Posted on 08/26/2003 3:03:38 PM PDT by Prospero
All she wants to do is to shape the debate... and it's to shape it in the direction of endless examples of Process.
If we want to beat Gray Easley, Ballantine is the only real hope.
That's the Universe we live in... and Fern just isn't in this to win.
That Teacher's Portfolio stuff's really gone to her head. Great idea, but it won't get the people to the polls we need to actually win.
Is Patrick doing any polling yet? Just curious.
MKM
It's Ballantine vs Cobey though.
WE
I know nothing substantive about Fern, but statements like the above always mean trouble. I do a lot of business in Union County. Last time I knew, the local GOP was on the moderate to liberal side down there.
Apparently you've never heard her rail against the commies (literally, communists, not just pinkos) :)
Fern for Gov? Sure, whatever.
I'm leaning Cobey but I like the 4 non-Vinroots. I had a heck of a time trying to convince myself to support a lawyer turned career politician (Ballantine -- it shows) so I gave up since there were other options.
That's pretty hard when you call the recent state party chair a RINO! :)
It does seem to be some peoples' impression, though, that Cobey isn't conservative, per se. Is this just because he's an Establishment (don't rock the boat) figure? What are his policy positions? He's from the Helms camp so he can't be too bad.
What ARE his policy positions???
Well that's a good start!
Pity Fern doesn't see this, yet.
GUESS WE'LL HAVE TO FREEP HER 'TIL SHE DOES :)
Fern Shubert ought to run for Lt. Gov. She'd make a good candidate. Of course, we ran a woman last time, Betsy Cochrane. I don't think the gender is much of an issue this time around frankly. As to Fern running against Elaine Marshall for Secy of State, I've heard Greg Dority might do that.
Cobey is no RINO.
The governor's race can be won, with the right candidate, the right type of campaign, and a lot of work. Vinroot is not now, never has been, and never will be the answer.
Why is Ballantine's profession necessarily a minus? Patrick has bigger issues to deal with than that in any event. Too many whispers in the background. But I do like his campaign team a lot better than Cobey's. They'll do a good job for him.
Cobey has Jessica Ennis running his campaign. She was Finance Director for NCGOP before taking the same position for the Southeastern region for RNC. She ought to know where every Republican dollar in the state is, but in my eyes, she'll have to prove herself. She has slowly worked her way up from Pitt County local politics to the campaign of the sainted Walter Jones to NCGOP.
Other than Jessica, it looks like Cobey has recent college kids on board. We'll see how this develops.
WE
Profession: lawyer, then career politician. Not the kind of bio that suggests 'man of the people', which is my preference; it suggests 'ambition'. I only formed that impression after attending a support PB event and meeting him, put the three together and became skeptical.
The 'whispers' and 'campaign team' parts are over my head or beyond me.
If it blinds him to those things that are important, such as ethics, integrity, general welfare, and leads him to selfish goals, then it's a problem.
Having known a lot of lawyers and career politicians, I don't think the career choice necessarily is a negative, although I can understand how it would turn some people off.
PB has a reputation as being somewhat aloof and arrogant. Maybe that's what you picked up on. That's part of the whispers, along with his youth, and some other things. There are a number of people in the party who simply do not think he is ready or that he is even governor material. I haven't decided. I want to watch for awhile longer.
His campaign team is professional. Some very high powered people, compared to what Cobey has put into place.
True that and I'm fairly sure he'd govern conservatively, which is what I want.
But I do like the other three -- Barrett I've met, and Cobey briefly, plus George W. -- so why (from my perspective) go with PB when I have to convince myself to? Dan Barrett is a lawyer, too, BTW, but just got into politics, and as he likes to clarify, he's "a business lawyer". He also looks you in the eye, smiles, shakes your hand, and remembers your name, which is why I think he'd be a great candidate if he could figure out wholesale politics (ie not look like a deer in headlights) & fundraising.
I hear good things about Barrett, but frankly, he has no chance. I've only met him briefly. Maybe he'll go with Lt Gov or something else this time around.
I've had my differences with Cobey, but he'd make a good governor. I do want to see some fire from him though. PB got off on the wrong foot with me years ago and never righted it, but I'm going to be open minded for awhile. Won't cost me a cent.
George Little ain't gonna be the next governor.
I'd walk through fire to keep Vinroot out of the nomination. He's a LOSER.
Sorry, can't go with that one.
Following the 2002 primary in Stokes County, in which a longtime RINO and his socialist side-kick were given the heave-ho by voters in favor of two very conservative brothers, the chairman of the Stokes party launched into public tirades attacking the winners of the primary in public and in private. In spite of what the voters had chosen, the longtime RINO faction of the party refused to give up.
In the midst of recriminations among the losing camp, a sitting commissioner (one of the ousted RINO's yes-men) resigned his seat. In Stokes, it is up to the executive committee of the party of the resigned commissioner to replace him/her. Knowing that the RINOs would pull all sorts of dirty tricks, the conservative faction appealed to Cobey and the state party for intervention. Cobey dispatched a Raleigh lawyer named Bill Peasley (sp?) to oversee the executive committee meeting at which the replacement commissioner was to be selected.
Thinking that this would mean the conservatives would get a fair shake, many turned out for the meeting. Peasley proceeded to conduct one of the worst meetings I have ever heard of, procedurally. During the meeting, Peasley heaped praises upon the RINO chairman who had, among other things, been openly supporting Democrats in the general election and attacking the GOP nominees in meetings and in the press.
The meeting was a joke. Repeated appeals to Cobey resulted in lip service and finally silence. Subsequently, during the county convention, Cobey once again dispatched Peasley to sing the praises of this idiot chairman (outgoing) who, by that time had demanded the resignations of the sitting GOP commissioners, worked with Democrats to try to launch an illegal recall campaign, and was spending his time mailing letters to Democrats inciting them to come out strongly against the sitting GOP commissioners.
Cobey has been repeatedly apprised of the situation and his silence is deafening. If Cobey gets 10% of the vote in the primary in Stokes County, I'll be shocked. Conservatives here are outraged by his handling of the situation.
In my book, if you hang with the RINOs, you must be a RINO. I'm not sure who I'll vote for in the primary, but it won't be Cobey and I will probably spend some effort campaigning against him.
</flame>
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