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Sunday Roundup
posted at 2008-03-09 13:00 | Last modified 2008-03-09 13:06
Wright Follow-up (and plenty of it):
Charlotte's David Ingram says the hearing might have been the easy part.
WSJ’s Paul O’Connor digs into Wright’s allegations of racial bias in the ethics process.
Wilmington’s Gareth McGrath reports on the cost of the four-day hearing. The bottom line includes a bill from Wright, who’s requesting per diem and mileage for his attendance. Why am I not surprised?
The N&O editorial board says the ethics panel had "No Choice" but to vote to expel Wright. The Wilmington StarNews says the full House ought to get moving to make it official. The Charlotte Observer agrees.
David Ingram and I talked about the hearing with Kim Gennardo on NBC-17’s At Issue today. If you missed it, it’s here – along with a scathing, dead-on commentary by Barry Saunders.
Countdown to May 6th
Charlotte's Mark Johnson has this analysis of the different ways the presidential primary might affect statewide races, from surging media prices and muddled messages to skyrocketing turnout and independent defection. From Johnson’s story:
Voter turnout will be bigger than ever before, said Jack Hawke, McCrory's strategist.
"Polling data is no longer going to be valid," Hawke said. "Who are the primary voters going to be? We don't know anymore."
Before Hawke went to bat for McCrory, he used to lead Civitas – home of the Decisionmaker poll - so he knows what he’s talking about. And he’s not the only one who thinks standard primary polling algorithms are pretty much out the door this time.
So what does a likely May 6th voter look like? From trends so far in voter registration, a lot of them have never voted in a primary before. Many might be women and African Americans. Even more of them might be independents – and that’s where it could get really interesting.
Independents aren’t typically a big factor in primaries, but they’ve played a huge role in some key states so far this year. Like those states, NC has open primaries – i.e., open to independents, who can choose to vote in either party contest.
Unless Obama and Clinton somehow settle their race by May 6th, a lot of NC independents will likely ask for a Dem ballot. That could mean trouble for McCrory, who’s almost certain to need some independent support to offset Sen Fred Smith’s strength in the GOP base.
Speaking of the GOP
Char-O’s Jim Morrill has the highlights from Saturday's GOP debate at UNCC. Reading his story, I’m sorry I missed it – sounds like a good one.
Crane-Gate
The N&O’s Pat Stith and Dan Kane report that Dempsey Benton, Governor Easley’s handpicked HHS chief, isn’t taking a bullet for his boss over the firing of longtime HHS spokeswoman Debbie Crane. That’s gotta smart.
If you’re catching up on this story, Dome’s probably your best bet.
Charlotte’s Jack Betts takes a tongue-in-cheek poke at Easley here.
Ink & Pixel
Will NC be the Next Big One this primary season? The Carolina Journal’s John Hood thinks so.
The N&O’s Rob Christensen checks out the Dem race for US Senate. Over at Talk Politics, UNC’s Leroy Townes takes the NYTimes and the Village Voice to task for shoddy coverage of the Hagan-Neal contest.
And finally, congrats to WUNC for winning a Press Club National Headliner award for our recent series, Put to the Test. Nice work, Emily!
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