Candidate's (Patrick Ballantine) big splash leaves his rivals cold at NC GOP convention

Charlotte Observer ^ | June 1, 2003 | JIM MORRILL

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Posted on Sun, Jun. 01, 2003

Candidate's big splash leaves his rivals cold GOP state convention provides the stage for one-upmanship JIM MORRILL Staff Writer

Republican state Sen. Patrick Ballantine launched his race for governor Saturday with a splashy kick-off that left some rivals calling foul.

The Senate minority leader from Wilmington followed three other candidates to the stage at the party's state convention at the Charlotte Convention Center. Each had been given five minutes.

As Ballantine was introduced, the ballroom lights darkened and a four-minute infomercial began on a huge screen. The MTV-like video, from the same Hollywood producer who did U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole's TV ads last year, touched on various issues while showing a series of images of Ballantine and his family. When the lights came back, Ballantine took the stage and spoke for 10 minutes.

The performance chafed Ballantine's rivals.

"That's not the way the ground rules were," said George Little, a Southern Pines businessman. "It was not fair."

Former Charlotte Mayor Richard Vinroot called it "bad judgment."

Bill Peaslee, the party's political director, said Ballantine "kind of caused a problem for us, not to mention some hard feelings."

Ballantine was unapologetic about his extra time.

"They didn't have all the applause lines," he said of his rivals.

Despite the flap, each candidate agreed on one thing -- that Democratic incumbent Gov. Mike Easley should be replaced.

Vinroot recalled his debate with Easley as the GOP nominee in 2000: "I sat next to Mike Easley. I said `Mike, I think you'll increase spending. I think you'll increase taxes.' He denied it."

Vinroot pointed to tax and spending increases during Easley's first two years.

Dan Barrett, a Davie County commissioner, also criticized Easley's record, including the downgrading of the state's AAA bond rating by one investment firm.

"We need leadership in Raleigh and we need it right now," he said.

Little pointed to his experience in business and on the state economic development board.

"The number one issue facing North Carolinians and Americans today is jobs, jobs, jobs," he said. "Our governor is not involved or engaged in economic development."

Ballantine, too, criticized Easley. He trumpeted what he called Republicans' "great ideas" on economic development, taxation, education and health care, but offered no details.

Ballantine, at 38 the youngest candidate, said "being governor isn't about age.

"It's about experience, drive and leadership," he said. "And those are qualities that I'll also match head-to-head with Mike Easley any day of the week."

Ballantine's video mentions that he "has never lost an election," a subtle jab at Vinroot, who has lost two bids for governor. It was something Vinroot addressed himself.

"To those who say that someone who (lost) can't win, thank goodness for Ronald Reagan."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jim Morrill: (704) 358-5059; jmorrill@charlotteobserver.com.

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GOP Candidates Launch '04 N.C. Gov. Race

By Associated Press

June 1, 2003, 4:23 AM EDT


CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The four Republican candidates for governor in 2004 have begun jockeying for position within their party.

On Saturday, state Senate Minority Leader Patrick Ballantine officially announced his candidacy at the state Republican Convention. He joined former Charlotte mayor Richard Vinroot, Davie County commissioner Dan Barrett and Southern Pines businessman George Little.

Each used everything from public opinion polls to video images of exploding fireballs in an effort to show he is the right candidate to oust Democrat Mike Easley.

The quartet repeatedly portrayed Easley as "a do-nothing governor" who has presided over a tanking economy, raised taxes, mismanaged the state's fiscal affairs and ducked appearances with President Bush at military bases.

"I regret that each time he came, our governor chose not to join him there," Vinroot told nearly 1,000 delegates meeting at the Charlotte Convention Center. "As a veteran, I think that is a disgrace."

Ballantine, who has served as Republican leader in the Senate since 1998, launched his campaign with a speech and four-minute video produced by the same California consultant who made TV commercials for U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole.

The consensus among delegates was that Vinroot starts the race as the front-runner. The 62-year-old who played basketball for Dean Smith at North Carolina fell short in bids for the Executive Mansion in 1996 and 2000.

A poll taken last month for The News & Observer of Raleigh showed 38 percent of the voters had a favorable view of Vinroot, and 27 percent had an unfavorable view. The comparable figures for Easley were 46 percent favorable and 33 percent unfavorable.

"He starts closer to Easley then he did last time," said Carter Wrenn, a political strategist advising Vinroot. "Among Republicans, Richard is going to have complete name ID, and George and Patrick are going to have to climb that mountain. But that is a hard mountain to climb, and it's going to take a lot of work and a lot of money."

Ballantine is touting himself as someone who is a fresh face but also well-versed in state issues.

"People like Vinroot the person," Ballantine said. "But they don't like Vinroot the candidate, and they see that he has failed in his several attempts to run for statewide office. They are hungry for a winner."

Little, 61, an insurance agent and longtime GOP activist. is stressing his business background and as a leader in the community college system.

Barrett, 44, a Winston-Salem attorney, is probably the least known of the GOP hopefuls. He is chairman of the Davie County commissioners. He said the state needs new leadership.

"We need leadership in Raleigh, and we need it now," Barrett said.
Copyright © 2003, The Associated Press

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http://newsobserver.com/news/story/2573792p-2388835c.html
Ballantine & money

In anticipation of a formal announcement on Saturday, Sen. Patrick Ballantine, a Wilmington Republican, has been raising money for his campaign for governor, including a fund-raiser this week at the Carolina Country Club in Raleigh.

The list of hosts, those who have contributed at least $1,000, included local GOP notables such as K.D. Kennedy, Tom Ellis, Paul Coble and Peter Hans.

There was at least one Democrat in the mix, too -- Dana Cope, of the State Employees Association.

Cope is listed with his wife, Melinda, and he said she is the big Ballantine fan.

