Look to ALEC - founded in 1973. I cannot believe I paid no attention for many years!
It is a primarily right-wing organization known for drafting and spreading conservative model legislation state by state. [from Wikipedia] It has worked brilliantly. Sadly.
Republicans moved fast, pushing measures that tried to create a state religion — a direct violation of the Constitution’s ban on any official religion — and passing a redundant “Sharia law ban,” which is the legislative equivalent of outlawing gravity since the Constitution and decades of case law already forbid courts from imposing religious doctrine.
They mandated drug‑testing for welfare recipients even though Florida’s own program spent $118,000 to find a mere 2.6% positive rate, losing money in the process.
They opened the door for guns in bars, despite police departments nationwide warning that bar fights are one of the most common sources of assaults and that adding firearms turns a fistfight into a shooting.
They ended teacher tenure, feeding the false belief that tenure prevents firing when it simply ensures due process. AND THEY DID ALL THIS WITHOUT THE PUBLIC ASKING - OR BENEFIT FROM ANY OF THESE CHANGES!
Examples of the republican philosophy of creating solutions for problems that do not exist!
Trump and his loyal entourage have dragged a once‑admired nation into a fog of chaos and self‑inflicted wounds. What used to be a global emblem of freedom, stability, and common sense now feels hijacked by performative outrage, conspiracy‑driven governance, and a cult of personality that prizes disruption over duty.
Institutions built over generations have been bent toward personal vendettas, national unity has been fractured for sport, and the basic idea of truth itself has become collateral damage.
Many Americans believe the country will be digging out from the crater left behind for years. We need to stop this childish behavior now. MAGA may have found a tenuous home in North Carolina, but North Carolina will be the place it came to die.
They followed pretty much the same playbook that NC Democrats used in the 1890s to defeat the Republican/Populist fusion movement. The parties have switched places, but it’s the exact same battle.
Yes, five of the Council of State are Democrats, but the other five, very talented Democratic candidates lost because they weren't funded to the same level by the state as the five who won. If they had been, the Auditor wouldn't be on charge of our elections. And those candidates knew they were in trouble. As much as I like Josh Stein, why didn't more money flow to the other seats? He won by 14 points and they lost because of lack of funding.
Fund raising is the responsibility of the individual candidates. “Down Ballot” races- council of state offices don’t get the attention they deserve. While Republicans have money to fund candidates Democrats do not.
We do need a transformative agenda when it comes to SCOTUS reform. Expanding the court, impeachment for corruption, term limits, enforceable ethics. The SCOTUS majority created by the Federalist Society has so radically reinterpreted the Constitution that the intent of the founders has been reversed. Separation of powers and church & state are features that were intended to prevent a unitary executive, not create one.
If anyone lives in the Piedmont area and would like to join Gov. Roy Cooper tomorrow in Gaston County for a stop on his "Make Stuff Cost Less" Tour, here is how to register:
We are not a red state but a gerrymandered blue state. I’m hoping people finally realize how toxic republican politics has made living more difficult for everyone.
The Dems will end up with an Anderson Clayton of their own when they learn the hard lesson that dismissing youth has zero upside. It took Bobbie Richardson dismissing younger voters, dismissing unaffiliated voters, gutting outreach and GOTV, handing over the SCONC to Rs on a silver platter, and doubling down on gerentocracy for the NC Dems to realize this.
On the federal level, Ken Martin seems to have Richardson's dismissive attitude to youth (see David Hogg) coupled with the "wrong person for the moment" attitude that Randy Voller had running the NC Dems in the first half of the McCrory term before being run out of a functionally bankrupt NCDP.
We have seen the turmoil that Trump and his circle have brought to the country, a disruption so deep it defies easy measure. The nation now sees the struggle more plainly: WHAT must be protected, WHAT must be restored, and WHAT must be rebuilt. The pressure has stripped the republic down to its essential frame, and in that stark clarity, Americans are relearning the principles that keep a nation upright. If we level with folks, offer common sense solutions telling folks what we can do to make their lives better, we will win.
Among your many excellent points, I would emphasize what you said about competing in every race. That's how Republicans took the legislature initially in 2013. Some of the incumbents hadn't been challenged in ages. Many of the GOP candidates were no more than placeholders, but you can't beat something with nothing. Also, recruiting good candidates (those who can articulate your message and win) is important, but as the saying goes, just showing up matters.
Look to ALEC - founded in 1973. I cannot believe I paid no attention for many years!
It is a primarily right-wing organization known for drafting and spreading conservative model legislation state by state. [from Wikipedia] It has worked brilliantly. Sadly.
Why North Carolina? Who’s the person(s) or organization behind it? I doubt Berger planned all this himself.
