As everybody has already said, last night’s debate changed very little. Both candidates did what they needed to do–not screw up–and they pretty much kept to their respective scripts. Tillis tried to wrap Hagan around Obama and Hagan tried to wrap Tillis around the actions of the General Assembly, particularly education funding and the failure to expand Medicaid.
Both talked about bipartisanship and working across the aisle to get things done. On that score, though, Hagan should have the upper hand. Thom Tillis oversaw the most divisive legislative session in recent history and essentially shut down any Democratic opposition to the most extreme Republican measures.
As speaker, Tillis had a huge opportunity to stake out a position as moderate, pragmatic Republican who could put the brakes on the excess. He didn’t. He either got rolled by his right-flank or willingly went along with them. To override Perdue vetoes, he paid off a handful of Democrats with goodies or appointments, but he never built a bipartisan coalition for anything.
Hagan, on the other hand, was named most moderate Senator by National Journal, a nonpartisan magazine covering Washington politics and policy. It’s not surprising. That’s who she is and who she’s always been.
In the state Senate, liberals always groused that she was too close to business. Hagan was recruited into politics by the Basnight machine and fit his model of a successful candidate. She was fiscally conservative, socially liberal and put a strong emphasis on public education.
She carried that legacy to Washington. In 2010, when I was working on Elaine Marshall’s campaign for U. S. Senate, we went to Washington to meet with interest groups who might support. In one meeting with a left-leaning labor organization, the PAC director said, “We’re a little wary of supporting North Carolina candidates. We gave to Kay Hagan in 2008 and she’s not a reliable vote for us.”
That says a lot about the system and a lot about Kay Hagan. Interest groups on both sides expect a return on their investment. Hagan, though, has never been a partisan or an ideologue. She’s been a centrist politician throughout her career. For better or worse, that’s who she is. At least she’s not trying to be something she isn’t.
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 >
While Kay has shown herself pragmatic and not linked to radicalism left nor right. Tillis has done just the opposite. His draconian agenda has closely followed the ALEC, Koch, Pope playbook. He’s driving NC back to Rip Van Winkle status. And it’s all carefully wrapped in pseudo Christianity and racism.
Thanks, Carol, but let me clean up that paragraph (I was a bit sloppy with my proofing):
If any state needs a US Senator who can be a strong moderate, bridging differences, inviting truly diverse opinions, and representing all of its people, it is NC. Tillis’ record shows he can’t be that.
To me what matters is who she’s not to get my support. She’s not bought and paid for Thom Tillis. She’s not in bed with Karl Rove and his funding machine that expects payback at the expense of taxpayers.
Mick’s last paragraph is too long for a bumper sticker, but an impressively
succinct statement of why Hagan is the better choice to represent the citizens of North Carolina.
Smack on, Thomas.
NC leans a tad Red of late, with GOP majorities in the NCGA and a GOP governor elected since 2010. But it did go for Obama in 2008, did elect Hagan over Dole that same year, and mostly had a Democratic state government for a long time before 2010. Demographics — and perhaps even some constitutionality decisions in state and federal courts — are crafting a state that may move more and more to the progressive side of politics.
If any state needs a US Senator that can be a strong moderate, bridging differences, inviting a truly considering diverse opinions, and representing all of its people, it is NC. Tillis’ record shows he can’t be that.