"We are supporting his bid," Cope said. "My wife is the one that really likes him. He's a personal friend of ours."

When Ballantine makes his announcement at the state Republican Party convention, he will be headed to a primary with at least three other candidates who have already announced.

They are George Little, an insurance agent from Southern Pines; Dan Barrett, a Davie County commissioner; and Richard Vinroot, a former Charlotte mayor.

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Backers stray from Vinroot

Ballantine campaign raises money from GOP supporters

MARK JOHNSON
Raleigh Bureau

RALEIGH - N.C. Sen. Robert Pittenger gave money to fellow Charlotte Republican Richard Vinroot's unsuccessful campaigns for governor in 1996 and 2000. During Pittenger's winning state senate campaign last year, he asked for -- and received -- Vinroot's endorsement.

In the 2004 race for governor, though, Pittenger is bypassing Vinroot and putting his money and the heft of his new elected office behind Patrick Ballantine, Republican leader in the Senate. Ballantine, who hails from across the state in Wilmington, makes his official campaign announcement this morning at the Republican state convention in Charlotte.

"It is an opportunity in an important presidential election year to have a candidate (for governor) who can appeal across the state," Pittenger said.

As former Charlotte Mayor Vinroot makes his third run for governor, he confronts some Republicans' discernable interest for a fresh face.

Vinroot must convince those who supported him in two gubernatorial bids and a short-lived U.S. Senate campaign to open their wallets a third or fourth time.

"I have a tremendously long list of former Vinroot supporters," said Ballantine, who held a fund-raiser Thursday night at Myers Park Country Club. "I believe that speaks volumes."

Many of the 55 Republicans listed on Ballantine's "host committee" at the Charlotte fund-raiser, however, have a mixed record of supporting Vinroot.

N.C. Rep. Ed McMahan, for example, backed Rep. Leo Daughtry of Smithfield in the 2000 Republican primary for governor, but aided Vinroot after he won the nomination. Rep. Jim Gulley of Matthews endorsed now-U.S. Rep. Robin Hayes in the 1996 campaign.

"The conventional wisdom is, can someone from Mecklenburg County win this seat?" said Wes Robinson, a Charlotte anesthesiologist who is on the legislative committee for the state medical society and played co-host for Ballantine's fundraiser. "One of the trains of thoughts I've been hearing that's out there is: Here's a guy who has run twice and hasn't won, and he's not from the eastern part of the state."

The Charlotte area has a record of unsuccessful statewide candidates, including Erskine Bowles' race for U.S. Senate last fall.

Vinroot acknowledged the tasks before him.

"I hoped everybody who supported me last time would support me this time, but that's unrealistic," Vinroot said. "I have to convince people I can win."

Some earlier supporters who have signed on with Ballantine may not have known Vinroot was running, since he announced just Wednesday, he said. "Secondly they may think (Ballantine) is a more attractive candidate," Vinroot said. "He's a new candidate."

Both men should get some measure of their support this weekend, as they mill about with hundreds of Republican leaders and activists at Charlotte's convention center.

[fieldmarshaldj]

*ping*

A bit about our efforts in NC to take back the Governorship and the "Stop Vinroot" movement.

[Kuksool]

It is a good sign that people aren't supporting Vinroot. Why is being from Charlotee a negative to NC voters statewide? You'd think being from either Chapel Hill or Durham to be the real political poison.

[fieldmarshaldj]

*cough*Carrboro*cough*

[Kuksool]

Carrboro is often considered an extension of of Chapel Hill. Much of the Marxist professors, who work at UNC-Chapel Hill, live in Carrboro. To think that they brainwash students using taxpayer dollars is outrageous.

[fieldmarshaldj]

I hear they still have that flaming gay Marxist Mayor, too. I remember in the '94 elections (I could be wrong) that the USA Today had blurbs on the races nationwide and mentioned this election to show how "progressive" Carrboro was. I always thought it demonstrated how much a Southern town had dropped off the radar screen of rationality and sanity. I'd be interested to know if he was a native or whether he was dropped off the boat with only a pair of legwarmers and a tube of chapstick to his name.

[Kuksool]

The South is being invaded by carpet-baggin' liberals. The problem is that the ignorant rednecks (Yellow Dogs) are all too willing to vote for them if they have a fake drawl and a love of country music. Just ask Mark Warner and Phil Bresden.

[Holden Magroin]

I see that Richard Vinroot is running for something, again.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Remember, Pharoah Phil is my phormer Mayor. *gag*

[AlwaysLurking]

Charlotte is REALLY in South Carolina....but don't tell anyone! LOL

[fieldmarshaldj]

He should stick to marathons, it's much safer.

[Kuksool]

The former Nashville Mayor grew up in Boston, yet the rednecks regard him as a good old country man.

[JohnnyZ]

Bill Peaslee, the party's political director, said Ballantine "kind of caused a problem for us, not to mention some hard feelings."

He made us late for lunch, and cut into Richard Burr's speaking time. What's up with that???

Ballantine treated the speech/video like his own coronation. Still, any resentment is likely short-lived, and Ballantine got the biggest applause of any candidate (for governor), hands down. He was clearly the choice of the convention. Which was, I'm sure, his plan.

[Prospero]

Yeah, but the Film was awesome. Sure was a whole lot more fresh and at least as substantive as another fight over the Vice Chairmanship, or whatever.
Video Link

Sure wish they had it other streaming formats besides QT.

[Prospero]

James Burnham wrote, "audacity is the quality necessary to break free from the past."

[Huber]

PB was energized at the convention, but avoided any focus on conservative principles (other than that Mike Easley is not a conservative principle).

I'd like to better understand wether Ballantine's motivation is more out of love of power or out of well-rooted principles. Does anyone have any insights that they would like to share?