At this point it’s an evergreen lede, but the Republicans are at it again. Remember the non-story they began to hawk a few weeks ago about a so-called slush fund that Governor Cooper negotiated? The slush fund, or more precisely the mitigation fund, is an aspect of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline project. It consists of $58 million intended to offset the costs of environmental damage the construction of the pipeline might yield. To the NCGOP, that mitigation fund reeks of “extortion,” along with some other colorful phrases that generally paint a nasty picture of the Governor.
What it actually smells like, to them, is an opportunity — an opportunity to paint Roy Cooper as a corrupt, pay-to-play Democrat. To those of us actually paying attention, it’s clear that he isn’t. But for the GOP, their main goal is to obfuscate and muddy the waters. As I’ve written before, the whole point of this exercise is to bring Cooper down into the mud. When both teams are dirtied, it’s hard to tell them apart.
We hear the term witch hunt a lot from the White House these days, but maybe there is one amongst us in Raleigh. Cooper is, after all, newly released email showing their concern, and you see the strategy unraveling. A popular Democrat at the head of the party does not bode well for Republicans.
If they actually thought that Governor Cooper erred in some profound way, you would think they might point to something specific. NCGOP Executive Director Dallas Woodhouse compared, without rationale, this situation to that of Rod Blagojevich and said that “I think the governor is likely guilty of something, whether it is horrendous judgement or corruption.” Sure. Again, it seems apparent that they are grasping for straws. Throw everything you’ve got against the wall and something is bound to stick, right?
Make no mistake: the NCGOP is out to get Governor Cooper. The only avenue they see at this point is to discredit Cooper and hope that lowering his popularity dampens Democratic turnout in the fall. To this point, I have only seen Wayne Goodwin, NCDP Chair, defending Cooper publicly. Perhaps the party strategy is to ignore this and wish it away, but if they continue to gloss over a possible federal investigation, they will cede the narrative to Republicans. Letting Republicans define the Democrats in upcoming elections is the last thing they need to do.
Kirk Kovach is a native North Carolinian interested in writing about politics, communication and culture.
Mark Twain once said: “Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.”
There are liars, damned liars and then there’s Dallas Woodhouse, who must have fallen off a truck and hit his head when the State Fair carnival barkers left town. Imaginary conspiracies make him ever so cross. When he gets upset you will hear his ineffectual growl.
Dallas told MSNBC’s Hallie Jackson that the Republican Party was not suppressing votes. That was a lie. Once he held up a pair of handcuffs which were meant for Hillary Clinton if she were elected. Her “inauguration jewelry.” Was Hillary ever charged with a crime, a misdemeanor, a parking ticket? No. Dallas said she was going to prison because he enjoyed telling that lie.
Woodhouse told a reporter that false allegations of voter fraud had occurred during the 2016 elections. If people are foolish enough to believe it, he was going to talk about it, true or not.
Republicans are at their best when they are creating a false narrative. It is their briar patch. Brer Woodhouse can spin yarns faster than you can, and that’s where his experience counts. That’s why he’s in charge of the Republican message in North Carolina. The truth ruins them. The smear, that’s the stuff.