Good afternoon everybody! Today I thought I would post some local coverage of the campaign down here in North Carolina. Hopefully I can make this a daily thing up until the primary next Tuesday. I will try to give a cross-section of the different media outlets’ coverage of the race. Today I am focusing on newspapers (big and small) across the state. Many of these papers have yet to endorse, and I will try to fill everyone in as their endorsements come in. I live in the Raleigh media market, which I mentioned earlier is tilting towards Obama, although my paper, The News and Observer, has so far yet to endorse either candidate.
Still the big story today is Gov. Mike Easley’s endorsement of Hillary. The take is that his endorsement will serve to reinforce Hillary’s appeal to “small town blue collar democrats”, describing Easley as
…a sort of “Governor Bubba” helped make him the only two-term Democratic governor in the South. Easley was elected to office as a pistol-packing former prosecutor and was re-elected as the governor who crashed a NASCAR race car into the wall during a charity event.
This sort of description, which in some parts of the country might be seen as pejorative, in these parts aptly describes Easley’s popularity among many voters. (Although he has been teased relentlesly by the press for the NASCAR incident). The big news from this article is that Easley will be campaigning across the state with Clinton for three days starting Friday.
The other big news today is Bill Clinton’s barnstorm tour of the state. He has been travelling throughout Eastern NC all morning and newspapers along the way have been covering him. the Fayetteville Observer has great stop by stop coverage of his whirlwind tour. Here’s a sample:
A state senator from Wilmington just spoke to this Lillington crowd and said Bill Clinton was the best president we’d had in her lifetime.
“But,” she added, “I think his wife might be a little bit better.”
I saw him myself in Hillsborough last week. He gave a speech on the bed of a pick-up truck, here’s a pic:
In the western part of the state President Clinton is welcomed as a rock star:
MORGANTON – As a former president disembarked in the county, the high pitched shrieks and whoops were reminiscent of lovestruck teenagers at a rock concert.
Finally, North Carolina has a long tradition of an independent African-American press. I think this article, from the Winston-Salem Chronicle,describing Hillary’s campaign shows an even-handedness not seen in much of the rest of the MSM:
Dyson (the Rev Marcia Dyson, a Hillary supporter) says she is voting her interests. She believes Clinton will worker harder to address the issues that affect African-Americans and especially black women. Dyson was impressed when Clinton stated during a debate last year that the nation’s response to HIV/AIDS would be stronger if the disease were affecting white women at the same rate as black women.
And to sign off (I apologize that this post has been so long) I really wanted to share Hillary’s latest ad now playing in NC. How can this great candidate not become our next President?
Filed under: General
Hi Gary — this is a great post and if anything — not long enough!
Did you have any sense from Letters to the Editor of how regular people around the state are leaning?
Fantastic! Back of a truck. He’s fabulous.
Thanks for the round-up.
katiebird,
I have found it is a mixed bag. A lot of coverage is determined by which candidate is in the area that day, as are letters to the editor. This is still largely a red state, so if you browse through the letters at most papers they are anti any democrat. I must say however, this really has been the most exciting thing I’ve experienced as far as politics in my life. In two weeks I have seen and shook hands with a former president (Bill), a future president (Hillary), and felt more engaged with the process than ever before. I really resent those that have tried to stop the voting before we have had our turn. I have made some memories of a lifetime because of this campaign
Gary, you ROCK!
Thanks again for taking time to collect these reports. And not just for your own personal interest, but for the rest of us – the greater HRC/Confluence community. This helps in giving the rest of us at least a snapshot–some idea of how NC is shaping up in time for the ‘big day’ next Tuesday. Look forward to more of your insightful anecdotes and local data, within the coming days.
Melanie: Pres. Bill is just the man. He really has the ability to connect with, and articulate best, those issues affecting the working people like few can.
Jesus. That campaign ad gave me goosebumps. WAY TO GO HIL! Steal some of Obama’s “inspirational” thunder.
I’ve got a call into HRC HQ to find out how to give her more money.
