Roy Cooper’s Remarkable Political Feat

by | Nov 26, 2021 | Politics | 12 comments

When a Civitas Institute poll came out showing Governor Roy Cooper’s approval rating two points underwater, Republicans rejoiced. They had been predicting an imminent decline in Cooper’s public support essentially from the day he took office, and here was confirmation that five years and a successful reelection campaign later, their foe on Blount Street had seen his chickens return to the roost. But Civitas, of course, polls with an agenda–a fervently anti-Cooper agenda. And not long after Pope’s group poured cold water on Cooper’s image, a pair of more credible polls surfaced showing that Roy Cooper was as popular as ever.

Cooper’s resilience should go down as one of the most impressive political feats North Carolina has seen in the 21st century. Governing a red state, Cooper has maintained public support despite radical swings in the political climate, often disadvantageous to his party. Because North Carolina leans slightly conservative, Cooper’s popularity has required the governor to hold onto a chunk of voters who otherwise lean toward the Republican Party. He has done this, and even more remarkable than his ability to retain crossover appeal in an era of extreme polarization is that he’s kept “Cooper Republicans” on board while battling the reactionary right at every turn.

If one were to write a tick-tock history of the Cooper administration, much of the text would concern fights with the Republican-controlled General Assembly. Senate leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore declared political war on the administration even before Cooper took the oath of office. Spiteful after a surprise defeat, the legislature stripped power from the incoming governor. Since this difficult beginning, the relationship between Cooper and his rivals on Jones Street has remained bitter, thawing only with last week’s signing of the bipartisan budget, and even then only by a bit.

So Cooper has not governed as a 1980’s-style “Republican Lite” Democrat from the South. He has instead devoted himself to defending progressive priorities from Republican attacks. It was a strategic decision that entailed the risk of conservatives in the state counter-polarizing against him. But his keen sensitivity to opinion in the state and sound judgment allowed him to keep the trust of a critical chunk of GOP voters, who accounted for his reelection.

Cooper had good models for this strategy, notably the line of moderate Democratic governors who led North Carolina during its transformation into a two-party state. However, his political success did not flow inexorably from a historical tradition. Politics is now far more polarized than when Jim Hunt and Mike Easley successfully governed the state with the support of some conservatives. Cooper had to show adroit political skills to replicate Hunt’s success in an era when vast numbers of Hunt voters have swung implacably into the GOP.

As a party, Cooper’s Democrats face the challenge of spreading his political achievements more broadly throughout the ranks. Unfortunately, Cooper’s success has not so far trickled down to Democratic state legislative candidates or candidates for the Council of State. Perhaps he could become more of a firewall for the party by deliberately seeking a higher profile, and contrasting his vision for North Carolina with the reactionary creed that Pat McCrory or Ted Budd will run on in next year’s U.S. Senate race. If he does that, he may eventually become what no North Carolinian has been since the 1800s: Vice President.

12 Comments

  1. Terry

    Cooper marched in the street in front of the Governor’s mansion with the same rioters that caused State Troopers to have to evacuate his family the night before.
    It’s funny to hear Democrats complain about gerrymandered voting districts. Go back and look at the districts that the democrats, including then Senator Roy Cooper gerrymandered into law.
    Democrats controlled the state for 150 years, that means the GOP has 140 years of control left before the left should start crying foul.

  2. Phoenix

    Cooper has done well. Because he is no existent. Which is why he is popular. Which personally is how I like all politicians somewhere else and doing nothing.

    I’m glad to see that someone recognized the NC is a red state, Now they know what the people will want. Smaller government. lower taxes, less regulation, and more freedom. Cut the budget and governemnt until its as absolutely small and cheap as possible.

    Cooper did mess up though he had the chance to get rid of a Racist Jim Crow law and decided to keep it.

    Pity.

  3. George Greene

    Alexander H. Jones dies NOT have the FIRST clue WHO this critical chunk of Republican voters whose support Cooper retains IS, or WHY he’s retaining them. Clue: Cooper had the good fortune to run in 2020 against a rabid-anti-lockdown advocate. No other race on the ballot was directly connected to lockdown picy. Even people who wrte conservative on policy issues– a critical chunk of them, anyway — wrre not willing to kill thousands of North Carolinians by re-opening immediately. Nothing in this article was substantive or relevant.

  4. Annie Bond

    I bristle whenever anyone calls NC a red state. Out of 7.1m registered voters in this state, 35% are Ds, 30% are Rs, and 34% are unaffiliated. In fact, there are about 300k more registered Ds than Rs.

    • Frank

      Art Pope and tools Civitas and John Hood (and their right-wing agenda umbrella groups) are the epitome of rich and powerful conservatives determined to undermine democracy and win at all costs. They’re tied in with the dark money bankrolling of the national effort to delegitimize the election system (“Big Lie”) and the states gerrymandering campaign. I’m sure they live and breathe the demise of NCs popular Governor and are pining for a Governor whose agenda is grifting and bathrooms.

      Great, well written piece btw.

  5. cocodog

    The Office of Governor of North Carolina is unique in the sense it lacks the power most Governors enjoy in this country. The Republican dominated legislature has stripped the office of traditional duties and responsibilities making it more of a figure head. What vestiges of authority the office may have had are easily overruled by legislative nullification. All the executive duties have been transferred to the legislature making North Carolina a two-branch government. I do believe, Cooper has done an excellent job of working through these handicaps. Frankly, I admire the tenacity and integrity he has shown through the years.

  6. Edwin Finch

    To be a good North Caroline Governor, in the first place you need to be a good Tar Heel, a good American, and a good person. ———- this Nash County public servant is all three, —– and his genuine smile approach to politics and policy, is far better than the hate mongering that has become too “pandemic” in recent years

  7. Chris Pelly

    Considering how other governors have managed the pandemic–looking at DeSantis in FL and Abbott in TX–Gov. Cooper’s science-based leadership has served us well. Most voters will reward competence and Cooper’s poll standings reflect this.

  8. Mike Leonard

    People got excited when the odious Pat McCrory ran for governor. Then he turned out to be every bit as big a disaster as the Fat Orange Clown that the Russians installed in the White House.

  9. Laura Reich

    NC is not a red state , it’s a purple state. Roy Cooper has done well dealing with the right wing legislators who have gerrymandered themselves into their jobs.

  10. Andy Stevens

    Jim Crow Cooper and his Virginia buddy Black Face Northam can tuck their tails and slink on out of the picture. Enough Old South Democrat tyranny already!

  11. Dillon Roberts

    Art Pope doesn’t like anybody he can’t own. Roy Cooper is the best Governor this state has had in quite awhile.

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