New York Governor Andrew Cuomo stuck his foot in his mouth by saying that “extreme” conservatives are not welcome in his state. Cuomo will probably have to apologize for his divisive statement, which needlessly offended pro-life groups.
It presents an opportunity for North Carolina’s governor, however. He should respond by making it clear that even though conservatives might not be welcome in New York, they certainly are welcome in North Carolina. He should then go into detail about the conservative agenda passed by the legislature and signed into law last year, and make it clear that New Yorkers with conservative views on guns, abortion, and marriage are more than welcome to move to North Carolina. Add in a couple of lines about North Carolina’s friendly business environment, and make a jab about how New York sucks and everyone is moving away from there anyway. It would be yet another opportunity to contrast the “Red State Model” with the “Blue State Model”.
The net benefit of such an editorial would be small, but if New Yorkers are going to move to this state in droves, it would be beneficial for the NC GOP that they be the right kind of New Yorker. An editorial such as this might also deter more liberal Empire State residents from moving in, just so long as enough emphasis is placed on traditional marriage and expansive gun rights. If such an editorial is written, McCrory should resist the temptation to sound like just a business-friendly moderate and nothing more. Don’t try to play to the state media, or even to swing voters within the state. The audience should be conservative New Yorkers, and also conservatives around the nation. Toss them red meat.
North Carolina passed what the governor of New York would term an “extreme conservative” agenda. It’s time to own it!
John Wynne is the “conservative voice” at PoliticsNC, where he also provides polling analysis and commentary on legislative campaigns. When not writing about politics, he enjoys gardening and listening to opera. Contact: johncwynne@gmail.com.
I doubt you’re too serious about this, but for the record Red States have the
-Worst long-term unemployment rates
-Worst poverty rates
-Worst rates of welfare dependency
-Worst divorce rates
-Worst rates of teenage pregnancy
-Worst high-school and college graduation rates
-Worst public health
-For the most part, the highest murder rates
-and partially as a result, the lowest life expectancy.
And according to the historian Michael Lind, several of the quintessential Southern “red states” rival third-world countries in terms of infant deaths and illiteracy. In other words, the Red State model is, objectively, a failure, while the Blue State model is far more successful. The only exceptions to the rule are New Mexico and Utah, and that’s for reasons that have much more to do with demographic composition than politics.
At some point conservatives are going to have to reckon with these facts. But until then, McCrory shouldn’t go around and encourage Blue State residents to sigh, “Thank God for North Carolina!”