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McCrory's In
posted at 2008-01-15 14:02 | Last modified 2008-01-15 14:07
"We knew the train was coming, sooner or later."
Possibly one of the best opening lines of the campaign season. McCrory was actually talking about the train whistle that met him at the podium, but you can't buy a metaphor like that.
After months of speculation (and a lot of free press about it), the Charlotte Mayor has finally officially entered the Governor's race, shaking up a GOP field that, so far, hasn't sparked much interest even among GOP voters.
Mayor Pat was introduced at the Jamestown event by former Gov Jim Holshouser, who called him a "21st century thinker," and who also announced a second McCrory endorsement - by former Gov. Jim Martin.
McCrory's 20-minute speech hit what're likely to be the highlights of his platform - more money for crime control, more roads, less bureaucracy, better ethics, tax reform (kind of fuzzy), and above all, accessibility.
He said one of the key moments in his decision to run for Governor was his experience in Raleigh last year, when he says he was told Governor Easley didn't have time to meet with him and the 300 or so people with him who'd come up to Raleigh to ask for more court and safety funding:
"We need a governor who's not going to wait for people to come to them. We need a governor that will go out and find out exactly what's happening throughout this state of North Carolina."
There's been a lot of speculation about whether McCrory's late entry will give him the time and money he'll need to have a shot at the primary. He says he planning to run his campaign on the cheap:
"We're gonna be like a garage band. We're not hiring any high-priced consultants to tell us what to say and how to say it. We're gonna speak from the heart. And we're gonna be interwoven, where we reach out to the people. We're gonna have a grassroots, positive campaign. "
BTW, he's planning to keep his seat as Mayor while he campaigns.
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