If you dislike what's happened on Jones Street this year, don't blame the Republican legislators themselves. They merely executed a well-known Republican playbook for the Deep South, which North Carolina is part of. I was not surprised by that, but I am surprised that so many others in NC were surprised.
Where should the angst of a NC Democrat be properly directed?
- At the Obama administration and the national Democratic Party for botching the 2010 election, just like Bill Clinton botched his in 1994.
- At eight Democrat office-holders and party operatives in NC: Mike Easley, Jim Black, Meg Scott Phipps, Frank Ballance, Kevin Geddings, Thomas Wright, Ruffin Poole, and Peter Reichard. Over a span of less than 10 years, each of them pled guilty to or was convicted of a felony arising from politics. That's simply astonishing. (Geddings was later exonerated.)
- At hapless Governor Beverly Purdue.
- At the NC Democratic Party for its disorganization, which isn't improving.
But ultimately and more constructively, use your angst as fuel to engage your neighbors -- many of whom had to have voted Republican. We don't live in Egypt; there was no military coup here. In November 2010,
we the people gave Republicans an unmistakably clear mandate in this state. In November 2012,
we the people strengthened that mandate. And don't think that your neighbors who voted Republican were misled. Most of them knew what they were doing -- and they've gotten what they wanted. Change starts there.
