McCrory’s off and running for the middle

by | Dec 3, 2014 | 2016 Elections, Editor's Blog, NCGov | 7 comments

Well, Pat McCrory is off and running. He’s got a shiny new web site and a campaign video to boot. He’s kicking off his re-election campaign, officially or unofficially, before the legislature gets back in town and while his approval ratings have recovered from his mess in 2013.

McCrory is bragging about that Carolina Comeback, steppin’ on the toes of both Democrats and Republicans. It’s not much of a comeback, but if he says it long enough and loud enough, maybe people will believe him. In reality, we’ve had a sluggish recovery and while we may have finally reached the number of jobs that we had when the recession began, we’ve also got more than half a million more people. As a percentage of the population, our workforce is smaller than it’s been in decades.

In addition, McCrory is trying desperately to get back to the middle. He’s suggested expanding Medicaid and said he wouldn’t contest the court’s decision to allow gay people to marry. The new abortion clinic regulations DHHS announced are much less restrictive than social conservatives would like. He could still have a fight on his hands but his administration even got kind words from Planned Parenthood for operating in good faith.

The governor could probably use a fight with his right flank and he’ll almost certainly get it when the legislature comes back into town. Senate President Pro-tem Phil Berger and incoming Speaker Tim Moore have already said they will fight the gay marriage decision. They may be tilting at windmills but they’ve got a lot of members in conservative, rural districts who need the cover. In addition, Berger and Moore oppose Medicaid expansion despite what McCrory has said. And there may be other fights as the state’s budget hole continues to grow.

McCrory’s team read the election right. They understand that Republicans dodged a bullet. The GOP wave got Thom Tillis over the finish despite the Republican record, not because of it. North Carolina was the only state in the nation with a Republican-controlled legislature where Democrats added seats. He’s trying to quickly define himself as a moderate before Democrats wrap the most draconian parts of the Republican Revolution around his neck. It’s his best chance if he wants to stay in the Governor’s Mansion. 

7 Comments

  1. lehensonLawrence E Henson

    LEHenson.com Pat when I supported you – you agreed to STOP COMMON CORE – the Nazi youth school, propaganda, “dumbing down”, program of our time! Now even in the smallest communities the computers are being passed out in the schools! The Government put in the WiFi everywhere – why doesn’t this Federal anti America Administration want that? Because the Audio and VIDEO can NOT be shut off by the Student, Parent and/or the Teachers!!! In fact if you take a few minutes and search; “video spying on students” you’ll see MANY occurrences of this happening! 24-7-365 is the GOAL!

    EVERYONE READ “1984” by George Orwell – the parallel is Common Core = a deliberate Fascist Utopia! Even the Teachers are prevented from seeing what’s on the Students Computer, during Testing! Why? “Redistribution of Grades” is NOW a reality.

    Politics means “influencing” – So YOU and I, by our actions or NON actions WILL INFLUENCE for the GOOD or for the BAD. WHICH ONE ARE YOU?

    That’s why I, Larry E Henson am running for Cleveland County School Board! WAKE UP!

    Some links on the site: 3 time 4 is now 11 SEE for YOURSELF (note some sites have audio muted! after all a couple of months ago the FFC took over the Internet) http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=3+times+4+equals+11+common+core&FORM=VIRE1#view=detail&mid=C6F362AACF2069F34249C6F362AACF2069F34249 NOTE computers do NOT give “partial credits when asked if 12 would be ok) STOPCOMMONCORENC.org

    TEACHERS did you know that YOU will be forced to sign a SEVEN page NON Disclosure Agreement (ANYONE, PARENTS), under THEAT of BEING FIRED! WHY? Also when the computers are in the Students hands will be called FACILLITATORS (baby sitter). WHY? Teachers are factually being phased out with anyone (proctors). WAKE UP!

    PS is YOUR SCHOOL BOARD selling out to CHINA? Under the table money = traitors! Check it out. Larry LEHenson@msn.com Have a great day! :=)

  2. Mick

    Given Tillis’ win, I score McCrory as the clear favorite. This from a guy (moi) who said Tillis would win by a hair, even when Hagan was winning polls by 2-4% early and 1-2% late.

    Like Tillis, he can pull whopping turnouts and majorities from all the rural counties and take enough votes in the ‘burbs & urb’s to win.

    And, of course, the biggest factor will be just how good a strategist/campaigner Cooper turns out to be, and just how gubernatorial he can look.

  3. Katy Munger

    Happily, he’ll be met in the middle by Roy Cooper — and Cooper’s name recognition and record could balance out the advantages of McCrory’s incumbency. Or at least give the forces of sanity a fighting chance. If McCrory keeps letting state lawmakers run roughshod over him for the next two years, I’m not sure even his level of campaign spin can help him. Cooper has a smart campaign staff, and they’ve been messaging to the middle from the start. He may be dragging a few things behind him as Attorney General but he has nowhere near McCrory’s baggage at this point.

  4. Bob

    Pat could moderate and win again, especially if the Democratic Party remains in such shambles. Is his decision to join the lawsuit against Obama’s immigration plan a sign of moderation? I don’t think so, but Obama is so unpopular, most voters will see the lawsuit as a move against the president rather than a move against the middle.

  5. Mike L

    Voters seem to have short memories….I’m afraid, especially considering how republican the state has been lately, that we may end up with Pat for another 4 yrs (although I’m sure it will be close)

  6. Ron Shackelford

    Ha! Ha! Ha! After the damage he and his ilk have done to North Carolina, fat chance anyone like me will EVER vote for another republican. He may think he can play chameleon but his stripes are branded. They won’t go away. One-term Pat sounds just fine on my street!

  7. Mick

    Until this governor has the gumption to veto a bill that is the arch-conservatives in his party ardently push, he will never be able to claim, or be viewed as standing in, “the middle,” or as being anything but a yes-man.

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