A friend in Wilmington sent this report on what’s happening in the Tarheel state as we slouch toward the primary:
O.K. newspapers in Raleigh and Wilmington have picked up on theme of Obama not being around much. Hillary and Bill energized and everywhere. Hillary’s TV ads on economy are sharper than his which are somewhat unfocused. But as the Raleigh paper said in an editorial, the truth is he’s concentrating on Indiana because it’s a closer race (mind you they are condemning him for this, saying North Carolina is a big state and shouldn’t be ignored, blah, blah).
So Obama sneaks into the state Monday night for a Chapel Hill speech before heading back to Indiana on Tuesday. Bill Clinton’s in town here again for a big military thing on the battleship in town. Essentially, Bill and Hillary are running around the mid-sized blue-collar cities; Barack shows up at various universities. Both shore up their base; she is undoubtedly cutting into his lead.
But Barack is probably doing the right thing by showing up at gas stations in Indiana. Thirty-eight percent of the registered democratic voters in Carolina are black; he ain’t going to lose that vote and he won’t lose this state even if he is the title of a Ralph Ellison book, so he may as well concentrate on Indiana. If he wins both primaries our pant-suited friend should have plenty of time on her hands to go back to her true love: duck hunting in Scranton.
Fortunately, the N.C. Republican party is making a mistake with the Wright adds. It appeals to Republicans, but gives Obama the edge in the victim outrage department that is essential to the Democrats very being.
Plus, his biggest advantage can be summed up in two words: Open Primary
Thanks to M.D. for the update.
UPDATE: Note that our friend from N.C. appears to be a little confused over the nature of the North Carolina primary, as was one of our commenters. North Carolina’s primary is closed, which means that only voters who have declared a party affiliation can vote. Independents (or fence-sitters, as Trish calls us) cannot vote in North Carolina’s primary. Oh, and they might have done away with the poll tax, but I’m not sure about that. — Buck
Sample Questions for Senator Obama’s Next Debate
Q. “Senator Obama, in the summer of 2001, you flew into New York for a meeting. During the flight into New York’s La Guardia airport, you saw the WTC buildings.”
“Why, Senator Obama, why did you not warn your fellow Americans then of the upcoming 9/11 attacks?”
Q. “Senator Obama, your grandfather, in 1937, had a conversation at his place of employment with a coworker. That coworker would later go on to join the Communist Party.”
“Senator, why have you not denounced your grandfather for his Communist associations?”
Q. “Senator Obama, in the Fall of 1968, when America was fighting to bring freedom and democracy to Vietnam, you fell off your bicycle and broke your right arm.”
“You returned to school three days later, with your right arm in a cast.”
“Why, Senator, did you fail to raise your right arm and salute the American flag that week during the Pledge of Allegiance and is your innate hatred of America due to your MUSLIM background?”
Q. “Senator Obama, two men who attended the same college you did, later on got married in San Francisco.”
“Why, Obama, have you not denounced on national TV the depravities of these sodomites?”
Q. “Senator Hussein, uhh, excuse me, Senator Obama, your middle name is the same as the tyrant dictator the brave American and patriot, President Bush, overthrew and executed in Iraq in 2005.”
“Why, Senator Hussein, have you not changed your middle name?”
Q. “Senator Obama, three times in the last 13 years, you have missed Sunday service at your church.”
“Why did you miss these services, Senator and should Americans interpret these moral failings of yours as a sign that you are an atheist?”
Q. “Senator Obama, although millions of Americans enjoy the great sport of bowling, when you attempted this All-American sport, you bowled a miserable 30.”
“Senator Obama, should Americans look at that score as the disdainful way you look at Americans and is this outlook part of your elitist attitude?”
When a party has an open primary, its ballot is available to ANY voter.
Both of the North Carolina parties’ primaries are semi-closed, meaning that independents are invited to participate. A registered party member, however, must stick with his own party.
~~ Steve Rankin
Jackson, Mississippi