newsobserver.com projects - In the running... - Comments

Quote of the Year still in play?

Gosh — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 06:23:18 -0500

Did I miss the final list and will it be in print as well?

Thanks.

Re: In the running...

irishru2 — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 11:57:51 -0500

PhantomLord - which of those were in or about North Carolina?

Re: In the running...

surefire247 — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:23:06 -0500

How about McCrory's first Campaign Manager Victoria Smith's accusation of a "hacker" changing the spelling of "Governor" to "Governer". Then telling the press that the same hacker, hacked in again and corrected the misspelling: Story - N&O "Campaign scrambles to explain errant 'e'" - 1/16/2008

"There's no way this was misspelled," said Victoria Smith, McCrory's campaign manager. She said a hacker had accessed the campaign's computer to alter the word. Smith said someone has been hacking McCrory's mayoral Web site for six months, though the campaign had not contacted authorities.

Then, a campaign spokeswoman, who was with McCrory as he announced his candidacy in Jamestown, said there was no hacker after all -- that an overworked graphic designer had simply made a mistake when designing the logo.

That was not the end.

Smith, reached by phone, insisted the spokeswoman was wrong. "The errant spelling -- which had been fixed even as the e-mail sat in reporters' computers -- was indeed the work of a hacker. She said the hacker must have re-hacked the campaign to fix the error."

http://www.newsobserver.com/politics/story/883005.html

Re: In the running...

jamescrampton — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:53:47 -0500

"I'll beat Michael Phelps in swimming before Barack Obama wins North Carolina." — South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, introducing McCain at a rally in Fayetteville on Oct. 28, 2008.

Re: In the running...

danbesse — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 14:17:38 -0500

Robin Hayes has to win it.

Alex Castellanos is a strong second.

And hate to admit it, but David Letterman is a good third.

Re: In the running...

PhantomLord — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 14:06:51 -0500

How about some good ones from Obama...

"It is wonderful to be back in Oregon," Obama said. "Over the last 15 months, we’ve traveled to every corner of the United States. I’ve now been in 57 states? I think one left to go. Alaska and Hawaii, I was not allowed to go to even though I really wanted to visit, but my staff would not justify it."

57 states? Imagine if McCain said that. No. Imagine if Dan Quayle had said that. Obama says it and gets a total pass.

Or how about on the Kansas tornados...

"In case you missed it, this week, there was a tragedy in Kansas. Ten thousand people died — an entire town destroyed,"

Actual death count. 12.

"I've got two daughters. 9 years old and 6 years old. I am going to teach them first of all about values and morals. But if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby." -Obama

Babies are a "punishment"?

Or how about this Obama quote...

“Just this past week, we passed out of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, which is my committee, a bill to call for divestment from Iran...”

Small problem Barack. You are NOT on the Senate Banking Committee.

Or how about one from his running mate, Joe Biden...

"Stand Up Chuck!"

Said by Biden to a man in a wheelchair.

Let's be honest.....

domewatcher — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 11:15:53 -0500

I have been a big fan of this comment since it was first written onto the stone tablets of love and memory. What a statement to make in defense of the European Museum-Exchange Fact Finding and Locating Trip.

"Let's be honest about it, a cheeseburger and onion rings is $60 over there." — Gov. Mike Easley, defending the cost of overseas trips paid by the state government, at a press conference on July 1."

It's a strong statement that cries out for consideration. I even heard a group of children singing a version on a Christmas hay ride......rather than singing, "I'm dreaming of a White Christmas......they were singing, "I'm dreaming of a $60.00 cheeseburger.....(refrain) with onion rings."

Pro-America!

irishru2 — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 11:13:30 -0500

Yes, you guys MUST include this one:

"We believe that the best of America is in these small towns that we get to visit, and in these wonderful little pockets of what I call the real America, being here with all of you hard working very patriotic, very pro-America areas of this great nation."

Sarah Palin in Greensboro, NC on October 16.

Other than that, I really like the Patsy Christian quote - funny on so many levels...

Re: "Hillary Clinton makes Rocky Balboa look like a pansy."

tarheez3 — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 21:25:49 -0500

i didn't know you could put video in comment section , cool.

Re: "Hillary Clinton makes Rocky Balboa look like a pansy."

tarheez3 — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 21:24:46 -0500

here is the link to the video of tax hike mike on rocky balboa

"Hillary Clinton makes Rocky Balboa look like a pansy."

rubyji — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 17:43:03 -0500

Yes! This has to be on the list. What an idiotic statement from NC's most impolitic elected official. I couldn't even decide which way (of many) to be offended by this childish endorsement.

Re: In the running...

tarheez3 — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 11:43:33 -0500

mike easley saying hillary clinton makes rocky balboa look like a pansy

Re: In the running...

FFC1304 — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 07:34:31 -0500

Gee Gosh...Sugah Dumplin has her place in Chapel Hill up for $2.9M ...
how do they compare? McCrory was a management guy for Duke Power, certainly not an officer. Sugah has been a fixture in Rawleigh for 21 years and its paid off VERY well for she and Sleazely thus far.

Surely theres a couple of choice 'avoidance' quotes from Kay Hagan that deserve attention...

Do they really sell or serve 'onion rings' in Italy, governor?

Re: In the running...

tarheez3 — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 13:31:01 -0500

can someone please remember the quote from tax hike mike on endorsing hillary clinton and made a reference to a steam engine or something to that matter. i CAN'T FIND IT ANYWHERE ON BACK SEARCHING. iT HAPPENED IN HIGH POINT NC AND HEARING HIM SAY THE QUOTE WAS HILARIOUS BUT CAN'T REMEMBER THE EXACT QUOTE. Please help.

