The Disappearance of the Machines

Carter Wrenn posted on November 01, 2012 17:16

For years the Democratic Party’s marched onto political battlefields and vanquished Republicans, winning every Governor’s race in North Carolina for two decades and, except for one brief hiatus, holding control of the State Senate and House in an iron grip for over a century.

But this election Pat McCrory’s led Walter Dalton in the polls from day one and that’s never happened before. Democrats have also struck the flag in three of four key Congressional races, in the 8th, 11th, and 13th Districts, and that’s never happened before either. Only in the 7th District are Democrats holding their own.

The picture is even bleaker in the State Senate and House. Democratic leaders have been so swamped by Republicans Phil Berger and Thom Tillis it looks like Republicans may even add to their majorities.

To be sure, Republicans have been handed many gifts: Obama’s unpopularity, Perdue’s foibles, an off-year election sweep two years ago that allowed them to draw Republican districts this election.

But demographically the Democrats’ strength hasn’t vanished – there’re still more Democrats than Republicans in North Carolina and key Democratic groups like African-Americans are voting heavier than ever this election.

So what happened to the vaunted Democratic Machine?

One obvious answer is President Obama’s unpopularity. But Democrats like Jim Hunt and Mike Easley won with unpopular Presidential candidates leading their ticket. On the other hand, Hunt and Easley ran away from unpopular national tickets while this election Democrats have embraced Obama.

Another possible reason is political machines don’t run on best wishes or good will. They run on money. For years, Democrats had plenty – if some enterprising rascal wanted to ‘play’ in state government he had to ‘pay’ with contributions to Democratic campaigns. Governor Perdue’s unpopularity (and trailing Pat McCrory in the polls) dealt a blow to half that equation and Republicans flattened the other half when they won majorities in the State Senate and House.

The day after the last election Democrats should have been sitting in a room having a dead-serious conversation about finding a new way to pay for their campaigns – instead, only one major Democratic candidate (Congressman Mike McIntyre) has raised enough money to go toe-to-toe with his Republican opponent. McIntyre’s also run away from the national ticket. And he’s the only Democrat running neck and neck with a Republican opponent in a swing district.

There may be a lesson there for Democrats.

Posted in: General, North Carolina - Democrats , North Carolina - Republicans

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# clarence swinney

Friday, November 02, 2012 10:32 AM

Will we ever again have a candidate puu cmpaign promises(58) in a book. Then, govern with expertise from a life time study of governance? Show a better record.

CLINTON PRAISE-WITH PLEASURE
GDP--rose from 6300 to 11,600
NATIONAL INCOME-5,000 to 8,000 Billion--took 20 years to grow 2500B before Clinton
JOBS CREATED--over 22 million--record by far
AVERAGE WEEKLY EARNINGS--$360 to $478
AVERAGE WEEKLY HOURS WORKED--never hit 35.0--hit that mark 4 times in 80's
UNEMPLOYMENT--from 7.2% down down down to 3.9%
WELFARE TO WORK—11,533,710 on federal roll in 1996 and 3,880,321 in 2007.
MINIMUM WAGE--$4.25 to $5.15
MINORITIES--did exceedingly well
HOME OWNERSHIP--hit all time high
DEFICIT--290 Billion to whoopee a SURPLUS
DEBT----+28%---300% increase over prior12 years
FEDERAL SPENDING--+28%---80% under Reagan- who da true conservative?
DOW JONES AVERAGE--3,500 to 11,800 all it's history to get to 3500 and Clinton zooms it
NASDAQ--700 to 5,000---all of it's history to get to 700 and Clinton zooms it
VALUES INDEXES-- almost all bad went down--good went up in zoom zoom zoom
FOREIGN AFFAIRS--Peace on Earth good will toward each other---Mark of a true Christian--what has Bush done to Peace on Earth?
POPULARITY---highest poll ratings in history during peacetime in AFRICA, ASIA AND EUROPE even 98.5% in Moscow--left office with highest gallup rating since it was started in 1920's.
STAND UP FOR JUSTICE--evil conservatives spent $110,000,000 on hearings and investigations and caught--- ONE--- very evil man who took a few plane rides to events.
BOW YOUR HEADS--Thank you God for sending us a man of Bill Clinton's character, intelligence, knowledge of governance, ability to face up to crises without whimpering and a great leader of the world.
THANK YOU GOD FOR THE GOOD TIMES THE CLINTON YEARS.

# clarence swinney

Saturday, November 03, 2012 2:46 PM

AFGHAN + IRAQ
Why did we invade?
Both unarmed. Both destitute. Iraq was a one man problem. We invaded on 935 LIES told to us by Bush and 11 staffers on WMD. No WMD ws proclaimed by Hans Blix-- Head of UN delegation. Scott Ritter-- USA head in UN Search team. Saddam son in law. Saddam Head Chemist in exile in Canada. All said they were destroyed after Gulf War.

Bush + Cheney Oil backgrounds. Cheney met with big Oil CEOS and laid out plans to take over Iraq oil. Oil not WMD.

Afghan—The people and Taliban government had no hand in 9-11.
Osama Bin Laden had less than 100 AL Q members in the mountains training to remove Dictators like Saddam H.
We overthrew the Taliban government then as they fought to reclaim the government we labeled them as terrorists not Freedom Fighters as when they fought Soviet Invasion.

A Senior FBI official told members of the Washington Bureau of Palm Beach Post:
”There were no more than 100 hard core Al Queda members on 9-11-01.

Why 9-11? Osama Bin Laden had stated on a video tape:”I have had nightmares since watching Tall buildings fall from shelling by Americans. I have since dreamed of watching Tall buildings fall in America.”

9-11-01 ONE MANS REVENGE—OSAMA BIN LADEN----NO ONE ELSE---

THE BUSH-CHENEY NEO-CON IMPERIALISTS
SEND EM TO THE HAGUE FOR TRIAL ON INTERNATIONAL CRIMES

The Disappearance of the Machines

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