newsobserver.com projects - history - Comments

Re: Basnight and Obama talk history

FFC1304 — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:35:28 -0400

such a touching story, it yanks my heartstrings...

Re: Basnight and Obama talk history

Isaac136 — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:30:39 -0400

That Basnight. He's such a smoothie.

Re: Presidential spoilers in N.C. history

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 12:28:44 -0400

A valid point, but I would still count coming in second as being a spoiler. The dynamics of a two-person versus a three-person race are much different.

— RTB

Re: Presidential spoilers in N.C. history

meschreiner — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 11:32:59 -0400

The rest are good examples, but the Bull Moose campaign did not earn enough votes to affect the race between the Republican and the Democrat.
As noted, Wilson received 59.2 percent of the vote. Even if Taft was the only other candidate in that race, he'd still have lost with a maximum 40.8 percent of the vote.

I suppose Teddy spoiled Taft's chance to come in second.

Re: Presidential spoilers in N.C. history

waya_ageyutsa — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 18:47:51 -0400

Bob Barr will be the only third party candidate to have the opportunity in NC to be a spoiler!

Unfortunately, both Nader/Gonzalez and the Green Party has been blocked from our ballot!

I find this to be offensive to many people in this state as well as unconstitutional!

It is a sad day in the United States of America when voters are disenfranchised as they have been this year!

This is not fair and true representation of "we the people", nor is it true Democracy!

Re: John Hope Franklin's childhood game

Proctor — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 03:24:16 -0400

John Hope Franklin is to civil rights what Mozart is to classical music: he just sounds so up-to-date, relevant and contemporary.

In the beginning of his academic journey through North Carolina and the South in the 1930s and 1940s, Dr. Franklin followed a course of a scholastic character which would parallel the journey of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the arena of political and theological activity in the 1950s and 1960s: both successfully challenged the American system of education, government and justice to make good on its fundamental core promises and commitments to all of the country's people.

In Dr. Franklin's case, among other "in-the-field" achievements, he let the administrators of North Carolina's Department of Archives and History know politely but firmly that even in a time of segregation, he needed and expected full access to all historical records and source materials pertinent to his thorough research as an academic historian. Just by going about his work as a young historian in a conscientious and determined manner, he became a catalyst for the movement toward equality in public education by the very nature of the actual day-to-day scholarly investigations which were necessary for his academic missions ranging from extended historical research to teaching and writing.

When one views the impressive accumulation of his books and other scholarly and historical writings and publications, one can see that John Hope Franklin, while he didn't advocate "putting the cart before the horse," still wanted to make sure that the horse didn't go galloping on down the road without the cart appropriately hitched up. He wasn't about to acquiesce in seeing the state government and education establishment of North Carolina or any other in the Union simply head off to some remote corner or faraway destination while leaving the public behind--the very people who as citizens are to be served by government and education in this country.

So from Dr. Franklin's life and work emerges an inspiring example of both idealism and workmanship as the mechanic might view it for visionary political leaders to emulate, and here this writer's own interpretation may not be quite satisfactory to the views of some advocates of "change": at some point, you have to try to make our own legal and constitutional system of American republican democracy work more equitably and effectively, in its day-to-day operations, for all the people in this country. You can't just "detour around it" forever as "outsiders" who aren't concerned about making things work better "on the inside"--in the departments, classrooms and workplaces of government, education and employment.

Dr. Franklin could have been content to write his books and see them distributed only to the perimeters of American society as they were delineated in the first two thirds of the 20th Century. But he wouldn't settle for that because, like John Adams at the dawning of the American Revolution, Franklin saw the very idea and understanding of a constitutionally and legally integrated Nation as an important objective and result to be pursued even before the actual process had even been played out "in the field" and on the stage of U.S. jurisprudence, higher education and federal-state governmental relations.

Look at the most recent years of Dr. Franklin's life and career as a working historian, and you see the abundance of academic rewards and acclaim justly bestowed upon a highly respected teacher and author for great works and accomplishments. But look at the way in which John Hope Franklin prompted and when necessary cajoled the gatekeepers of government and education to "open wide the doors" to equality of opportunity, as the Rev. Jesse Jackson phrased it in his presidential campaigns in the 1980s, and you will see the true path of the reformer and the advocate for justice for all, for this quest was indispensable to his daily working life as an academic historian.

