Feats of strength in elected office

Who's weaker? The Charlotte mayor or the North Carolina governor?

At the WRAL debate tonight, former Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr argued that the chief executive of Charlotte government is a so-called "weak mayor."

In government parlance, that means that a city manager runs the daily operations, while the mayor has a more nebulous role.

Orr said that Pat McCrory has accomplished "a lot of good things," but does not have strong executive experience.

McCrory shot back that he has the veto power, which he's used 20 times in office. He argued that Gov. Mike Easley should use his own veto more frequently.

Then he took an interesting tack, arguing that the governor of North Carolina is a weak position compared to other states.

But like the Charlotte mayoralty, he said it has a "bully pulpit."