One of my new year’s resolutions was not to write about Pat McCrory. After half a decade of disaster, the former Republican governor is gone from Raleigh, and besides, why give him the attention he so dearly covets? But politics unfolds in tapestry-like form, where one episode seamlessly bleeds into another. Charlotte’s Mayor for Life still lingers in our political picture, in a bad way.
There are many kinds of politics, but one useful schematic separates the politics of symbolism from the politics of substance. Jim Hunt exemplified substantive governance. Whereas ever since he hitched rides in cop cars, Pat McCrory’s passion for imagery defined his public role. And it is in that niche that he left his legacy.
Certainly, our image was never spotless. Outsiders thought of cigarettes and a certain reactionary Senator as often as mountain peaks and campus quads. But the year before McCrory took office, PPP found us the ninth-most popular state (interestingly, the same as our population ranking). In typically deluded fashion, McCrory decided that we somehow needed a rebranding. Indeed, he redefined us.
This state is now fully identified with HB2. External viewers see little else. As a Finn said to The News & Observer, “If people in Europe know North Carolina, it is because of the toilet law.” Our newly defining characteristic stems not from some deeply set cultural root, let alone from the natural world. It is entirely the result of arbitrary legislative action which Pat McCrory enabled.
As long as HB2 obscures our very real humanity and good will, it will be Pat McCrory who cast the shadow. His legacy is powerful, and it is ugly.
Alexander Jones is an original contributor to PoliticsNC.
I like to think of Pat McCrory as Trump-lite. He was a good opening preview for what was to come with the main show. Both have highly narcissistic tendencies. Both have little knowledge, or interest for that matter, in government except for what they can take for themselves or make available to their buddies.
Both as Alex eluded to puts more emphasis on appearance rather than substance. Both talk a great game, even with a modicum of sense and understanding at times. But when crunch time comes, it’s hollow; the well has long been dry and nothing but dirt and angst is forthcoming.
Pat McCrory is an excellent case study for Donald Trump. The really sad fact is though, North Carolina went for Trump too. Why the easiest lessons are the hardest learned is beyond me, but we can’t seem to learn collectively as a people what is good and what is bad for us.
All you state about education is true. However, we must NOT leave Tillis and Burr out of the equation. They both were paid a significant amount of money to be convinced of DeVos’ outstanding lack of credentials and understanding of public education. All 3 need always to be linked together. In a letter from Tillis, he maintains he seriously vetted her about IDEA. One of her first acts was to eliminate IDEA information from the Gov Website. McCrory, Tillis and Burr, three of the most reprehensible people concerning public education in NC.