Cooper’s bid for governor looks ready to launch in ’16
Published October 10, 2013
by Scott Mooneyham, Rocky Mount Telegram, October 8, 2013.
Roy Cooper has touched this button before.
He’s never actually pushed it.
By all accounts, he plans to do so this time around.
Prominent political insiders in Raleigh had been saying for weeks that the four-term state attorney general was going to get into the 2016 gubernatorial race.
But really, who needed to hear the political gossip? Cooper, a Democrat, had been sending out unmistakable signals himself, publicly criticizing Republican legislators and Gov. Pat McCrory for election changes and other new laws.
In Asheville, for the N.C. Democratic Party’s annual Western shindig, Cooper wasn’t coy. He told the Asheville Citizen-Times, “It’s a little early to make a formal announcement, but certainly that’s in the plans.”
He used the meeting to again attack Republicans, telling the crowd that GOP policies are hurting the state’s reputation and its people. “You know what they’ve done. Tax giveaways for the top 1 percent instead of real tax breaks for working North Carolina families, an end to child-care tax credits, election law changes that made it harder for North Carolinians to vote, overcrowded classrooms for public school teachers and layoffs for teacher assistants,” he said.
Of course, planning to run and actually running are two different things. Cooper has plenty of time to back out.
He surely mulled over the idea of a gubernatorial bid in 2008, and then again in 2012. Among the party faithful, some saw him as the best candidate back then.
The position of attorney general is a strong jumping off point for higher office.
The job involves both being the state’s top prosecutor and defender of consumers and consumer protection. Who could ask for a better perch from which to gain popularity?
He does have one big negative -- in bright, glowing neon -- to overcome.
The State Bureau of Investigation and the scandal involving tainted evidence coming from its lab, are ultimately under his purview. Candidate Cooper knows full well that it will be an issue in any gubernatorial contest.
What he also knows is that a new Republican governor, like the Democrat before him, has seen his poll numbers plummet in the first year in office.
In late 2013, Pat McCrory appears vulnerable and weak. He’s been tethered to a state legislature that has seen its standing also sink among moderates and independents, even as those legislators show little regard for his political future.
One of the state’s most prominent Democrats ought to be ready to command his lieutenants, “Warp speed ahead!”
But 2016 is a distant galaxy.
In politics, a lot can change in a month. A universe of change can occur in three years.
October 10, 2013 at 10:38 am
Norm Kelly says:
I know it's proper, expected, the right thing to do to question the ability, loyalty, intelligence of Republicans. Not just that it's done on a regular basis. Not just that liberals/Democrats revert back to nasty name calling, references to Hitler, stuff like that. But it's altogether different for anyone to point out anything similar when the subject is a loyal Democrat.
Cooper has publicly expressed his desire to become the next governor. For some reason, liberals believe that even under these circumstances, Cooper should be trusted by Republicans to properly defend a law/laws that he so vehemently opposes. Who's being disingenuous, even outrageously ridiculous here? Liberals who think Republicans are stupid enough to let the fox anywhere near the hen house!
Then let's look at what Cooper has complained about in his speech to rally the liberal base. What he says can be simply interpreted. The 'old' way of doing things, the standard way of doing things, need to be implemented again. His complaint is that Republicans have different ideas on how to spur economic growth. Cooper likes the Democrats' way of running/ruining the economy. Tax more, spend more, provide more benefits to people, restrict the freedom of those who try to take care of themselves in order to 'provide' for those who are 'disadvantaged'.
Wake County's school board tried something new when it came to forced busing. Liberals went ballistic. Did they give the new plan any time to see if it might work? No. First because if it did work it would prove liberals wrong. This can not be allowed. Second if it did work it would take power away from liberals and give it to regular citizens. This also is opposite of the liberal playbook. First thing Democrats did when they got back in control was remove the existing superintendent that they disagreed with. Second, they removed parents from the school placement decision. Because liberals ALWAYS know better.
Cooper's statements fall right in line with the liberal handbook. Tax the producers. Spend more on 'disadvantaged'. Claim that there are just too many people who can't manage without kindly Democrats supporting them (or keeping them down, depending on your thought process).
Can Cooper prove that any of the voting law changes have actually had a negative impact on anyone. Any single group of people shown to be discriminated against? No. First cuz it's not gonna happen. Second, since it hasn't been implemented yet, it can't have discriminated yet. Third, since everyone was given years to get this done, everyone should have time to get it done. And if there is someone who is having trouble getting it done, why aren't those bleeding-heart liberals doing something to help those people instead of just complaining that these people are helpless without them? Rather than do something to help the helpless, liberals/Democrats would rather use these puppets to get their way in court.
With the Republicans in control of Raliegh, the voters made their voices heard. The Democrat way was not working. Voters wanted a change. Liberals always claim a mandate even when they win by the slimmest margin. Liberals NEVER allow Republicans a mandate regardless of the margin. They make stupid statements about angry voters, white voters forcing their opinions on less educated minorities, suppression of democrat voters by those rascally Republicans or white guys. Democrats always make excuses why they have lost an election. Then they take the majority to court. Cuz what liberals can't get legislated, they insist on forcing upon us by using the court system. When liberalism fails, the courts will prevail.
Cooper offers nothing new. Cooper offers no proof that his 'old' way will improve anything. Cooper offers no proof that the 'new' way, the conservative way, will cause problems or economic downturn.
