Cabarrus Cheap Seats

18 responses so far ↓

• 1 Mark Smith // Jan 3, 2008 at 10:34 am

  Since it’s been a few days since we’ve had our discussion, I’ll try to re-open it.

  Charlotte.com reports that Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory is making his final plans for a run for the Governor’s mansion. He has spoken to Richard Vinroot and other figures around the state. In fact, NC Senator Eddie Goodall (Union Co) stated that McCrory contacted him. If you recall, Sen. Goodall is supporting Sen. Fred Smith (Johnston Co) for governor as well as a number of state legislators.

  So, let’s chat. Any McCrory fans out there? What do you think?

• 2 Steve Smith // Jan 3, 2008 at 11:45 am

  Mark

  You already know how I feel about Pat McCrory. Whats not to like about this guy. He’s got it all. Seven term Mayor of NC’s Largest City. Works and plays well with others (Democrats). Check him out here on his Web Site

  http://www.patmccrory.com/biography/

  He’s my pick for Governor but what do I know…I like John McCain too…

• 3 Justin Thibault // Jan 3, 2008 at 12:16 pm

  For the general election - I think that Pat McCrory could give either of the Democrat front-runners a tough race; but he’ll have a hard time winning the GOP nomination. Actually having to manage problems in the largest city in the Carolinas means that he’s made decisions that don’t sit well with the uber-conservatives that control Party rhetoric.

• 4 Aaron // Jan 3, 2008 at 6:19 pm

  I’d back him for gov. Here’s why:

  Yes, he’s a big government conservative and No, that’s not an oxymoron anymore. I present you: “Dubbya!”

  Sure, we’d get a state wide monorail and no one would be able to park anywhere but in their driveway. We’d hear endless bantering about how roads can’t be built because there’s no money and how people won’t be able to water their lawn because the state is too stupid to fix the water supply.

  BUT!

  We’ll have all the same things with a democrat in office for the millionth year and McCrory would at least be tough on crime! That’s something we need more than anything these days…

  So yes, I’d choose the lesser of two evils in that case!

• 5 Steve Smith // Jan 3, 2008 at 6:43 pm

  I know that the middle of the road is not a popular position with you guys but most Americans are’ in fact’ middle of the road. Thats where people like John McCain and Pat McCrory draw their strength. The far right and the far left are similar in many ways, in that there is no room for compromise on either side. Since all of the Democrats are “far left’. I am only left with the centralists i.e. John McCain and Pat McCrory. Even Rudy is a bit left for me however I will hold my nose and vote for him if I have to.
  So there it is in a nut shell, probley I will have Hillary and Huckabee as my choices, neither of which are acceptable to me..

• 6 Thierry Wernaers // Jan 4, 2008 at 1:00 am

  McCrory has about as much chance of entering the Governor’s mansion as Huckabee has of entering the White house: ZERO
  Folks in the state don’t like a “Charlotte city guy” and most Americans don’t want to turn this country into a theocracy.

• 7 Justin Thibault // Jan 4, 2008 at 7:04 am

  As for the McCrory being “middle of the road” - I think that’s what’s been missing with most of the GOP candidates for Gov is that moderates and independents weren’t comfortable with the candidates of late. That won’t be the chance with McCrory.

  The sad part is that it’s more of a function of what happens nationally. For instance, if the Dems run Hillary (which isn’t looking good after Iowa) - the NCGOP will have no problem with get-out-the-vote effort; but with anyone else…all bets are off.

• 8 Justin Thibault // Jan 4, 2008 at 7:21 am

  Thierry - As for Huckabee, while I haven’t picked who I’m backing (as an NC voter - it probably won’t matter) - your comment about a theocracy prove that ignorance is as rampant (if not more) among secularists as it is in the religious community. Joe Carter had an telling polling analysis from Iowa that shows that Huckabee’s support goes beyond religious conservatives.

• 9 MarkMartin // Jan 4, 2008 at 12:28 pm

  I could support Pat McCrory for Gov. At least he would have a clear understanding of what is needed in the Charlotte area so people here don’t feel left out (i.e. the perception that all money is spent in Raleigh). And he has demonstrated a track record of standing firm on tough issues.

  I also agree with Justin regarding the national impact on the Gov race.

• 10 Thierry Wernaers // Jan 4, 2008 at 6:17 pm

  “your comment about a theocracy prove that ignorance is as rampant (if not more) among secularists as it is in the religious community.”

  Justin,

  You keep proving that you usually don’t really read what I say.
  I said that Huckabee can’t win the White House, I didn’t say anything about the primary.
  I’m sure Huckabee can win the Republican primary, but if he does he doesn’t stand a chance of winning the Presidential election.
  If he wins the primary it will be because of the evangelical, very conservative vote. I’m not saying that those are the only votes he gets, but it is obvious that they make up the majority of his votes. You’ll see my point being proven in New Hampshire, where the evangelicals play only a minor role.
  All you have to do to know this is look at the CNN polls you’re referring to.
  He gets the big majority of votes from people that fall in the category “born-again or evangelical” and that call themselves “conservative” or “very conservative”.
  And while that support might win him the primary, it won’t make him win the election.

