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Sunday Round-up
posted at 2008-02-17 13:53 | Last modified 2008-02-17 14:03
First, a big thank you to those of you who stopped by the tip jar during our Valentine’s fund drive this past week. Much appreciated!
Now, on to the good stuff. After the flurry of fallout from Super-Duper Tuesday, the NC press is turning back to state politics…well, mostly, anyway. Two notable exceptions:
The N&O's Rob Christensen recounts the role NC leaders played in the creation of “superdelegates."
And Charlotte’s Jim Morrill says Edwards supporters in NC are leaning toward Obama, but they’re still waiting to hear what JRE has to say. (Bonus - guest appearance by BlueNC’s Anglico.)
Otherwise:
The Charlotte Observer bookends its excellent series on dangerous working conditions at poultry producer House of Raeford Farms with this Congressional reaction piece.
The N&O keeps on keepin' after the State Board of Transportation. Friday, Dan Kane looked at how board fundraising has benefited both Bev Perdue and Richard Moore. Today, Kane and Ben Niolet analyze how BOT at-large members use their positions to send money home.
On the tube:
Dome's Ryan Teague Beckwith and Charlotte’s Mark Johnson were on NBC-17’s At Issue today, talking about online campaigning – not just web sites and ads, but blogs, Facebook, and all the other ways the web lets candidates talk to voters.
Both agreed GOP candidate Bob Orr’s personal blog is the most effective online presence in the gubernatorial race, while Dem Senate candidate Jim Neal and Mecklenberg Rep Tricia Cotham are the most active online overall.
(I agree, too, but I’d have to add some Lt Gov candidates to that list. A day without an email from Dan Besse or Hampton Dellinger is like a day without sunshine.)
The show also featured the N&O's Barry Saunders on the silver lining of statehouse corruption:
“...We Tar Heels no longer have to suffer from scandal envy…Who says we can’t cheat with the best of ‘em? Let’s drink a toast to crooked politicians who, in their own perverse way, increase citizen participation in politics.”
More of that here.
Outside McClatchyLand:
Wilmington’s Gareth McGrath reports Thomas Wright has billed for his per diem for appearing before the House Select Ethics committee appearance Monday. (Yes, Wright IS technically entitled to it. But still.)
Winston-Salem’s James Romoser has a nice clip-n-save rundown of the Dem field for Lt Gov.
In the Blogosphere:
PPP’s Tom Jensen wants a do-over on the Dem gubernatorial ticket.
At Talk Politics, Alexander Trowbridge muses about the slow heat-death of failed campaigns' blogs.
Talking About Politics' Gary Pearce takes a swing at the media for hating on Hillary and swooning over Obama. It’s a good piece, and much of it’s hard to argue with. But I think he’s overlooking a crucial point: Reporters aren’t alone in responding to candidates who communicate well, tell jokes, and show up on late night TV. Voters like them, too.
Ain't nothing but a hound dog
Some beagle-loving readers have taken me to task for failing to congratulate the fabulous and outspoken Westminster winner Uno, especially since he was apparently born in NC. (Sure, it’s a stretch, but hey - some of us will do just about anything to write about the Big Show. )
Of course, for a local angle on Westminster, you can’t do better than this year’s debut of NC’s official state dog, the Plott. But is it a dog only a Tar Heel could love? Over at Slate, Richard Woodward has a fascinating account of the Plott’s family history. And the N&O’s editorial writers are concerned about the company the Plott’s fallen into these days.
Comments? Drop me a line.
