Etheridge in Wilson County.  The local party leaders were in awe of the political power of Betty McCain, and even more so the Hunt machine that she was a kingpin in and was supporting her.  Etheridge found an excuse to withdraw.  The local party thought they had another candidate but he fell through, and was just wringing their hands that you could not beat Betty McCain and the Hunt machine in Wilson County.  Fortunately, Hawke was state party chairman then.  He did his own candidate recruitment, found a retired principal willing to run who was new to politics and therefore did not know that it was impossible to beat Betty McCain.  Hawke essentially bypassed the shellshocked local party, ran the campaign for the prinicipal out of state HQ and defeated the ''unbeatable'' Betty McCain.

Real chairmen like Flaherty and Hawke took the bull by the horns and got the job done.  I am afraid that Fetzer is just checking off boxes that he ''tried'' and getting his excuses set.  Our party and our state deserve better.

Just to look at how superficial the effort by NCGOP to recruit a candidate against Basnight have been, there are two good prospective candidates who live in Basnight's district who have announced for other offices which are probably unwinnable but would be great candidates against Basnight.  What are the chances that Fetzer and company have tried to get them to switch races?  I would bet slim and none.

One is Greg Dority, who was impressive in campaign meetings running for Lt. Governor in the last primary, but did not have the statewide stature or money to run statewide.  He has announced for Congress in the 4th district, a hundred miles from where he lives.  That works all the time for the British parliament, but is extremely unlikely to go over for US Congress.  He is unlikely to make it trrough a primary with a local candidate, and even if by a miracle he did, the numbers for a Rejpublican are worse in the 4th Congressional district than in the 1st Senatorial district.  Dority would have a much bettrer shot at winning the Senate district than the Congressional seat he is aiming for.

Then there is a past county GOP chairman in Beaufort County, whose name I do not recall, who has announced for Congress in the majority black 1st Congressional District.   I have heard that he is a good candidate but why beat his head against a brick wall of a majority black district when he also has the chance to run for the winnable 1st Senatorial district.

You sometimes wonder if the NCGOP leadership's brains are mush or if they just don't care.

The last thing you said...they just don't care.

They fought like crazy to keep control of the party last year, and when they barely squeaked by (thanks to Fred Smith's ability to buy delegates) they set about doing the work of stacking the Central Committee and getting big fat salaries approved for the Chairman and Executive Director (simultaneously).  Now they brush their hands and sit back, their job done...at least as far as they're concerned. 

Oh, didn't you know?  Actually beating Democrats is beside the point for the boys running the NCGOP. 

Thanks to Carter for pointing out yesterday that the claims of the Fetzer crowd that he should win because he's such a crackerjack fundraiser were just so much horse-hockey, just like the rest of us knew they were.  Guess that's why the NCGOP only has $6,700 to spend per candidate.

Here is the guy who ought to be running against Basnight:

www.woolardforcongress.com

Instead, he will beat his brains out in a hopeless black majority district for Congress.

Ashley Woolard is a attractive candidate.  He has been talking about running for Congress since early October. If we had anyone with the slightest degree of competence in state headquarters who was keeping up with what was going on in the field, they would have been all over him about switching races to the 1st Senate district, which he would at least have a fighting chance to win.  The Dare County mafia does not scare people in counties like Beaufort.

It is irresponsible for the party to allow good candidates like this to waste their eneergies in hopeless races when there are other races they could win, in which they are also desperately needed.

Instead he will be filing for Congress tomorrow according to the press release he has sent out.

This is a massive failing by our state party leadership.

Woolard or Dority either one would be great candidates against Basnight.

Why does our state party have its thumb up its ass on staying on top of things and trying to point good candidates to the right races?