Pat and His Hat

Having come back from a five day campaign swing through the western part of the state and brought back a pre-Christmas cold with me, I have been reluctantly absent from blogging. Now, well on the road to recovery and having finished my last Vestry responsibility last night I can turn my attention to campaign needs. (I'll save Christmas shopping for next week.)

I read with great interest the recent flurry of political junkies speculating over the potential entry of Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory in the GOP primary for Governor. Let me state right up front that I would welcome Pat in to the race. I like him personally and his perspective as a long term mayor of our state's largest city would provide a different voice to the campaign debate. Having said that let's take a look at the realities surrounding a Pat hat in the ring.

First, let's look at the positives. Pat would be a relatively fresh face on the political scene and he makes a good appearance. He has developed some areas of expertise on issues but for the most part they are related to the Charlotte area, like mass transit. He'll be able to raise a respectable amount of money so that his campaign will be competitive from an organizational and advertising standpoint.

On the downside for Pat is of course the so-called "Charlotte Curse". The N.C. political landscape is buried with well qualified and well funded former mayors of Charlotte from both parties who were unable to win statewide. Maybe it's not a curse but it is political reality. Added to this equation is the likelihood that State Senator Robert Pittenger will be the GOP nominee for Lt. Governor. Does the GOP really want the top two slots on the ticket filled by Charlotte politicians?

Then there's the question of how well will it play with the public to have a Duke Energy employee as a candidate for statewide office? Does Pat continue to draw his salary while campaigning or will he have to take a leave of absence for the next four or five months through the primary? My sense is that Pat's a member of the not-independently-wealthy club (I'm the charter member in this race) so how does he deal with the money issue?

Regardless how these questions get answered, Pat has got to come out of that big old corner Mayor's office with a great view of the Charlotte skyline and start meeting and talking with North Carolina citizens from the mountains to the coast. Maybe he plans to run a media campaign with only obligatory appearances with the public outside the great state of Mecklenburg. That appears to be Bill Graham's strategy.

If he wants my advice, and he hasn't asked for it, he needs to do what I've been doing for a year now and start talking to a wide range of people about all the issues facing our state and how we can address them in the years to come. I'll give Fred credit for spending a lot of time on the road this year doing just that. He's a better candidate for having done it and to earn the public's confidence and support you better get some mud on those tassel loafers.

So, Pat, ruminate over the holidays but make up your mind. If you're running then get out here and start seeing the rest of North Carolina. And if you do, call and I'll give you a ride to the first round of Lincoln Day dinners.