Sheriff Andy Taylor would vote for John McCain and Beverly Perdue.

According to a survey by Democratic firm Public Policy Polling, the fictional Mayberry sheriff played by Andy Griffith would split his ticket in state and federal races.

In the presidential race, 35 percent of likely voters said he would vote for McCain, followed by 25 percent for Barack Obama and five percent for Libertarian Bob Barr.

In the gubernatorial race, 34 percent said he would vote for Perdue, 23 percent for Republican nominee Pat McCrory and six percent for Libertarian Mike Munger.

"The good Sheriff always came across as a moderate Democrat, and the voting pattern respondents think he would adopt is one that explains why North Carolina votes Republican for President election after election while continuing by and large to elect Democratic Governors," writes pollster Tom Jensen.

On a separate question 56 percent of voters had a favorable impression of Griffith, nine percent an unfavorable opinion and 35 percent no opinion.

The automated survey of 648 likely voters was taken June 26-29. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.

Pat McCrory says Beverly Perdue has gone negative.

In a campaign press release, the Republican gubernatorial nominee's campaign said that Perdue was distorting his record by "conveniently omitting" his full response to a survey on repealing the lottery in its statements attacking his position.

In the response and at other times, McCrory has said that ending the lottery would be difficult since the money has already been budgeted.

Campaign Manager Richard Hudson said in a statement that Perdue, who pledged at the end of the Democratic primary not to run negative ads, was once again attacking "just like she did with Richard Moore" in the earlier part of the primary.

"These negative attacks are silly and Pat once again renews his call for the lieutenant governor to participate in a series of joint appearances in every part of the state to discuss issues," he said. "North Carolina’s voters deserve better than a candidate who hides behind negative press releases."

Update: Perdue spokesman David Kochman notes that she made the comment about his record " in a speech before approximately 500 people" and not in a press release.

"While Pat McCrory would like different audiences to hear different positions, when answering the Family Policy Council's questionnaire he checked 'YES' – that he thinks the lottery should be repealed – when he could have checked 'no' or 'undecided,'" he adds in an e-mail.

Pat McCrory told the N.C. Family Policy Council in March that the lottery law should be repealed.

A candidate questionnaire from the conservative group asked, "Should the law that authorizes a state sponsored lottery in North Carolina be repealed?"

McCrory answered "Yes," according to the group's Web site. He then elaborated: "Repeal would be good but difficult since money has already been committed and budgeted for future years."

McCrory, the Republican nominee for governor, drew heat Wednesday for that answer. Democratic rival Beverly Perdue's campaign said rolling back the lottery would create a $350 million hole in the state's education budget, David Ingram reports.

McCrory's campaign said it is preparing a response. In another past statement about the lottery, McCrory criticized its merits but stopped short of calling for repeal.

In late April or early May, he told the N&O: "The political reality is they've already committed the money to the lottery and it's going to be very difficult to return back to the days when we weren't dependent on revenue which I think is preying primarily on the poor and the others who think there is a free ride."

There should be some limited advertising, McCrory said then. He also said he would support limiting the times television ads can be shown.

"I need to study what the ramifications are of changing it. I was dissappointed in the way it was implemented."

All but one of the five GOP candidates for governor supported repeal. Elbie Powers did not. Perdue did not answer the questionnaire, but she has supported the lottery and cast the tying vote in the N.C. Senate in favor of it.

The governor's race remains close.

According to a recent survey by Democratic firm Public Policy Polling, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee Beverly Perdue had 42 percent, Republican rival Pat McCrory had 41 percent and Libertarian Mike Munger had five percent.

Twelve percent were undecided.

The numbers match a recent poll by the conservative Civitas Institute, which also showed a tight race.

"These races aren’t likely to see a whole lot of movement until we move into the fall campaign season," said president Dean Debnam in a statement. It’s likely to be a quiet summer."

The automated survey of 1,048 likely voters was held June 26-29. It has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.

The Raleigh-Durham International Airport spent $4,500 on President Bush.