So the challenge of matching up the loftier philosophicals goals and even dreams of social, economic and educational opportunity with the actual personal and occupational exigencies of day-to-day working life for the American people remains a challenging endeavor worthy of the best talents and abilities of those who seek to lead this country. Those who are designing and testing political campaign vehicles for realizing these objectives would do well to glance in John Hope Franklin's direction because after winning his race one lap at a time, he has already reached a fitting and well-earned parking spot right on Victory Lane.

David Proctor McKnight

Re: Rob's answers to reader questions

FFC1304 — Wed, 21 May 2008 07:27:10 -0400

And still the UNanswered question...

"HOW did NC democrats EVER get to be SOoo CORRUPTED?"

Re: Questions for Rob Christensen

FFC1304 — Fri, 16 May 2008 16:46:59 -0400

Les Merritt the effective Republican state auditor is under fire from some clowns in the legislature, because of all the good work he has done, which will now expose more clowns in the legislature! They dont like it and are trying to strip him of his power...

Mr. Merritt will be on the Take A STAND radio show soon, and people across the state will get to hear from him on air...

log on to www.wwnc.com 570am out of Asheville, and listen weekdays, 3-6

this is the radio show that has the democrackkks shaking in their boots!

Re: Questions for Rob Christensen

tangoz — Wed, 14 May 2008 23:00:25 -0400

Why did Dan Blue who was a former speaker of the house, then a Electricities lobbyist, then a legislator again, then passed legislation for ElectriCities, and finally just received a $1000 PAC donation from Electricities get away with it?

Re: Questions for Rob Christensen

Wildgoose — Wed, 14 May 2008 15:25:40 -0400

Why do the Eastern counties get stuck with Raleigh? We like clean water not cesspools too!

Re: Questions for Rob Christensen

uncgop — Tue, 13 May 2008 16:59:10 -0400

In watching your commentary on the piece devoted to Jesse Helms on UNC-TV, can you elaborate (in your opinion of course) the dynamics of the success of the Democratic party on the state level, given the way NC supports the GOP on the national level?

Re: Questions for Rob Christensen

maxlynda — Tue, 13 May 2008 14:09:29 -0400

1. Is the book you wrote the book you set out to write? If different, how so?

2. In reviewing the period covered, did you have any eureka moments? What were they?

3. Who was the most fascinating unheralded political figure you encountered or learned about?

4. Is there anyone who in your estimate should have but didn't achieve political success warranted by his or her ability? Who was the most memorable overachiever?

5. What would be the subject of a book about N.C. politics that you have no intention of writing?

Max V.

Re: Monument would honor black history

FFC1304 — Mon, 12 May 2008 17:27:32 -0400

Where will the democrackkk CORRUPTION monument go, and how many names will be on it? Lessee...we've got the FATHER of CORRUPTION, the SON of CORRUPTION, and soon the DAUGHTER-SISTA of CORRUPTION for starters, then ALL the others...Actually we would research names from PRIOR to the Jim Hunt's period.

Can we get a MILLION $ for that, Mike?

Re: Questions for Rob Christensen

FFC1304 — Mon, 12 May 2008 17:20:05 -0400

The call went out today across the airwaves of WNC to seek delegates who will support the creation of the 51st state, Western Carolina! It will be comprised of the western most 17-24 counties that feel altogether removed from the Rawleigh cesspool of agendas.

www.TakeaStandShow.com broadcast weekdays from Asheville on the oldest radio station in WNC, wwnc.com AM 570 Host: MATT MITTAN with callin guests from across the land...

Many folks across NC are now listening in via online streaming and podcasts are available at the above websites.

TAKE A STAND takes on whole new meanings in NC! The Revolution has begun!

Viva Western Carolina, the 51st state!

Re: Questions for Rob Christensen

FFC1304 — Mon, 12 May 2008 12:51:25 -0400

How did NC democrats EVER get to be SOoo CORRUPT?, is the question that should be answered first.

HOW have NC democrats been allowed to steal half a billion $$$ from the highway trust fund with NO accountability?

WHO will be the NEXT NC democrat to fall into the flames of CORRUPTION and be ousted and imprisoned?

WHY would NC citizens put up with a 'governor' who FAILS to ENFORCE the law regarding the ILLEGAL invasion?

WHY does NC have the highest taxes in the SE? WHY have over 400 companies FLED NC for our border states with lower taxes and less state requirements? They took 50,000 jobs when they left. This within the past 3-4 years.

WILL a 'governor' Perdue mean 'MORE CORRUPTION WITHOUT INTERRUPTION'?