Pat McCrory sure isn’t getting his money’s worth out of all those political hacks he’s hired. They’re on staff to shape the message, protect the governor and convey his vision to the people of North Carolina. Instead, they’ve left their boss swinging in the wind while picking up healthy paychecks for being less than competent.
McCrory did a series of interviews this week and he sure looks bad. He’s neither well prepared nor armed with good talking points.
I mean whose idea was it to have the governor compare voting to “Breaking Bad?” Over the past week, McCrory has repeatedly said that voting is like buying sudafed. No, it’s not. Voting is a constitutional right. Buying large quantities of sudafed is linked to cooking meth. It’s not the same thing. Not even close.
And how about blaming all of your woes on the “liberal press?” Geez, half the papers he’s attacking endorsed him in the election. They are disappointed because he’s not the governor they expected. McCrory clearly ran as a moderate but is governing as one of the most conservative governors in the country. The media didn’t move left over the last 8 months. The legislature and governor took a hard right turn. Whoever advised him to pick a fight with largest newspapers and TV stations in the state should have had his or her walking papers.
Finally, blaming “well organized” outside groups for pointing out his mistakes is laughable and disingenuous. This is a guy who has a “private nonprofit,” Renew North Carolina, promoting his agenda and he helps them raise money. His budget director, Art Pope, was a major contributor and board member of Americans for Prosperity, the right-wing advocacy group that organizes Tea Party-like rallies across the state. Whining that “liberal advocacy” groups are distorting his message is just that, whining–and nobody likes a whiner.
According to the AP, McCrory has a whole team of political operatives inside his administration making good money. Yet, he’s looked inept, dishonest, unprepared and naive throughout his tenure. He’s offered no tangible vision for the future of the state and had his ass handed to him by the legislature.
At least some of that responsibility belongs to the political team. Maybe they have done all they can do with McCrory–some politicians are just that bad. But maybe they aren’t up to the job.
During the session, McCrory went to the mat with state employees to make it easier to fire incompetent workers. Given his falling approval numbers and his propensity for prevarication, maybe he should start with his own staff.
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 >
As a single parent who worked hard for the state for the past eight years, I discovered unemployment to be radically cut in one of the highest unemployment periods. This coupled with a laughable anti-Shariah amendment ironically followed with a Taliban-like reduction of reproductive rights for women. Then the party was just starting as the McCrory led administration (really it’s Art Pope) flex their muscle with the calculated elimination of election poling places, the Medicaid disconnect, raises for his staff and a freeze on wages for the rest of the state and if that’s bad enough educational cuts that are making us the laughing stock of the rest of the nation. When you’re feeling down you can be comforted with the fact that you can now bring a concealed weapon into a bar. Oh joy. Welcome to the late great state of North Carolina — and he is only warming up.
Well, actually I believe that McCrory is a graduate of Catawba College in Salisbury — a respected four-year college in the Piedmont. I’m not defending McCrory; I didn’t vote for him and want him out of there, just setting the record straight.
His staff incompetent? Did this bozo even graduate from college? I read that he “attended” some two bit junior college in the hills. You know, one of those schools rich people send their kids to when they can’t even get into ECU? He is too stupid to even take instructions from his minders. It is an embarrassment to this state.
Your comment gave me the best laugh I’ve had in a while! Thanks!
was this an editorial? It certainly sounded like it
This is what you get when you vote in a guy who was the President of the Americans for Tax Prosperity for NC… bought and paid for Koch Bros hack. And then the next clue was his hiring of Art Pope for Budget Director. Too bad the Lt. Governor is down right crazy otherwise I would suggest he be like Palin and quit half way thru the his term because being Governor is ‘hard work’. He is quite dumb if you ask me.
Art Pope is the budget director? that’s the fox watching the henhouse. Tim Moffitt told me himself that Art Pope contributes to his campaigns.. the whole damn thing is an A.L.E.C. / old boy conspiracy to direct money towards the corporate partners of ALEC.
Too bad we have to wait until 2014 to vote him out of office. What more damage will he do to our state?
Karen actually for McCrory you are stuck with him until 2016.
Sorry Karen, it’s even worse than that. We have to wait until 2016 to vote him out of office.
But, in 2014, we can start cleaning house.
Yes we can but it will take a huge amount of work, not just sitting around making smart ironic remarks to friends. Do you know who represents you in the NC House and Senate? Can you find easy means to tell them you don’t like how they voted this past session, and have you expressed your displeasure to them? Do you even know how they voted? Do you know who if anyone the Democrats in your district are grooming to run against them in 2014? Have you started working already to help those persons raise money, get known, and sharpen their message about why and how we need to clean house in NC? Have you perhaps offered your home as a venue to help them meet people, raise funds, and spread the word about what’s going on in Raleigh? We are up against a determined, cagy, powerfully connected, and well-financed party that would rather discourage voters from taking part in the political process than take responsibility for serving the majority of the people. Work. Hard. Start Now.
Very, very well said.
No, maybe WE should start with HIM. Screw starting with his STAFF.