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Wednesday, November 2, 2011
News Why is the tide turning against Perdue?
Posted By Cheris Hodges on Wed, Nov 2, 2011 at 3:11 PM
In 2008, North Carolina voters elected the state's first female governor, and it seems that ever since then some people have been trying to get Gov. Bev Perdue out of office.
Now, this is not California and there hasn't been talk of a recall, but The Charlotte Observer is reporting that longtime Democratic supporters are now tossing cash into the coffers of former Charlotte mayor Pat McCrory's unofficial gubernatorial bid.
Republican McCrory challenged Democrat Perdue in the 2008 gubernatorial race after he decided not to seek an eighth term as mayor of Charlotte
Though McCrory hasn't announced if he will seek the governor's office again in 2012, it sure looks like he will. And it looks as if he might break the so-called Charlotte curse — especially if this Jacksonville soiree is any indication:
His fundraiser - which raised more than $55,000 - took place at the home of George Jones, a former mayor of Jacksonville and a one-time Perdue supporter.Some donors switch sides
"It's absolutely nothing personal," said Jones, a registered Democrat who helped get Hunt elected. Jones estimated that one-third of the 40 people at the fundraiser were Democrats.
"Bev has swung hard to the left," he continued. "I can't support her policies and the direction she's pursuing for this state."
The event showed possible weakness for Perdue in Eastern North Carolina, her base of political support.
So, what has Perdue done as governor to erode her support so much?
1) She's pro-choice, which in this state can hurt you. How dare a politician think a woman should have a choice in what she does with her body?
2) Perdue vetoed the voter ID bill, which the GOP seems to be pushing all across the South, as if intelligent people can't read between the lines and see that it's a discriminatory practice which evokes chilling memories of an earlier civil rights movement.
3) The governor has gone on record with her support of same-sex marriage, saying she opposes the constitutional ban that will be on the ballot next year.
4) Perdue doesn't deliver jokes well, as she drew fire for saying congressional elections should be suspended. Joking or not, any politician who suggests suppressing an election is not going to win any brownie points.
Here's how the Raleigh News & Observer reported the September controversy:
File this in the random-things-politicians-say file. Speaking to a Cary Rotary Club today, N.C. Gov. Bev Perdue suggested suspending Congressional elections for two years so that Congress can focus on economic recovery and not the next election."I think we ought to suspend, perhaps, elections for Congress for two years and just tell them we won't hold it against them, whatever decisions they make, to just let them help this country recover. I really hope that someone can agree with me on that," Perdue said. "You want people who don't worry about the next election."
The comment — which came during a discussion of the economy — perked more than a few ears. It's unclear whether Perdue, a Democrat, is serious — but her tone was level and she asked others to support her on the idea. (Read her full remarks below.)
Later Tuesday afternoon, Perdue's office clarified the remarks: "Come on," said spokeswoman Chris Mackey in a statement. "Gov. Perdue was obviously using hyperbole to highlight what we can all agree is a serious problem: Washington politicians who focus on their own election instead of what’s best for the people they serve."
The Republicans sure are taking it seriously as they look to score political points. Here's a statement from GOP spokesman Rob Lockwood:
“Now is a time when politicians need to be held accountable more than ever. To suspend an election would be removing the surest mechanism that people have to hold politicians accountable: the right to vote. Does the Governor not believe that people of North Carolina have the ability to think for themselves about whether or not the actions of elected officials are working?"
All told, her stances are irking conservative-leaning Democrats.
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