Random Observations on the Campaign

Well, it's time for some random musings from the campaign trail. Last Friday saw the Orr campaign have its first brush with Broadway as Lauren Kennedy sang at a fundraiser for us at the Kennedy Theater. Currently starring in "Annie Get Your Gun" here in Raleigh and grabbing rave reviews, Lauren made it a fun evening and a nice hit for the home team. Lauren's dad, K.D. Kennedy has been a major fundraiser for Republican candidates over the years and it's a major coup to get him actively involved in our campaign. And, hey, not only is Lauren more talented than Lee Greenwood, she just a really charming young woman and a pleasure to know.

The past week was the proverbial "road trip" taking in Lincoln/Reagan Day Dinners, talking with the press, and gathering information to better allow us to talk about the issues facing the state and how we can address them. From Asheville to Greenville the week's travel caused me to once again realize that despite the challenges North Carolina faces, there are amazing things going on all across the state. I'll be talking more about these experiences but the positive opportunities for our state to accomplish great things in the years ahead is out there. All that's required is open, honest government and leadership that will make the tough decisions.

The week also saw the "Catwoman" quote generate the most publicity for the campaign (Is there something wrong with this picture?) and Tim Boyum of News 14 eloquently responded to my prior posting about the lack of hard questioning in the campaign. Thanks, Tim, for reading, responding and caring about the issue. I appreciate your candidness. And the Dome Gnome, RTB, points out that none of the polls being run actually poll likely primary voters nor release the sample or weighting given. Yeh, I know that our numbers are low, but with 60% undecided I still believe that the race is very winnable. Finally, the tax value of our house in Raleigh makes Under the Dome. It's a nice house with a nice mortgage on it, too.

Finally, I'd like the Mayor to explain why he failed to clear his schedule to talk with the mental health alliance forum as ALL the other candidates did. There's no excuse for avoiding an important opportunity to give his views on the challenging problem of reforming mental health "reform". There are no simple answers and frankly, I struggled with the complexities of the issue, but at least Bill, Fred and I made the effort. Frankly, Pat needs to get away from the fluff and one-liners that mark his campaign. And he needs to show up.