Former Gov. Jim Holshouser has endorsed Jim Snyder for lieutenant governor.

"He was our 2004 nominee and has the name recognition state wide to win," the former Republican governor said in a statement. "Jim is leading the way on education, health care, immigration reform, and ending corruption in Raleigh."

Snyder faces former Congressional candidate Greg Dority and state Sen. Robert Pittenger in the Republican primary. 

About 175 people turned out for the Republican gubernatorial debate in High Point.

Lexington attorney Jim Snyder, a former (and future?) candidate for lieutenant governor, introduced the three candidates — former Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr, Salisbury attorney Bill Graham and state Sen. Fred Smith — by quoting Albert Camus.

"Great ideas, it has been said, come into the world as gently as doves. Perhaps then, if we listen attentively, we shall hear amid the uproar of empires and nations, a faint flutter of wings, a gentle stirring of life and hope," he said.

He said the audience could hear "thunderous bold new ideas" from the candidates.

One brief hiccup so far: Snyder mistakenly attributed the quote to Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Another: The hosts took back fliers they handed out which mistakenly called one of the candidates "Phil Grahm."

Jim Snyder is considering running for lieutenant governor.

The former Republican candidate and amateur lexicographer announced today that he is considering a run in 2008, getting a dig in at likely gubernatorial nominee Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue, who beat him in the 2004 election:

"The lack of leadership and new ideas from the office of Lieutenant Governor since the incumbency of Lieutenant Governor Jim Gardner has been discouraging to the people of North Carolina and invites bold, new leadership based on firm and proven ideals of economizing government and lowering taxes."

Snyder also said that Republicans should unite "against corruption in state politics."

Jim Snyder wants to improve your conversation.

Oops, make that ameliorate your interlocution.

The former Republican candidate for lieutenant governor has a new book called "Lexical Semantics" that aims to help you learn new words to "spice up" resumes and reports.

Some of the words in the 252-page book are antediluvian, a few even baroque. But we don't want to castigate Snyder for not being more of a deipnosophist, since the choices in this eclectic collection are quite felicitious.

The garrulous among us appreciate his heterogenous and idiosyncratic approach. To see these words juxtaposed is fascinating. Though the kvetchy might find his one-word definitions too laconic, we found them magniloquent.

Perhaps this heralds a nascent movement towards obscurantism, a rebellion against the panegyrics of our quadrennial presidential campaigns, with their rebarbative rhetoric and sciolistic clarity. Is it tendentious to suggest these ubiquitous speeches are vacuous?

You may think we're being waggish, but only a xenophile could yammer in so many different languages. Not sharing this knowledge would be intellectual zabernism.