The Charlotte Observer has its own post-mortem on Pat McCrory.
The hometown newspaper of the Republican gubernatorial candidate put forward its own five reasons for his primary win this weeekend. (See Dome's thoughts here.)
He got national backing. McCrory caught the attention of national party leaders, with figures such as South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford encouraging him to run.
Voters didn't like their options. Polls taken before McCrory got in showed that half of Republicans were undecided. The other candidates were not well-known.
He had a solid base. McCrory was well-known in the Charlotte media market, home to a third of the state's Republican electorate. He won 80 percent of Mecklenburg County.
He raised money quickly. He transferred $400,000 from his mayoral campaign, then managed to raise $1.2 million in three months thanks to connections in Charlotte and statewide.
He had executive experience. As a seven-term mayor, McCrory was used to the media spotlight. He used his background to good effect in debates and ads.
Comments
Re: A second opinion on McCrory's win
May 12, 2008 - 11:44am — maxlyndaWhy Pat McCrory Beat
Senator, Judge & The Elf
You’ve read what the experts say. Now the real reasons Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory won the Republican gubernatorial primary:
1. McCrory’s tv ads portrayed the Charlotte mayor as an endearing Good Ol’ Boy who looked like he was dressed by the lowest bidder. Main competitor Fred Smith looked and sounded like Nathan Detroit from “Guys and Dolls.”
2. Voters previously labeled “undecided” had definitely decided … that the mayor of a city with two major United States of American sports franchises and bigger banks than the Mississippi couldn’t be as bad as his opponents claimed.
3. McCrory earned sympathy points from voters who suspected that he is seriously myopic. Says Rhonda Wanda Mangum of Apex: “If he got some contact lenses that fellow could probably develop enough vision to be governor. Easley showed it don’t take much.”
4. While his opponents were wasting time on issues, McCrory was helpfully out of the country and unavailable for comment.
5. McCrory didn’t waste money on a campaign song that nobody wanted to hear.
6. Unlike Fred Smith, Bob Orr and Bill Graham, nobody in Bertie County ever asked McCrory, “What you say you’re running for?”
Rudyard W. Fulch III