The Republicans may have control of North Carolina today, but Democrats own the future. In only a little over five years, the GOP has transformed from the party of activists and change to the party of establishment and cronyism. While North Carolina Democrats are engaged in a rebuilding process, Republicans are in a circular firing squad.
In the Republican Party, Tea Party activists attempted to oust the state executive director and a national committee person who is also the House Rules Chair. Party Executive Director Dallas Woodhouse and Rules Chair David Lewis staved off an attempt to remove them from their party positions. Activists are angry at Woodhouse for his perceived support of Sen. Richard Burr who has a primary in March. They don’t like Lewis because he’s just an insider and all around RINO.
In contrast, Democrats have young people who are coming to the party trying to help elect candidates in tough districts. Tanner Glenn, a student at UNC-Chapel Hill, is a former Republican who has agreed to manage the state house campaign of his former high school history teacher, Rich Nixon, in Johnston County. It’s an open seat currently held by retiring Republican Leo Daughtry.
The juxtaposition couldn’t be more stark. The state Republican Party is full of infighting, while the Democratic Party is full of hope. The GOP is loaded down with insiders and cronyism while Democrats are fighting even in gerrymandered districts. While the GOP is divided by activists and the establishment, Tanner Glenn and Rich Nixon are united by a commitment to public education and the future despite a generational divide.
While gerrymandering may protect the GOP for a few more cycles, young people have more in common with Democrats than Republicans. Most believe that government should have a role in their lives, particularly in regards to education, and agree with Democratic positions on social issues. The GOP, in contrast, is becoming whiter, older and more homogenous while the country, and the state, are becoming more diverse and the next generation is paying more attention to politics.
Thomas Mills is the founder and publisher of PoliticsNC.com. Before beginning PoliticsNC, Thomas spent twenty years as a political and public affairs consultant. Learn more >
Under GOP leadership, NC is averaging an increase of population from outside NC of .59%. From 1989 to 2010, 2010 was the only year our population increase from outside NC was lower that .59%. All other years it was greater than .59%, with 2005 the greatest with 1.76%. Therefore the largest population increases from out of state came before GOP leadership.
I think that Thomas is being a bit too optimistic. Perhaps I’m getting curmudgeonly in my old age, but I’ve seen things in the Democratic Party in past years that I’m afraid may continue to hurt Democrats in this next election and perhaps even further into the future. Democrats have their own “circular firing squad.”
Ebrun will always think his own way–he’s drunk the right wing kool-aid and parrots slogans.
In 1980, too many then so-called “liberals” pursued Ted Kennedy because Jimmy Carter lacked purity for being “too conservative.” Sooo, the liberals stayed home in their boycott for purity–the result was 12 years of Reagan-Bush conservatism that strengthened the Right. The present ecstatic worship by the now self-labeled “progressives” (with most of whose goals I’m greatly in agreement with) for a guy who uses the word “socialist” as part of his own self-defeating label and the vilification of Hillary Clinton sounds so very deja vu that it scares me. Before Democrats can do ANYTHING to implement policies, they have to have enough pragmatism to get at least some of our people elected–even if they aren’t pure enough. I expect that too many of the “progressives” will sit out this election if Hillary gets nominated–and that will kill off Democratic candidates at the lower levels. And if she doesn’t get elected, she can’t help other Democratic office-holders.
I really hope that I’m wrong, but such fervent “true believers” scare me.
One can’t blame NC liberals for looking at the future through rose-colored glasses. After all, they have lost the last four statewide elections on a Constitutional amendment and to a plethora of Republican candidates. Their numbers in the NCGA have never been smaller and the same is true for their Congressional delegation.
Ah, but hope springs eternal. NC’s youth will rally to the Democrats. The GOP is divided and will engage in a “circular firing squad.” Democrats are virtuous, Republicans are evil. Rich Nixon (really?) and Tanner (who?) will lead the Democrats out of their current political doldrums. LOL
But one really can’t blame left wing bloggers for ignoring reality. Like the fact that baby boomers are retiring in droves and the GOP has been getting the lion’s share of the over 65 vote. Or that surveys show that many young people have become totally disillusioned with Obama and his legacy and have either lost their political fever or are looking for an alternative to big government paternalism.
Of those youth who still are enticed by big brother government, one should remember that most will eventually mature and become productive citizens and tax payers who are not dependent of the welfare state.
And under GOP leadership, the state is attracting thousands on new residents from other states Employment and personal incomes are growing substantially faster that national averages. State income taxes have been reduced resulting in increased business activity. As an added bonus, state tax revenues are increasing faster than they did under the Democrats’ tax and spend regimes.
Yes, there is much friction and infighting within the GOP. Tea party candidates like Greg Brannon have tried to take on mainstream Republicans and lost. But this has not stopped a majority of middle class North Carolinians (who couldn’t care less about the internecine political intrigue that enamors political junkies), from rejecting the Democrats’ collectivist notions in favor of candidates and policies that encourage families and individuals to prosper through their own initiative and enterprise.
Brannon and his far right supporters could not keep Thom Tillis from a substantial primary victory and from defeating a sitting Democrat Senator. A similar scenario will play out this year as the extreme right and left will be unable to prevent Richard Burr’s re election Thus, for the rest of the decade (barring an untimely death or medical issue) North Carolina will have have two sitting GOP Senators in Washington.
So who can fault a liberal blogger for seeing the future through rose colored glasses. But, unfortunately, rose-colored glasses can blind those that wear them to current and future reality.
It’s a purple state and Tillis and Burr are purple senators which is why you’re probably right about both remaining in Washington. BUT, Burr has to get past a primary that might be tougher than conventional wisdom suggests because as Mills puts it, “Activists are angry at Woodhouse for his perceived support of Sen. Richard Burr who has a primary in March.”…
and of course, all those Dems crossing into the Rep primary to vote for Trump or Cruz might also drift down-ballot and choose one of Burr’s opponents which at a minimum, could force Burr into a runoff. Or this could all be hogwash. Either way, we’ll know in eight weeks.
With all due respect, how can anyone describe Burr or Tillis as “purple”? This gives purple a bad name.
Right wing activists were livid when Tillis easily defeated Greg Brannon in the GOP primary, Their clout is greatly overrated. Democrats have their own Senate primary with two moderate/conservative Dems taking on the far left favorite. Their participation in the Republican primary could imperil their strongest challenger to Senator Burr. And registered Democrats would need to change their party affiliation to vote in a Republican primary.
The tea party vote will only be significant when the Libertarian candidate takes two or three percent of the vote in a statewide general election. That could give a Democrat candidate for Governor or President a plurality in a close election, which is what happened when Obama won NC with less than 50 percent of the total vote in 2008.
You are certainly a right wing troll, and not too smart at that. Your push to the center is really a push to the right.
Wow, brilliant comment, very articulate !
The current devolution of the GOP spells its doom. They are literally excluding themselves out of power. They hate each other almost as much as they hate Democrats. They will self-immolate in this cauldron of ill-will and dysfunction.