Jim Hunt Hagiography

There was some discussion in the editorial section of the News and Record yesterday about former Governor Jim Hunt.  Sam Hieb commented on the speculation that Hunt could have been a viable presidential candidate; and I offered my own comments in response:

I found the emerging hagiography regarding Hunt pretty interesting. When you look at the record of increasing spending and taxes in North Carolina over the last few decades– sometimes dramatically– it is inescapable that is part of Hunt’s legacy. But somehow he has been so well-liked that this is overlooked. Of course, he was a “business progressive” in the North Carolina mold, so the MSM loves him.

 

Comments

[Dr. Mary Johnson]

Hunt's legacy was also the deep-blue machine-politics-draped-in-progressivism that gifted us with Black and Sleazely and all the rest . . .

. . . not-to-mention a fawning, can't-ask-a-coherent-question (at least until recently - and still pretty much only in Raleigh) state media that swallowed all the malarkey hook, line and sinker.

[Joe Guarino]

Mary, I was present at an event at which he spoke during early 1998. He gave a sugary sweet monologue, and the crowd was completely enthralled. They absolutely thought he was wonderful, and were all warm and fuzzy. I could scarcely believe they did not understand it was a performance.

[Dr. Mary Johnson]

Ah yes, 1998 . . . the year I stopped believing in the fairy tales our leaders tell.

[Spag]

The worst mistake Hunt made was running against Jesse Helms. Hunt never really recovered from the blow that the loss made on his image as the emerging Democratic golden boy.

Speaking from a purely political standpoint, Hunt was on a trajectory to be a competitive Presidential candidate and he didn't need to be a Senator to keep that momentum going. Americans tend to elect Governors over Senators.

2008 was an anomaly in that both candidates were Senators.

I'm obviously not a Hunt fan, but he did stand a real chance until the Helms defeat.

[Joe Guarino]

That's interesting, Sam.

I am not sure that I remember him being on the national radar screen back during his first tour as governor. I was out of state at the time, and don't think I had ever heard of him in a major way until I moved to NC in 1994.

But I don't discount at all what you are saying. A "moderate", politically promising Democratic governor is cut down to size-- sounds reasonable.

[Spag]

Clinton wasn't well known either in 1992. Consider someone like Mitch Daniels that most people have never heard of, but who also has a lot of buzz among party loyalists. Hunt was in that group back in 1984. Bobby Jindal had a similar thing going in 2008 about his future.

[Joseph Guarino]

Sam, maybe it's just me, but I just don't remember Hunt making a national impact in the same manner that Clinton, Jindal and Daniels had. Jindal and Daniels have received some national media attention. Clinton had given the infamous interminable keynote speech at the DNC before 1992, so he had somewhat of a national profile (although not necessarily a positive one).

[Spag]

I'm not saying Hunt made a national impact; only that he was seen as an up and coming contender in political circles.

[Joseph Guarino]

OK, Sam, sorry. I guess I have just felt that, within the state, the man was a bit overrated.

[Dr. Mary Johnson]

So did most of the teachers who would tell you the truth.

[Jon A Firebaugh]

The single TV Ad that Helms aimed at Hunt with laser like focus in their dual for the Senate was the video of Hunt raising his hand at the National Governors Association while the audio said (and I paraphrase from memory): "Jim Hunt voted to raise your taxes at the National Governors Association". It was the single most effective Ad Helms ran depicting Hunt as a liberal spender.

[Joe Guarino]

Interesting, Jon. Thanks.