Cawthorn, Trump Boost Ted Budd at the Expense of McCrory

by | Dec 7, 2021 | Politics | 4 comments

How does it feel, North Carolina, knowing that your next U.S. Senator will be partially determined by Madison Cawthorn and Mark Meadows? These two firebrands have the ear of former President Donald Trump, who, with his unquestioned command over the Republican Party, has the power to manipulate the U.S. Senate race in North Carolina to MAGA ends. The first manifestation of their influence surfaced when Trump endorsed Ted Budd in the Senate primary. Now, apparently at the urging of Cawthorn, Trump has talked former Congressman Mark Walker into leaving the Senate race to seek a United States House seat instead.

Reporting indicates that Cawthorn requested this move in order to strengthen the hand of Ted Budd. While as Carolina Journal reporter Dallas Woodhouse notes, there is as yet little hard evidence that Walker vacating his lane in the race will redound to the benefit of Budd rather than McCrory, it does seem like a logical inference. Walker and Budd, after all, have similar profiles. Both are current or former House Members from the Piedmont with more conservative profiles than former Governor Pat McCrory, their rival in the Senate race. Walker supporters would naturally find their way into Budd’s camp.

That’s what Cawthorn thinks, anyway. Cawthorn sees himself as a revolutionary enforcer of doctrine. In his self-conception, he is leading the way to a North Carolina Republican Party bereft of anyone who shows less than complete fealty to Donald Trump and the MAGA cause. That means, of course, that Pat McCrory cannot become the Republican nominee for United States Senate. After all, McCrory criticized the Access Hollywood tape–an unforgivable sin for the religious conservatives who’ve devoted themselves to the cause of a man who cheated on his wife with a pornography actress.

It must be lonely being Pat McCrory. McCrory served a term as the only Republican governor of North Carolina in this century, and he entered the Senate race thinking that there was some residual goodwill among the GOP rank and file for the man who signed HB2, But both wings of the GOP establishment have contempt for him. MAGA warriors have disliked and distrusted him since he was a mayor of Charlotte collaborating with Democrats to build a light-rail system in the city. On the other side, the establishment Republicans who should be his natural allies tend to see him as an idiot and a lightweight. Both cohorts have given substantial support to Ted Budd.

With Walker out of the race, Budd’s path to the nomination is clearer than ever. The main (only?) obstacle he faces is a disadvantage in name recognition, a problem that continued investment by the Club for Growth should alleviate. Polling trends have shown steady gains by Budd at the expense of McCrory, and the God-Emperor of Republican America has forcefully sided against the former governor. For all McCrory’s money and prominence, it may be a pair of populists from the mountains who decide the Republican nominee for United States Senate.

4 Comments

  1. Andy Stevens

    I feel just fine. We certainly don’t need a progressive urban RINO as our next NC Senator.

  2. Phoenix

    McCory is an empty suit. He has no chance of warming the suit he wears much less any desire to vote for him.

    “How does it feel, North Carolina, knowing that your next U.S. Senator will be partially determined by Madison Cawthorn and Mark Meadows”–( feels better better than having Biden do it! That man can mess up a one man parade. )

    “…McCrory served a term as the only Republican governor of North Carolina in this century, —(and a weak feckless one at at that.)

    …he entered the Senate race thinking that there was some residual goodwill among the GOP rank and file —-(Lol. He thought wrong.) But both wings of the GOP establishment have contempt for him. —(first smart thing I’ve seen written here. It really is true even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while.)

    MAGA warriors have disliked and distrusted him since he was a mayor of Charlotte collaborating with Democrats to build a light-rail system in the city.—(seems like a good reason. Nothings says lets waste money for no good reason than light rail.)

    On the other side, the establishment Republicans who should be his natural allies tend to see him as an idiot and a lightweight.—-(Which he is. It’s not name calling when its true.)

    If the Left is unhappy that McCrory is not going to be the nominee. That is a good thing. Obviously the Republicans are on the right track. McCrory would be a doormat for the like Schumer and the rest of the radical drooling leftists in the Senate. A squishy RINO of the highest order, and frankly the rank and file have had enough of wishy-washy, panty-waisted, quisling, losers. Losers that cave all the time, never hold the Democrats feet to the fire, and snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

    All the rank and file wants is a party that fights just as hard and dirty as the Democrats. Whereas they formerly obeyed the Markus of Queensbury rules and got trounced.

    The rank and file hope those days are over.

    Here is hoping they are.

    • Melissa Myer

      Looks like another race to the bottom in the GOP. Looking at Budd’s profile his educational background doesn’t match his voting record. He’s just another spineless coward for dear leader. Democrats dirty? We had a House seat that sat empty for 9 months due to Republican voter fraud. Currently Burr is under investigation by the SEC for insider trading. Trumps DOJ under Barr cleared him. I guess they missed the phone call he made to his brother in law just minutes after he got off the phone with his stock broker who sold all his stock. I guess it’s just coincidence that his brother in law also called his broker and also dumped his stocks. Crimes upon crimes in the NC GOP. I used to have some respect for the party even though we didn’t always agree. Now they just disgust me. Character used to count and mean something. What happened? Where is it? And why don’t their voters care? They certainly aren’t looking for the best and brightest to represent them and that’s sad

      • phoenix

        lol “the best and brightest don’t go into politics or government service. If you ever thought they did you are a fool. Besides the “Enlightened intelligentsia” line every leftist pulls is getting a bit thin. and is actually a something you guys should stop talking about.

        The Democrat enlightened intelligentsia have wrecked the country, and set the course to destroy whats left. by every objective measure they have failed.

        So voters have a choice. They can choose a bookish academic who knows everything about the race cars and the physics to get around the track and can prove it with mathematics.

        Or the guy who knows how to drive the car and get it around the track.

        Who has a better chance to win on race day?

        Which do you want?

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