Roy Cooper’s Remarkable Political Feat
When a Civitas Institute poll came out showing Governor Roy Cooper's approval rating two points underwater, Republicans rejoiced. They had been predicting an imminent decline in Cooper's public support essentially from the day he took office, and here was confirmation...
The next spike is coming. Prepare don’t panic.
COVID numbers are starting to increase again in some states, indicating that we may see another surge this winter. Gatherings like Thanksgiving and Christmas will almost certainly increase the spread. New variants that appear more contagious are out there. That said,...
Gratitude
Happy Thanksgiving. I hope everyone will celebrate. Despite the difficult and divisive times we face, we still have much for which to be thankful. On a personal level, I’m thankful for my family. My parents are still with us and have lived well into their 80s in...
High Republican Turnout isn’t Going Away Just Because Trump’s Off the Ballot
Behavioral economists have long recognized a cognitive bias known as "loss aversion." For example, when asked to estimate the price of a coffee mug someone else has, people will offer figures significantly lower than if they are asked to price a mug that is in their...
An unregulated militia
The Kyle Rittenhouse incident illustrates so many of the problems we’re facing in this country right now. I knew from watching the video that he would be acquitted of any charges related to shooting those people. I hoped that some law would hold him accountable for...
Hate has Replaced Ideology at the Center of NC Conservatism
As I've written before, Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson bears some resemblance to former Senator Jesse Helms. Most importantly, both men built their electoral appeal on invocations of hate. They are not, however, identical. Where Helms packaged majoritarian...
Trumpism
At a news conference recently, a reporter asked Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy “Why is it that the only thing Republicans punish their own members for is speaking out against Donald Trump?” The question came after all but three Republicans refused to...
How to beat Madison Cawthorn
Madison Cawthorn says he switched districts to keep another establishment Republican out of Congress. That Republican was North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore. Moore is about as traditional a North Carolina Republican as you can get—solidly conservative on both...
Has the GOP Had Enough of Madison Cawthorn?
Carolina Journal reporter and former North Carolina Republican Party executive director had a remarkable piece in Art Pope's magazine today. It could only be described as a hatchet job aimed at Congressman Madison Cawthorn, Republican of NC-14. In one brutal swing...
Democrats can’t “win” the argument over race in an election
Democrats need to quit arguing with Republicans about Critical Race Theory even if they need to push back against specific policies like book banning in Texas. The GOP uses CRT to motivate their base, not to persuade any voters. Engaging in debates over CRT or most of...
The Failure of Bergernomics
The state budget finally making its way through the General Assembly tells us something about Phil Berger: He has not changed his mind. This budget contains a further $2 billion dollars in corporate tax cuts coming on the heels of a decade in which our corporate tax...
Thoughts on a poll
This morning I have more random thoughts than cohesive ones. My main thoughts are about the Washington Post/ABC poll that shows Democrats trailing Republicans on the Congressional generic ballot by ten points, the largest lead for the GOP in the history of the poll....