In the email this morning:
But before those big races on May 6, we’re facing a critical deadline. Tonight at midnight, we close the books on our April fundraising — and the number we report has the power to shape the story of this election. I can’t put it any stronger than this: every dollar we bring in by midnight tonight can make the difference in this race.
That’s why I need your help today. Will you match a single contribution made by someone who has not given to our campaign before? When you match someone else’s contribution with your own before tonight’s midnight deadline, your gift is worth twice as much — every $50 gift is worth $100, every $100 gift is worth $200.
OK, I think there’s some chance I have like $200 left before I max out, and I haven’t got a call back yet, so I just donated the $200, and saw this on the contribution page:
Write a note to the person whose contribution you match and tell them why you were inspired to give! (You are using 58 of 255 maximum letters)
Because Hillary will be the best President in my lifetime! Of course….:)
OK, folks – it’s rubber-meets-the-road time. If we’re gonna give, now’s the time. Even $10 will help. Can we set some kind of Conflucian fundraising goal today? I know we’re up over $500 from the comments in just the last couple days….
GO HILLARY!
p.s. volunteered online for western Kentucky in May just now too….
to add to my earlier comment about the excitement here in NC, I just read this on the fayetteville observer blog,
” This is believed to be the first time anyone who has ever been president has been to Harnett County.
Officially, anyway.
Bob Dole came here, but, well, we know how that turned out.”
I have seen parents bringing their children to these rallies just for the chance to see history like they never have before. It is really heart-warming
gary: You are a godsend. your pictures are outstanding. As for letters to the editor, I’d take them with a grain of salt. I know there are groups out there that are deliberately and systematically astroturfing LTE sections of local papers.
They still love the big dog. Try as the Obama campaign may, they cannot undercut this man. He, and Chelsea, of course, are her best campaigners. Yes, people fondly remember the peace and prosperity of the Clinton WH years. They’re waiting for another Clinton to bring them back again.
Don’t you know the country will let out a loud cheer when Bush and his moving van finally leave the White House? Let’s count the days until then.
gary, thanks, dude.
I’m going with Eleanor A—if you can spare it, share it with the junior senator from New York. If you can make some of those calls, do it. Each one helps.
I am loving that Bill photo! I love that in spite of the class- and regional-based slurs thrown his way, the man doesn’t give a damn and remains at ease with himself.
Does anyone know how the Barack faux “outrage” over Wright is playing in NC or IN?
Bill IS a rock star. Obama can pretend the 1990s never happened while praising Regan and Bush I, but Americans remember.
“Progressive” blogs and the like stabbing him (and her) in the back? Another sotry too long to post about here.
I meant “story.” Damn my crappy typing.
Wow! Goosebumps, but good, from watching the Maya Angelou ad.
It’s right up there with the “shine like gold” ad.
Great post.
This is fascinating. What Reverend Wright emphasized in his press conference is how different African Americans are from white Americans. What Dr. Angelou is saying is that we are all alike.
Isn’t that interesting?
Another great post Gary, please indeed keep them coming. If you know of any fun people in Boone today or tomorrow in Asheville, please direct them to this site for a great interactive volunteer event. There should be media coverage, let us know.
http://hillaryclintonarmy.blogspot.com/
Just got this in an email:
My Mother in NC voted for Hllary early. I count this as a HUGE victory. She voted for George Bush and has been somewhat negative about Hillary in the past. This is HUGE. This tells me that a lot of people in NC may just be changing their minds.
I will work on all my many friends inNC to vote for Hillary.
Gary, I have information to share about extraordinarily fun volunteer and press/photo op activities in North Carolina if you would like to pass the word to your friends there.
lash52@cox.net
garychapelhill — Do you know anything about the Women’s Voices, Women Vote controversy being flogged by DKos, TPM, Atrios, HuffPo?
A group called Democracy North Carolina accused a GOTV group (focused on getting single women voters registered and to the polls) of voter suppression and then the group was accused of working for the Hillary campaign.
Has been creating all sorts of to and froing even among Hillary supporters.
