Posted on 08/11/2014 3:02:20 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
RALEIGH, N.C. — Thom Tillis thought his last day as speaker of the North Carolina House would be weeks ago, after which he would devote all his energies to running for the U.S. Senate. Instead, on Saturday morning, Tillis stood gavel in hand in the state House chamber, presiding over the passage of a budget that kept lawmakers at work well into the summer. Now, finally, he is finished — unless something else comes up to demand his time at the State Legislative Building.
Republicans have bemoaned the fact that their candidate was tied down in the state house, but in a conversation after the session adjourned, Tillis insisted it wasn't a problem. "It just means I've had two full-time jobs for an extra month," he said.
Tillis has vintage Rock 'Em Sock 'Em robots toy on the conference room table in his office, with one red and one blue plastic robot exchanging jabs in a little boxing ring. "A conflict resolution device," he laughingly called it, but it's not a bad symbol of the legislative session in which Democrats pounded Tillis day after day, most often with accusations he "cut almost $500M from education." (PolitiFact recently noted that North Carolina's education budget "has increased every year since Tillis became speaker 2011" — there haven't been any cuts — but nevertheless rated the claim "half true" based on the Democrats' contention that spending should have gone up even more.)
The Democratic strategy has been simple and clear: bash the Republican-controlled legislature and bring down not only the institution's approval ratings but also those of the speaker, who just happens to have a good chance to be the state's next U.S. senator. It's working; in a recent survey by the Democratic polling firm PPP, the legislature had a 19% approval rating.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonexaminer.com ...
But perhaps his biggest challenge is this, according to the strategist: “There’s nothing special about him as a candidate. He’s just kind of a nondescript state legislator.”
Rove and the GOPe got the candidate they wanted. Another milk toast middle aged while male professional politician with zero charisma or personal connectivity with voters. Hagan has been a poor Senator and should lose in a landslide to a halfway decent candidate. It sounds like Rove and his Chamber of Commerce pals realize they have a weak candidate and may lose this one. Perhaps they are floating stories such as this one early so they can blame the candidate for being too bland rather than themselves for pushing Tillis on the party and the NC electorate.
Meanwhile the Democrats and the state media are doing a great hatchet job on McCrory, the new Republican governor, and the state legislature as well as supporting Hagan.
Hagan is also rolling in money and blanketing the media with advertising. Tillis is trailing badly in the money race. Perhaps Rove and the Chamber have already thrown in the towel on this one and are redirecting the money.
Living here in NC I’d say the larger papers have been in the bag for the Rats since time began.
Dems complain and the next morning the papers are filled with the kill cats, kick granny, starve the kids and make everybody drink chemical fire water out of the faucet stories.
It’s almost comical. Turn the sound off while you watch the news and you can tell when they are talking about D’s (smiling) or R’s (frowns). And at the end of every R story is the little “tisk, tisk, tisk shake of the head”.
Regardless what one reads, Tillis is a solid conservative and the State House of which he is the leader, has done a great job passing conservative legislation. I am proud of them.
The left is howling charging Tillis with all sorts of wild stuff having little relation to truth.
I just use the paper for draining Fish, French Fries, Onion Rings & Corn Fritters/Nuggets when they come out of the Fryer.
I don’t even turn the TV to any nutwork except for Auto Racing.
I’m Praying We take the Senate Big time and increase in the House.
Congress, the opposite of Progress!
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