• 11 Justin Thibault // Jan 4, 2008 at 10:59 pm

  Thierry - If you looked at the data, the poll wasn’t just religious conservatives - it was support among conservatives in general.

  The point I was making was that secularists are generally pretty ignorant. My undergraduate career was spent entirely at large, state universities - so I’m extremely familiar with knee-jerk, anti-religion folk, and they make blanket statements like “Huckabee would establish a theocracy”.

  That’s just plain stupid.

  The question of whether or not Huckabee is electable is unanswerable. In spite of your orgasmic delight at the results of the caucus - the last time that the folks from Iowa picked a President - I was single-celled (Carter in 76 - actually he came in second to “undecided”)

  The American electorate at large is not going to believe that Huckabee is going to establish a theocracy - no matter how hard the chattering class tries to convince everyone of it. We’ve been dealing with the issue of faith in the public square longer and more successfully than any other nation in the world.

  Americans can handle a wide range of beliefs in the higher echelons of our government. We’ve had Catholics, Unitarians, Calvinists, Evangelicals, Baptists, Mormons, and Jews.

  In 2004, 120 million Americans went to the polls. This year, there will be plenty more. Their reasons for marking their ballot go far beyond just any one thing.

  Take the issue of experience. If that were the determining issue, the GOP would have this thing tied up. Take a look at it - our FOURTH place, TV star candidate has more substantive Washington experience than your guy and the two people who followed behind him…combined. However, regardless of the combination of nominees - the race will be terribly competitive.

  What I’m saying is that American politics is far too complicated and November too far away to just say “American won’t…” for any candidate.

  Finally, to demonstrate how oafish your analysis is. Generally, if a conservative Republican can’t win California - they’re going to have to take the South and the smaller Western states to take advantage of the collective bias in the Electoral College. The GOP candidate won’t just like to have the “religious conservatives” to win the White House - he’ll need them.

  This applies to the race here in NC. Most people are undecided who they’re backing for Gov and what happens in other state might have a bigger bearing because of issues and candidates affecting turnout.

• 12 Andy Yates // Jan 7, 2008 at 12:21 pm

  It used to be true that a Charlotte candidate can’t win statewide (Jim Martin moved to Iredell County before running for governor). I think that the Charlotte guy can’t win in N.C. is becoming more overstated every year. While I think its true that there is a definite bias towards Charlotte outside of Charlotte and the surronding counties that gets worse as you go east, its effect on elections diminshes every year. Charlotte hasn’t necesarily improved its reputation in the rest of the state, however Charlotte is winning the numbers battle. The Charlotte region is continuing to grow and the number of voters that live in the Charlotte media market expand every year. The eastern part of the State (outside of Wilmington) where the anti-Charlotte bias is strongest is diminshing in power. Also, I just moved back to the Charlotte area from the Triad and my gut says that voters in the Triad will embrace any candidate from the western part of the state (even Charlotte) because they are tired of all their tax money going down east and they’re needs being neglected. In fact I think they’d be even more likely to support someone from Charlotte than other parts of the west b/c its someone else from a metro area who understands the needs of a metro area.

  Furthermore, elections more and more are won by the candidate that people like the best and the candidate that comes across the best on t.v. and radio (especially t.v.). I don’t think there is any one on either side who is more likeable or will perform better on t.v./radio than McCrory.

• 13 Justin Thibault // Jan 9, 2008 at 12:46 pm

  I think that the Charlotte guy can’t win in N.C. is becoming more overstated every year.

  I agree. I think that people in the larger cities are growing tired of the political machinery being controlled by rural interests. Once their issues align - the candidate to exploit that will be the one that wins statewide.

• 14 Andy Yates // Jan 10, 2008 at 7:19 am

  Update in case anyone hasn’t seen it: Mayor McCrory has filed paperwork with the State Board of Elections to begin raising money for the governor’s race and is expected to announce his candidacy in his hometown of Jamestown (right outside of Greensboro) sometime next week.

• 15 Steve Smith // Jan 12, 2008 at 3:50 pm

  And already he’s leading in the polls…how about that…

• 16 Justin Thibault // Jan 12, 2008 at 4:11 pm

  Steve - I’m wondering who this hurts the most.

  Probably Graham and Orr - Fred Smith is playing to a completely different constituency.

• 17 Steve Smith // Jan 12, 2008 at 4:15 pm

  I was hoping that it would hurt Breverly Pardue.

• 18 Justin Thibault // Jan 12, 2008 at 4:25 pm

  Steve - In good time.