North Carolina – Democrats
Pure Politics
Running for Governor Andy Wells and Mark Walker asked Mark Robinson to join them in opposing casinos. Robinson, who likes to talk tough, act fearless, sidestepping, dodging, didn’t say a word to stop the State Senate’s ‘Casino Bill’…the bill died in the House in Raleigh on a Tuesday night and the next morning, back to…
Read MoreLosing Streak
If North Carolina Democrats want to become a governing party by 2030, we need to face up to harsh history. In 2016, Democrats had hope. We won back the governor’s office, held onto the attorney general’s office and won a majority on the Supreme Court. But it’s been downhill in the three elections since –…
Read MoreWho’s That?
A recent Meredith College poll shows why you shouldn’t pay attention to early polls. Asked to identify photos of North Carolina’s top elected officials, most voters had no clue. 80% did identify Roy Cooper, who’s been governor for seven years and attorney general for 16 years. Still, 20% didn’t know him. And these were voters,…
Read MoreThe Age of Social Media
Abrasive but entertaining politicians rant on Facebook, Twitter – and legions of people follow them. After Jeff Jackson landed in Congress he made a video. Oddly, he didn’t rant, he talked calmly – 3 million people watched. He made more videos without a rant – and over a million people watched each video. How’d he…
Read MoreBonding Over BBQ
Anderson Clayton reminds me of Jim Hunt: the same energy, the same enthusiasm and the same determination to make North Carolina better – through the Democratic Party. A couple of us old Hunt hands saw that this week when the 86-year-old four-term governor and the 25-year-old first-term party chair met for the first time, at…
Read MoreCooper’s Casino Blast
Governor Roy Cooper measures his words carefully, so his tweet Saturday afternoon was striking: “GOP demand for passage of their backroom casino deal in exchange for a state budget and Medicaid expansion is the most brutally dishonest legislative scheme I’ve seen in my 3+ decades. People are right to be suspicious. Something has a grip…
Read MorePolitainment
A video landed from a friend in my inbox – Reverend R.C. Sproul talking about ‘worshiptainment,’ – a blight sowed in churches by preachers turning services into concerts, stage shows. I wrote back, agreed, added I felt the same way about ‘politainment.’ Vivek Ramaswamy’s the new Republican politainer. We’ve also got entertainer Mark Robinson off…
Read MoreSupreme Politics
My lawyer and judge friends may rule me out of order, but I believe Democratic candidates for the state Supreme Court should tell voters where they stand on fundamental constitutional issues. They should say that women have a constitutional right to abortion, that gerrymandering and voter suppression are unconstitutional, and that the legislature hasn’t met…
Read MoreThey’re Fed Up
The instantly iconic front page of The Daily Tar Heel tells you three things about their generation: They’re fed up with gun violence and school lockdowns They’re fed up with politicians who protect guns, not people They’re so fed up they printed the text “GUYS I’M SO FUCKING SCARED” in big, bold red type. That…
Read MorePPP to the Rescue
I certainly don’t begrudge the Raleigh consultants who took PPP relief during the pandemic. If they’d gone under, the economic consequences could have been devastating for certain Capital City watering holes, fine dining establishments and upscale clothing stores. Danielle Battaglia revealed the deals in The News & Observer (“How US allowed pandemic relief to go…
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