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Meet the Pundit: Andy Taylor
Submitted by ryanteaguebeckwith on 2008-08-12 16:46
Andy Taylor is the press corps' favorite professor.
As chairman of the political science department at N.C. State University in Raleigh, Taylor is often turned to for an academic take on the day's events.
There are several reasons: Taylor is pithy, neutral and accessible. For television reporters in need of a talking head, he's a short drive away. And his British accent is a nice change-up for radio reporters in need of an expert.
Taylor attributes his readiness to talk to the press to his job.
"It's an important part of our job responsibilities at N.C. State as a public institution," he said. "One of our charges is that we're here not just to serve our students but also the greater community. I take very personally the responsibility to inform the public."
He's also a reliably neutral source, more likely to talk about the history or context of a news story than to take a stand on an issue. He says his students regularly complain in their course evaluations that they don't know where he stands.
For years, Taylor had an excuse: As a British citizen, he couldn't vote.
"I could honestly say I didn't have a dog in the fight," he said.
More after the jump.
Meet the Pundit: Gary Pearce
Submitted by ryanteaguebeckwith on 2008-07-16 10:27
Gary Pearce is the go-to guy for the press corps.
The longtime Democratic consultant is knowledgeable, friendly and accessible as well as a reliable source of pithy quotes on the current state of political affairs.
It's no surprise, then, that he was quoted 47 times in the state's major papers over the past year.
"I like being quoted," he told Dome via e-mail. "I feel like I've gained some knowledge over the years, and I like sharing it with people — just as I like learning from people who know things I don't. The secret to life is to keep learning."
A former adviser to longtime Gov. Jim Hunt, former Sen. John Edwards, Senate candidate Erskine Bowles and Lt. Gov. Dennis Wicker, Pearce is the definitive Democratic insider. At the same time, he's not working for any current campaigns, so he's considered an independent voice.
"I'm willing to be more candid than are most partisans," he wrote. "I'm not spinning anybody anymore."
More after the jump.