Airport spokeswoman Mindy Hamlin said that the extra costs for law enforcement and administrative duties during Bush's June fundraiser for GOP gubernatorial nominee Pat McCrory were at the higher end for a high-profile visit.

She said a quick stop by a presidential candidate or April's visit by Vice President Dick Cheney typically costs several thousand dollars, but the higher cost was due to the size of the motorcade, the needs of Air Force One and Secret Service requests.

Taxpayers did not really foot the bill for the costs. The airport's roughly $80 million budget comes from contracts with airlines and vendors, though it receives $12,500 apiece from Wake and Durham counties and the cities of Raleigh and Durham.

Raleigh police did not spend extra. Spokesman Jim Sughrue said they rearrange policing schedules to provide security for high-profile visitors to avoid overtime expenses since they are routine in the capital, though that means fewer cops were on the beat the rest of the week.

Pat McCrory says offshore drilling could create jobs.

Speaking at the Greenville Convention Center Monday, the Republican gubernatorial candidate said drilling for oil and natural gas could help the economy Down East, The Daily Reflector reports.

"The east has a higher unemployment rate and lower per capita income than the rest of the state," McCrory said. "But it does not have to be that way. With safe, environmentally sound drilling in the deep sea off our coast, we can create new high paying jobs, jobs that the people of our poor counties can fill."

McCrory also said the product could be piped to "inland eastern counties" for processing.

During a meeting with reporters in Raleigh, McCrory also mentioned the jobs angle, but the discussion veered onto other topics, so it's interesting to note the Greenville paper's take.

More information on the history of the Manteo Project is here.

Previously: Pipelines safer than tankers.

How would Pat McCrory spend the oil proceeds?

The Republican gubernatorial nominee said today that he would allow oil companies to drill off the coast of North Carolina in exchange for a 37.5 percent share of the revenue from the federal government.

He mentioned several possible ways the money could be spent.

"I believe this additional revenue received (by) the state will help our education, will help pay our teachers, will help pave our roads, will help implement mass transportation programs ... will help replenish our beaches ... will help our criminal justice system and will help our overall budget during the next decade and beyond," he said.

Dome asked if McCrory would be willing to set aside the money for alternative energy, mass transit or conservation measures. He said he would push for a portion to be spent on alternative transportation, beach nourishment and protecting the coastline.

"I think I ought to let the legislature help decide where to best use that revenue," he said. 

Pat McCrory said offshore drilling is part of a long-range plan.

At a press conference this afternoon in Raleigh, the Republican gubernatorial nominee said that he recognizes that natural gas and oil exploration off of North Carolina's coast would take years to have an effect on the energy market.

But he argued that it would affect speculators, who consider the long-range availability  

"If not here, then where?" he asked, saying the alternative would be to rely on countries he characterized as essentially dictatorships. "If we're not willing to drill off our own coasts, then where will you drill? Off Venezuela? Off Nigeria? Saudia Arabia, Russia?" 

The Charlotte mayor said that anyone who drives daily and opposes drilling is "hypocritical."

"What you're really saying is 'I'm willing to take oil from someplace else except for my own backyard,'" he said.

McCrory said that drilling would be just one part of his energy plan. He said he would push for more mass transit across the state as well as more wind, solar and nuclear power and more efficient state buildings, among other conservation measures. 

Beverly Perdue says offshore drilling would not be safe.

In a statement sent to the press this afternoon, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee attacked her rival, Pat McCrory, for supporting oil exploration off the North Carolina coast. 

"North Carolina’s coast is in Hurricane Alley and has been called the Graveyard of the Atlantic for a reason," she said. "I haven’t seen anything that proves to me that drilling there can be done safely or bring down oil prices."

Echoing recent attacks, she also accused McCrory of "walking in lock-step" with President Bush, and said the state should focus on encouraging conservation and alternative energy sources.

The statement also cited an Associated Press article that noted this federal report said that it would take decades for offshore oil to reach the market and still might not reduce gas prices.