Republicans moved fast, pushing measures that tried to create a state religion — a direct violation of the Constitution’s ban on any official religion — and passing a redundant “Sharia law ban,” which is the legislative equivalent of outlawing gravity since the Constitution and decades of case law already forbid courts from imposing religious doctrine.
They mandated drug‑testing for welfare recipients even though Florida’s own program spent $118,000 to find a mere 2.6% positive rate, losing money in the process.
They opened the door for guns in bars, despite police departments nationwide warning that bar fights are one of the most common sources of assaults and that adding firearms turns a fistfight into a shooting.
They ended teacher tenure, feeding the false belief that tenure prevents firing when it simply ensures due process. AND THEY DID ALL THIS WITHOUT THE PUBLIC ASKING - OR BENEFIT FROM ANY OF THESE CHANGES!
Examples of the republican philosophy of creating solutions for problems that do not exist!
Trump and his loyal entourage have dragged a once‑admired nation into a fog of chaos and self‑inflicted wounds. What used to be a global emblem of freedom, stability, and common sense now feels hijacked by performative outrage, conspiracy‑driven governance, and a cult of personality that prizes disruption over duty.
Institutions built over generations have been bent toward personal vendettas, national unity has been fractured for sport, and the basic idea of truth itself has become collateral damage.
Many Americans believe the country will be digging out from the crater left behind for years. We need to stop this childish behavior now. MAGA may have found a tenuous home in North Carolina, but North Carolina will be the place it came to die.
They followed pretty much the same playbook that NC Democrats used in the 1890s to defeat the Republican/Populist fusion movement. The parties have switched places, but it’s the exact same battle.
None of this is new.
Yes, five of the Council of State are Democrats, but the other five, very talented Democratic candidates lost because they weren't funded to the same level by the state as the five who won. If they had been, the Auditor wouldn't be on charge of our elections. And those candidates knew they were in trouble. As much as I like Josh Stein, why didn't more money flow to the other seats? He won by 14 points and they lost because of lack of funding.
Fund raising is the responsibility of the individual candidates. “Down Ballot” races- council of state offices don’t get the attention they deserve. While Republicans have money to fund candidates Democrats do not.
We do need a transformative agenda when it comes to SCOTUS reform. Expanding the court, impeachment for corruption, term limits, enforceable ethics. The SCOTUS majority created by the Federalist Society has so radically reinterpreted the Constitution that the intent of the founders has been reversed. Separation of powers and church & state are features that were intended to prevent a unitary executive, not create one.
If anyone lives in the Piedmont area and would like to join Gov. Roy Cooper tomorrow in Gaston County for a stop on his "Make Stuff Cost Less" Tour, here is how to register:
https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/976677/
Event is Noon - 2 pm (but based on prior similar events I have attended you should arrive early!)
If you want to look for future events on this tour, here is a Mobilize query which should identify these events: https://www.mobilize.us/?org_ids=48404&q=Make%20Stuff%20Cost%20Less
How much of the SAVE Act is already in place in North Carolina? Were NC Republicans or consultants advising on the drafting of the SAVE act?
We are not a red state but a gerrymandered blue state. I’m hoping people finally realize how toxic republican politics has made living more difficult for everyone.
Excellent. I will forward this along. Thanks.
I would add that Anderson Clayton has been working tirelessly as the states Democrat chair
The Dems will end up with an Anderson Clayton of their own when they learn the hard lesson that dismissing youth has zero upside. It took Bobbie Richardson dismissing younger voters, dismissing unaffiliated voters, gutting outreach and GOTV, handing over the SCONC to Rs on a silver platter, and doubling down on gerentocracy for the NC Dems to realize this.
On the federal level, Ken Martin seems to have Richardson's dismissive attitude to youth (see David Hogg) coupled with the "wrong person for the moment" attitude that Randy Voller had running the NC Dems in the first half of the McCrory term before being run out of a functionally bankrupt NCDP.
Want to add my view that this is an excellent summary. I've shared it with a large group of Democrats in my community
We have seen the turmoil that Trump and his circle have brought to the country, a disruption so deep it defies easy measure. The nation now sees the struggle more plainly: WHAT must be protected, WHAT must be restored, and WHAT must be rebuilt. The pressure has stripped the republic down to its essential frame, and in that stark clarity, Americans are relearning the principles that keep a nation upright. If we level with folks, offer common sense solutions telling folks what we can do to make their lives better, we will win.
Amen!
Among your many excellent points, I would emphasize what you said about competing in every race. That's how Republicans took the legislature initially in 2013. Some of the incumbents hadn't been challenged in ages. Many of the GOP candidates were no more than placeholders, but you can't beat something with nothing. Also, recruiting good candidates (those who can articulate your message and win) is important, but as the saying goes, just showing up matters.