Just wondering what’s out in the media air in NC…
jawbone,
I can only find one link locally that addresses the issue. apparently it was a mistake. I read earlier today that the obamablogs were making hay about a clinton supporter being on their (WVWV) board of directors. I have read in other places that another member of that board is an obama supporter. Apparently it is a progressive organizations that leans democratic (not affiliated with either campaign) trying to get people registered to vote in the GE
my take, as they claim ,is that it was an error. They have complied with the state attorney’s requests to stop all calls and stop mailings from getting to voters. I’m not sure what the big deal is anyway, apparently the obama people thought it was some trickery telling people that they were sending them registration info, although the deadline has passed. The progressive group doing the drive to register unmarried women was meaning to try to register people for the general election, and were not aware that they were breaking state law. NC was one of 24 states being targeted, I believe.
I could only find an article in the daily reflector in the far east of the state No other major media outlets have covered the story here at all as far as I know. article is here:
http://www.reflector.com/news/content/gen/ap/NC_Election_Robocalls.html
tuscon, anything I can do to help, let me know!
you can get great AA coverage if you’re willing to pay for it. that’s what i would do knowing the obama camp wont, taking the vote for granted, as usual
wow, maya angalou just radiates goodness, what a soul
hmmm…. maya angelou — jeremiah wright. guess i’d have to go with angelou, although i’d sooner vote for either over obama
Thnx, gary. Struck me that the Obama campaign is throwing up a preemptive excuse for his not doing as well as expected in NC. There were claims of voter suppression, iirc, prior to Nevada and CA. Hey, whatever works….
Who knows? NPR had some AA voters on who said the Wright thing makes no difference to how they will vote. Then, without any voter quotes, NPR speculated that it will affect white voters.
I just hope the WVWV thing won’t cause problems for their GOTV work. Their objective, to increase registration and voting among single women — I’d read that if single women had voted in larger numbers, Gore would have had the necessary votes in 2000. And Kerry in 2004. Alas.
Anyway, two different NC articles from Feb and Jan indicated that election officials were indeed impressed that WVWV was increasing registration. Links to follow.
http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080309/NRSTAFF/66570015
Johnnie McLean, dep. dir. of State Board of Elections said daily registrations received this year are 1500-2200 vx. 3-400/day in ‘04. Article mentions WVWV and another youth oriented GOTV group.
http://www.dailysoutherner.com/archivesearch/local_story_060111448.html
“We received more than 100 cards Wednesday, and other days, as well,” said Ethel Bryant, who has worked in the office for more than 14 years. “Rocky Mount said they received more than 300. We thought most people in our area were registered and have been surprised to receive so many new registration cards.”
The voter’s registration cards have been sent out by the Voter Participation Center, an arm of Women’s Voices, Women’s Vote, a non-profit organization, based in Washington, D.C., whose goal is to help single women, those polled least-likely to vote, to register.
“We found there were 570,000 unmarried women in North Carolina, who are not registered to vote,” said Sarah Johnson, communications director. “These are women of all ages, widowed, divorced and those who have never been married. These women, who make up approximately 26 percent of the voter base, are usually extremely busy and under-represented. Our goal is to help them by sending them an application to register to vote, which would make it easier then, to vote on election day.
“We are non-partisan, so we don’t care who they vote for, just so they vote.”
Bryant agreed the method seems to be working.
“They send out the voter’s applications in a pre-packaged envelope with postage paid,” she said. “Many are female and from rural areas, where it is harder to run out and get a stamp to post a letter. Since it doesn’t need a stamp, they are able to drop it right in the mail.”
from Matt Stoller at Open left:
http://www.openleft.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=5489
apparently this was all some crazy frenzy to once again try to paint Clinton as racist gone awry by the OFB. This organization is actually trying to really help disenfranchised voters. How sad… they are willing to hurt anyone, no matter what good they are trying to do, that get in their way. Just a bunch of bullies imo. Even the commenters are trying to fan the flames even after another of the Obamablogs “Hillary will do anything” conspiracy theories is thoroughly debunked.
oh, and to be clear, Matt Stoller is totally in the tank for Obama
Just stopped back to watch the Maya Angelou ad again.
Sleep well, all Conflucians!