NC Governor 2008

Will Pat McCrory benefit from corporate money spent on his behalf by the Republican Governor's Association? Chances are, if they can get away with spending it, McCrory isn't going to turn it down.

(with apologies to Louis Malle)

Earlier this week I had the pleasure of lunch with Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Michael Munger. Since he openly invited me to that lunch here on BlueNC, and I accepted, I reckon he won't mind if I share some of my thoughts on the experience with my fellow wild-eyed progressives.

Please join us tonight at 7:30 p.m. for a live-blog chat with Dr. Michael Munger, Libertarian candidate for governor. Dr. Munger has been fairly active at BlueNC and introduced himself here long before many Democrats found us. Whether you support his candidacy or not, tonight's chat provides us with a great opportunity to learn.

Please leave your questions for Dr. Munger on this thread.

Please join us this evening for a live-blog chat with retired Colonel Dennis Nielsen at 7:00 p.m. Colonel Nielsen joined us in Chapel Hill for our blogger bash on Sunday. He is running a grassroots campaign without taking any special interest money or soliciting contributions from individuals. He simply wants his voice to be heard. Here is our chance to listen.

Leave your questions on this thread and join us again this evening.

While the Primary race between Clinton and Obama has gotten pretty vicious lately, I was always convinced it's nothing compared to the stuff Republicans would be spewing around the general election. Turns out I didn't have to wait that long, thanks to the NC GOP and their head witch, Linda Daves.
Even John McCain and the Republican National Congress declared today how deplorable the latest stunt of the NC repugs is.

For the past couple of years I have been drawn to examine the undue influence of money in State politics, including the ability of corporations to direct unlimited sums of money to 527 committees and to non-profit foundations that are associated with politicians or engage in activities that support their positions. In 2005 the News & Observer called out Richard Moore for direct solicitation of financial companies for his North Carolina Fiscal Literacy Foundation:

The treasurer ought to know better than to solicit contributions for a nonprofit foundation of his creation from money managers who do business with the state, or who want a piece of that business.
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It's just a bad practice. Moore should stop it.

He may have stopped it, it's not clear. The Foundation has never listed its donors.

Here's what scares me most about Hillary Clinton.

Let's say she wins the Democratic nomination. Let's even assume that she could win the general election (probably by carrying my home state of Ohio.)

What is her impact on our elections in North Carolina?

I'm afraid that she would have negative coattails that could have disastrous results for down-ticket races in our great state.

I'm surprised that BlueNC passed up two big governor stories from Monday ... or maybe I should just assume that everyone on BlueNC reads Under the Beckwith as well. Either way, Richard Moore is calling on NC Democrats to rename this weekend's Vance-Aycock dinner. From MSNBC:
Moore said Aycock focused his campaign on efforts to disenfranchise black voters, and his victory fostered Jim Crow laws throughout the South.A group of conservative Republicans said last month it planned to protest on Saturday and pay for a television ad to air that night blaming Aycock and his speeches for events leading to the riots in what was then North Carolina's largest city.Last year, a state panel concluded that by murdering and terrorizing blacks, white supremacists were able to overthrow government officials in New Hanover County at gunpoint in the only recorded coup d'etat in U.S. history.

From the Fayetteville paper

Richard Moore, state treasurer and Democratic candidate for governor, said his campaign goal is “to be as gentlemanly as my mother expects me to be” and to talk about substantive issues. Given last week’s exchange with Moore’s likely Democratic opponent — Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue — one wonders what his mother thinks.

The fun has begun. This is why I wont be touching this race.

I did a quick search tonight, in the hope that our candidates for governor have grown up a little. I was thrilled to see they hadnt.

Still no website for Bev Perdue.

Richard Moore's doesnt look like it has been updated since he ran for Treasurer THREE YEARS AGO.

I dont need them to become bloggers. I would love to see them actually engage people who cant write 1000 dollar checks, but hey, you cant always get what you want.

I have visions of Kathleen Kennedy Townsend running through my head right now. Please tell me this will all work out.

Back in December, I wrote an entry about Michael Munger, who is hoping to run for NC Governor on the Libertarian ticket. I gave him a deservedly hard time, but I want to circle back with a few additional comments. But mostly I want to say how much I like his style.

In response to my post, Mr. Munger wrote an extended entry on his own blog, which I very much enjoyed reading. You can find it here.

Basically a fair presentation, I'd say. Anglico lists several of my issue claims, and mocks them, but he is at least focusing on stuff I really did say. And since some of the mocking is actually funny, I have to give him credit: good on ya, man!

From the Charlotte Observer.

When Perdue announced support at a Chapel Hill news conference for environmental legislation that, among other things, would put some of the state's investment portfolio in environmentally friendly companies, Moore quickly noted that the state investment fund he manages is already doing so.

It seems like years ago when I just about begged the two likely Democratic candidates for governor to avoid a destructive primary. I knew it would eventually degenerate into an old-time pissing contest - I just didn't realize it would happen so fast.