The Disappearance of the Machines

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.
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Carter Wrenn

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The Disappearance of the Machines

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.
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Carter Wrenn

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