Orr=Ervin?

Submitted by ryanteaguebeckwith on May 3, 2007 - 6:33am.
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Is Bob Orr the next Sam Ervin?

Greensboro News & Record editorial writer Doug Clark argues that there are some parallels between the two North Carolinians, though not quite in the "Lincoln had a secretary named Kennedy" league.

Orr, a former state Supreme Court justice running for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, is "wise and folksy" like Ervin, the former judge and U.S. Senator.

Unlike Ervin, Orr would be an underdog against a strong Democrat, Clark says.

Ervin was also rightly famous for his handling of Watergate. Though Clark doesn't make the parallel explicit, he brings up some recent state scandals:

Orr hopes his record as a judge earns credibility with voters at a time when political scandals have sent several North Carolina politicians to federal prison. Other leaders, like the current governor, haven't had much to say about the erosion of the state's reputation for honest government.

"It's disheartening that we haven't heard more," Orr said Monday.

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Re: Orr=Ervin?

Submitted by alancaster on May 3, 2007 - 9:36am.

Comparing Orr to Ervin is a stretch IMHO.

No matter, Bob cannot win - period. No money, no organization, limited message = BIG loss.

Funny observation, Bob has his website on his Gov. business cards (www.orr2008.com)and it is STILL under construction. It's been under construction for a month now. I doubt Sen. Ervin would have allowed that to happen...

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Wise and folksy?

Submitted by Anglico on May 3, 2007 - 7:59am.

If Bob Orr were as wise as Doug Clark purports, he wouldn't have cast his lot (or perhaps sold his soul?) to be so beholden to Art Pope. The News and Observer would do well to look into the financial dealings between these two men.

Not having a personal fortune like Bill Graham or Fred Smith, Orr is having to find another way to fund his political ambitions. He just quit his job at the Art Pope Center for Constitutional Whatever and has no visible means of income. Who's paying his bills? Is Art Pope funding Bob Orr's run for governor? If not, who is?

From all I've heard, Bob Orr is a very nice man, but the financial fuzziness surrounding his campaign is unsettling. Before the mainstream media get all gushy and start comparing Bob Orr to luminaries from the past, perhaps it would be worth looking into the reality of the present.

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