"Fantastic" Jack Hawke

by Brad Crone, Campaign Connections and NC SPIN panelist, November 5, 2013.

On Monday night when my friend Jack Hawke presented at the Pearly Gates, Saint Peter asked him how he was doing.  “I’M FANTASTIC” was the answer and he entered into his afterlife of peace and rest.

Anyone who knows Jack, knows if you asked him how he was doing, you got the standard answer.  “I’m fantastic.”  That was Jack, always “Mr. Positive” always “Mr. Upbeat”.

I have known Jack Hawke all my life, literally.  In 1964, Jack ran Jim Gardner’s campaign for Congress against Representative Harold Cooley, the powerful chairman of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee.  My father was Congressman Cooley’s consultant. Gardner ran an impressive race for an upstart Republican but Cooley won the day, however, he made a fatal mistake.

In victory, Congressman Cooley refused to shake Mr. Gardner’s hand.  In today’s biter acrimony that we call politics, it wouldn’t even be noticed.  But in 1964, in Eastern North Carolina, you just didn’t do that.

So, Jack Hawke and Jim Gardner started campaigning literally right after Thanksgiving, 1964. For two years, Jack Hawke and Jim Gardner ran a blistering campaign against Congressman Cooley.  And it worked, Jim Gardner became the first Republican Congressman elected in Eastern North Carolina post Reconstruction.  It put both men on a trajectory towards greatness in the rising fortunes of the NC GOP.

After Lauch Faircloth lost the Democratic Party nomination fight for Governor in 1984; I went to work for Tom Campbell, Dave Boliek, Sr. and Don Curtis at WPTF in Raleigh.  There I got to know Jack personally, generally talking with him once a day when he was directing Jim Martin’s campaign for Governor.

From those days in the 1984 election cycle we became friends.  Even though I didn’t agree with Jack on a lot of policy issues; I did respect the man.  After my father retired in 1992, I can remember him talking about Jack telling me -- "You know, you got to get up pretty early in the morning to outsmart Jack Hawke."

Jack had an innate ability to see the entire field of politics, strategy, tactics and logistics.  Jack Hawke was a straight-shooter.  He had little tolerance for spin and even less for the limelight.

He wanted to stay behind the scenes.  He learned from one campaign for Congress that it was better for some people to stay behind the curtain and he became great at it.  Even in his great successes, Jack found time to give back – to mentor young consultants in the Republican Party, helping several Republican operatives start their careers and businesses in political consulting.

Finally, I always respected the fact that Jack was such a family man, dedicate to his wife, children and grandchildren.  I remember talking to him this summer after a treatment, he was down at his beach house with the grandchildren and he said to me, “It doesn’t get any better than this.”

When you look back at politics over the past four decades, you quickly realize that Jack Hawke left a huge mark on our state.  He helped elect Jim Gardner; he helped elect Jim Martin; he helped elect a Republican House in 1994 and he helped elect Pat McCrory.

He knew the state’s political landscape as well as any operative, politician or office holder.  He knew his strengths and his weaknesses and he approached every day with a fantastic attitude.

Like many people, I’m going to miss Jack Hawke, his wisdom, his insight, his humor, his laughter.  But I know my life has been touched by a gentle man, a reserved man, a family man, a political man – for me it’s been fantastic calling Jack Hawke my friend.