Re: In the running...

Gosh — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 11:58:33 -0500

Love it.

Hate to see Robin Hayes not win something this year.

Nice work RTB and staff.

Also, Pat McCrory's campaign manager, Richard Hudson, posting waaaaay too frequently to the Dome had a few gems like this:

McCrory is not wealthy.

Still cracks me up. Wish I had a modest $100,000 bungalow facade home purely for political reasons that happened to sit on a half million dollars of Myers Park prime real estate.

http://meckcama.co.mecklenburg.nc.us/relookup/PropertyDetailPrint.aspx?15113211

In the running...

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 11:51:08 -0500

The final contenders for Quote of the Year 2008:

"Barack Obama was doing something in the neighborhood; I won't say what he was doing, but he said it in his book." — Charlotte Bobcats owner and Hillary Clinton supporter Robert Johnson at a campaign rally in Columbia, S.C. on Jan. 14, 2008. Johnson at first claimed he was referring to Obama's time as a community organizer, though many understood it was a reference to drug use. Johnson later apologized.

"You don't trust them. You don't look at them and say, 'That's somebody that would manage to feed them on time, that would change the litter box.'" — Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Mike Munger, saying he wouldn't leave the Republican candidates in charge of his cats while on vacation in a profile published on Feb. 14, 2008. It was the first of a number of colorful comments by the third-party candidate in the race.

"This lady makes Rocky Balboa look like a pansy." — Gov. Mike Easley at a press conference endorsing Clinton on April 29, 2008. Over the next two days, he received 683 e-mails about the endorsement, including many critical of the use of the word "pansy."

"I don't answer that question anymore. I answered it one time and it got me in tremendous trouble. I've got a job I enjoy and I'm not in search of a new job. Period." — U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, when asked by a Washington-based newspaper if he would agree to run as John McCain's vice president, in a story published May 12, 2008.

"Her unconventional beauty, her sense of humor and her blinding intelligence are engraved in my mind." — J. Lee Harris, a nurse supervisor at John Umstead Hospital, on hospital director Patsy Christian, who paid her $250 from a donation for an oil painting. From a statement issued by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on May 29, 2008.

"I'd rather be a bum on the boxcar of the Obama train than at the front of the bus with John McCain." — Governor Easley, introducing Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama at a speech in Raleigh on June 9, 2008. Easley, who had previously endorsed Hillary Clinton, said he knew he was "late to the train" and famously bumped fists with Obama at the event.

"It's a lot better than what's going on in Iraq, where people shoot each other to settle things." — John K. Wiles, an attorney for the State Employees Association of N.C., denying that a proposal to drop a lawsuit against state Treasurer Richard Moore was bribery and also setting a very low bar for political standards, on June 12, 2008.

"Let's be honest about it, a cheeseburger and onion rings is $60 over there." — Governor Easley, defending the cost of overseas trips paid by the state government, at a press conference on July 1, 2008.

"I am happy to have my position, duties and responsibilities reviewed." — First Lady Mary Easley, after her $79,000 raise at N.C. State University raised questions about the college's habit of approving large pay raises without the approval of the UNC Board of Governors. Quoted on July 10, 2008.

"We want not just Barack Obama to be president of the United States, we want Bev Perdue as the next governor of the state of Colorado!" — Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, getting confused about his geography during a campaign stop in Raleigh on July 25, 2008.

"The story is false. It's completely untrue, ridiculous." — Former U.S. Sen. John Edwards, calling a report about an affair false in an interview with the Associated Press on Oct. 12, 2007.

"Being 99 percent honest is no longer enough." — Edwards, in a statement admitting to the affair on Aug. 8, 2008.

"Hi, I'm John Edwards." — Late-night talk show host David Letterman, joking about the No. 1 pickup line at the Democratic National Convention, on Aug. 28, 2008.

"Liberals hate real Americans that work and achieve and believe in God." — U.S. Rep. Robin Hayes, addressing the crowd before a Concord rally for Republican presidential candidate John McCain on Oct. 4, 2008.

"Being here with all of you hard-working very patriotic, um, very, um, pro-America areas of this great nation." — Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, praising North Carolina during a fundraiser in Greensboro on Oct. 16, 2008.

"I'll beat Michael Phelps in swimming before Barack Obama wins North Carolina." — South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, introducing McCain at a rally in Fayetteville on Oct. 28, 2008.

"By the end of the week, he'll be accusing me of being a secret communist because I shared my toys in kindergarten." — Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, criticizing McCain's attacks at a Raleigh rally on Oct. 29, 2008.

"There is no God!" — An unidentified female voice in an ad criticizing Democratic Senate candidate Kay Hagan for attending a fundraiser hosted by a member of the Godless Americans PAC that first aired Oct. 29, 2008. Many viewers mistook the voice for Hagan's, but it was actually the PAC's executive director Ellen Johnson speaking at a rally.

"When you're making ads that say 'There is no God,' it usually means your campaign doesn't have a prayer." — Republican political consultant Alex Castellanos, creator of the infamous "White Hands" ad for Sen. Jesse Helms, criticizing Dole on CNN on Oct. 29, 2008.

"Lord have mercy...I'm trying to win the governor's race," Beverly Perdue said when a reporter asked on Sept. 23, 2008 if she intended to reappoint fundraiser Louis Sewell to the Board of Transportation. Sewell steered road work near property he co-owned. Sewell resigned from the board days after Perdue's statement.

Are we missing something? Let us know in the comments or e-mail dome@newsobserver.com.