An inhospitable working environment
I grew up the son of a state employee. My father served as a district court and superior court judge. In exchange, he received a steady salary, good health insurance, and a generous pension program. He could have made more money in the private sector as an attorney,...
The lamestream media enabled Fox News
Former CNN anchor Brian Stelter wrote a piece in the Atlantic titled, “I Never Truly Understood Fox News Until Now.” In it, he details the Dominion Voting Systems disclosures that Fox lied to its viewers for ratings. His “Aha!” moment came when he realized...
A North Carolina Perspective on Ron DeSantis
When Jesse Helms attempted to maneuver his way onto the 1980 presidential ticket, Republicans considered it a joke. Helms, even then, was not taken seriously by most national Republican elites, and the concept of this Tar Heel rabble-rouser accompanying Ronald Reagan...
The lies that threaten us
The Dominion lawsuit against Fox News is exposing the lies of the so-called news organization. Filings reveal emails showing Fox News personalities like Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity knew election conspiracies were bunk, but they kept reporting them. Hell, they’re...
Wooing rural voters
I’m glad to see that the new Chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party is going to put a renewed emphasis on reaching out to rural communities. I was born and raised in Anson County and began my career in politics working in Cleveland and Rutherford Counties in the...
Will Nikki Haley Make 2024 the Year of the Republican Woman?
As women have made strides towards equality with men, numerous elections have been dubbed "the year of the woman." Or perhaps they should have been called "the year of 55% of the women," because the triumphant female candidates have invariably been Democratic....
Here’s to a more robust Democratic Party
Before I say anything else, I want to sincerely congratulate Anderson Clayton, Jonah Garson, Kim Hardy, and Elijah King for their victories this weekend as they took over the leadership of the North Carolina Democratic Party. I believe the party needs an infusion of...
The low stakes of state party chair
Back in 2005, Democrats were coming off a difficult 2004 election cycle. John Kerry failed to unseat George W. Bush. In North Carolina, Erskine Bowles lost his second attempt at winning a U.S. Senate seat. The activist wing of the party was antsy, blaming a moribund...
North Carolina’s Government is Competitive Authoritarianism
UNC scholars' finding that North Carolina had ceased to be a democracy was met from conservatives by a mixture of incredulity and simple guffaws. Even some moderate commentators wondered how the study's authors could seriously contend that an American state had...
Parents’ Bill of Wrongs
Last night, Joe Biden gave a State of the Union speech for the ages. It wasn’t what he said that was so significant. It was what he got Republicans to say. In a back-and-forth like we’ve never seen, Biden goaded the GOP into pledging not to cut Social Security and...
Conservative safe spaces
I can’t start Monday without talking about the Chinese spy balloon. It provided a few days of comic relief, both watching Americans get outraged about it and the social media response to it. Half the country seemed to have taken it as an affront to our sovereignty and...
Will the Trumpist show up without Trump?
Earlier this week, the Never-Trump publication The Bulwark released a poll showing that a majority of the Republican Party is ready to put the Trump legacy behind them. Unfortunately for them, a solid minority is more loyal to the grifter and former president than to...