McCrory Under Siege

Governor McCrory certainly isn’t the only politician “obsessed with his image.” But he shows it more than any politician I’ve ever seen.
 
Read Taylor Batten’s remarkable and revealing account of his hour-and-40-minute interview with the Governor. Batten, editor of the Charlotte Observer’s editorial page (which endorsed McCrory for governor) wrote: “This is a man obsessed with his image and how he’s portrayed. It’s clear he doesn’t go a day without being deeply frustrated by what he sees as unfair attacks on his good name.”
 
Three things come clear. First, it’s easy to get under McCrory’s skin. Second, he reads and remembers everything that is the least bit critical. Third, he can’t remember where he read it or who said it. He criticizes the media for getting things wrong, but he gets wrong what they got wrong.
 
You’re left with the impression of a man who is over his head and about to go under.
 
At one point, the Governor asked Batten: “What are the other eight things I said wrong by the way?…You had an editorial where ‘McCrory’s misstatements. Eight misstatements.’ I forget how many.”
 
Batten: “I tell him I don’t know what he’s talking about, and an adviser points out that he’s thinking of a news story written by a (Raleigh) News & Observer reporter.
 
McCrory says: “No. That was their editorial. Or was that a repeat? Maybe, I don’t know which ones I’m reading.”
 
Indeed he doesn’t.
 
It’s going to be a long three years, Governor.
Avatar photo

Gary Pearce

Categories

Archives

Recent Posts

McCrory Under Siege

Governor McCrory certainly isn’t the only politician “obsessed with his image.” But he shows it more than any politician I’ve ever seen.
 
Read Taylor Batten’s remarkable and revealing account of his hour-and-40-minute interview with the Governor. Batten, editor of the Charlotte Observer’s editorial page (which endorsed McCrory for governor) wrote: “This is a man obsessed with his image and how he’s portrayed. It’s clear he doesn’t go a day without being deeply frustrated by what he sees as unfair attacks on his good name.”
 
Three things come clear. First, it’s easy to get under McCrory’s skin. Second, he reads and remembers everything that is the least bit critical. Third, he can’t remember where he read it or who said it. He criticizes the media for getting things wrong, but he gets wrong what they got wrong.
 
You’re left with the impression of a man who is over his head and about to go under.
 
At one point, the Governor asked Batten: “What are the other eight things I said wrong by the way?…You had an editorial where ‘McCrory’s misstatements. Eight misstatements.’ I forget how many.”
 
Batten: “I tell him I don’t know what he’s talking about, and an adviser points out that he’s thinking of a news story written by a (Raleigh) News & Observer reporter.
 
McCrory says: “No. That was their editorial. Or was that a repeat? Maybe, I don’t know which ones I’m reading.”
 
Indeed he doesn’t.
 
It’s going to be a long three years, Governor.
Avatar photo

Gary Pearce

Categories

Archives