2008 NC Governor's primary race

[monsoon]

Red and blue do not have the same meanings in state elections vs national elections in regards to NC. Peeps that might vote for McCain for example will never ever vote for Pat McCroy.

[TLT]

I agree. The state voted for President bush by about 56% to 44% in 2004, but they also reelected Easley as Governor, we elected a democratic majority to the house of Representatives, as well as the state house and senate the same year.

Wilmington/New Hanover County voted for Bush for president, but voted for a democrat for governor, sent a democratic rep. to D.C., and elected an openly gay democrat to the state senate.

State geography does not help McCroy for his run as governor. The western Piedmont, foothills part of the state voted mostly republican for governor in 2004, with the exception of Mecklenburg County which voted 59 to 40 percent for Easley. They are a few mountain counties that went democrat by a thin margin 52% or less, but an equal amount of eastern counties that went republican narrowly with populations that almost balance each other out. This is the way North Carolina Counties usually vote "red or blue" no matter where the candidates are from.

His best bet may be to appeal to urban areas as a big city mayor who understands their needs, although most urban areas in N.C. vote heavily democratic in the last few elections, including Charlotte, he may get enough collective votes, if not the majority from urban areas, to have a chance. He needs to win Charlotte Metro by a big, big margin to have a chance to tip the scales.

How has McCroy won in Charlotte, a city that usual votes democratic? Does he win by large margins or just squeaks by? Why do people vote for him?

[monsoon]

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How has McCroy won in Charlotte, a city that usual votes democratic? Does he win by large margins or just squeaks by? Why do people vote for him?

[1979Heel]

I agree. The state voted for President bush by about 56% to 44% in 2004, but they also reelected Easley as Governor, we elected a democratic majority to the house of Representatives, as well as the state house and senate the same year.

Wilmington/New Hanover County voted for Bush for president, but voted for a democrat for governor, sent a democratic rep. to D.C., and elected an openly gay democrat to the state senate.

State geography does not help McCroy for his run as governor. The western Piedmont, foothills part of the state voted mostly republican for governor in 2004, with the exception of Mecklenburg County which voted 59 to 40 percent for Easley. They are a few mountain counties that went democrat by a thin margin 52% or less, but an equal amount of eastern counties that went republican narrowly with populations that almost balance each other out. This is the way North Carolina Counties usually vote "red or blue" no matter where the candidates are from.

His best bet may be to appeal to urban areas as a big city mayor who understands their needs, although most urban areas in N.C. vote heavily democratic in the last few elections, including Charlotte, he may get enough collective votes, if not the majority from urban areas, to have a chance. He needs to win Charlotte Metro by a big, big margin to have a chance to tip the scales.

How has McCroy won in Charlotte, a city that usual votes democratic? Does he win by large margins or just squeaks by? Why do people vote for him?

[TLT]

First let me apologize for misspelling McCrory's name.

I am a registered (unaffiliated) voter living in Wilmington. I am gay. I rarely vote a straight party ticket (no pun intended) in a general election.

I have nothing against Mayor McCrory, in fact I like a lot of his ideas on transportation, urban growth, and business. But I am also interested in Lt Gov Purdue. Her stand on health care, the environment, and transportation also attract my attention.

There has been a lot of scandal with some of the democrats, but if she has been involved, there doesn't seem to be much evidence of it or not enough to cause her much political harm, unless you listened to, and believed Moore's negative ad's. Which I do give her credit for pulling her own negative ads, it seemed to have worked for her. While her negative ads were running, polls had her running even with Moore, once she pulled them she started pulling ahead.

Endorsements don't mean a lot to me, but she did have the endorsements of Governors Easley, Hunt, and also a former Senatorial candidate from the past who I like Harvey Gantt.

As for gay issues, Purdue has not said much on the issue, but to say Eastern NC democrats are no friends to gays is wrong.

Are they better or worse than Western NC Democrats? I don't know. I think the issue is more a urban and rural divide. Wilmington, New Hanover county voters have elected a openly gay State Senator Julia Boseman. Now in her second term, she ran unopposed in the primaries and doesn't have much competition in the general election. There are pictures of Purdue, with Boseman and her partner at the Jefferson Jackson Dinner recently in Raleigh. Check it out at politicalamnesia.blogspot.com May 2nd post. Some local democrats do seem to shy away from Senator Boseman who likes to appear at political events with her partner and child.

For the record, New Hanover County is not a heavily democratic county. Registered voters in the county are roughly 25% independent, 37% democrat and 36% republican according to board of elections.

I not saying that McCrory can't win, I just think he will have a hard time, especially if the fall general election has a huge turn out of voters going for the democrats like most pundits are predicting, and I am not endorsing Purdue, just saying she not as bad as Moore made her out to be.

[monsoon]

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I have nothing against Mayor McCrory, in fact I like a lot of his ideas on transportation, urban growth, and business. .....

[RaleighRob]

But I am also interested in Lt Gov Purdue. Her stand on health care, the environment, and transportation also attract my attention.