newsobserver.com projects - GOP's secret plan for 2008? - Comments

Re: GOP's delusional plan for 2008?

persondem — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 18:55:46 -0500

That's a wonderful plan, unfortunately it doesn't match up with reality. Rasmussen polling from the end of October shows that Sen. Clinton does rather well in several southern states, one of them being North Carolina.

The specifics on NC from Rasmussen:

"Clinton earns 43%-44% of the vote when matched against Giuliani, Thompson, or McCain. That’s enough for the former First Lady to be tied with Thompson (44% -44%) and McCain (43% - 43%) while trailing Giuliani by just a single percentage point (44% - 43). She does just a bit better against Mitt Romney, leading the former Governor of Massachusetts 46% to 41%."

Here's the link: http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_2008__1/2008_presidential_election/north_carolina/north_carolina_2008_presidential_election

Re: GOP's secret plan for 2008?

awbeal — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 12:42:30 -0500

"And those are, not coincidentally, the same years, and the only years, that we have elected a Republican governor."

I assume Bill G. means the only years in his memory. Let's not forget Republican Governors W.W. Holden (elected 1868), Tod Caldwell (elected 1872) and Daniel L. Russell (elected 1896).

Also, while Bill has a point, there is also evidence to the contrary. In 2000 and in 2004, Al Gore and John Kerry, respectively, did about as well or worse in NC than Mike Dukakis did in 1988. And yet, Easley was elected both years.

GOP's secret plan for 2008?

ryanteaguebeckwith — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 11:23:01 -0500

The GOP's secret plan for ending 16-years of Democratic governors can be summed up in two words:

Hillary Clinton.

That's according to a fund raising letter recently distributed by Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Graham of Salisbury, Rob Christensen reports.

"Mark my words," Graham writes, "Hillary Clinton is going to be the Democratic nominee for president. And she's going to be a bigger drag on the Democratic ticket than George McGovern in '72, Walter Mondale in '84 or Michael Dukakis in '88. And those are, not coincidentally, the same years, and the only years, that we have elected a Republican governor."

"Historically, we can expect Hillary Clinton to garner somewhere around 40 percent-45 percent of the vote in North Carolina," Graham writes. "And when the Republican candidate for president gets 55 percent-60 percent of the vote in North Carolina, we wreak havoc on the Democrats."