Guarino

Poli: Where is the Tea Party?

Polifrog appropriately asks why the Tea Party has not had appeared to have a major influence in the selection of the GOP presidential nominee thus far.  He posits that their focus is primarily local.

I have a couple of other ideas also.  The Tea Party does not necessarily speak with one voice because it is not monolithic.  Some of the candidates who might be most appealing to the Tea Party-- Paul, Bachmann and Perry-- have had some drawbacks, or have run into various difficulties on the campaign trail. 

And the support of those who identify with the Tea Party has probably split among various candidates who represent different strains of conservatism.  It might be one of the bitter ironies of the GOP nominating process if a candidate is selected who is only marginally acceptable to the Tea Party, at best.

Apostasy

Yet another local Episcopal priest endorses a lawsuit that, if successful, would lead to the requirement that the state of North Carolina recognize gay marriages.

What a denomination.

NC Wins Shady Bonus

We should all be so proud.

The state of North Carolina has won a big financial bonus from the federal government-- $21 million.

Why?  The state has made it easier for working class and lower middle class families to apply for welfare benefits for their children.

North Carolina's Democratic establishment buys votes with various welfare programs; and the Obama administration rewards them for their efforts.  How nice.

Local Liberal Ancient Rites

The local Occupy movement meets with civil rights leaders, and stages a procession for the media from NC A&T to the civil rights museum.  And of course, the media cheerfully covered it.

This type of dramatic performance has reached the level of ancient rite in the city of Greensboro.  It almost is akin to liturgy in the local liberal canon.

Fortunately, there was no report of any assaults; nor of anyone defecating in front of the civil rights museum.

Robbie Recuse: "I'm going to have to abstain from this because I own property that could be affected by this item"

Let's see if we get the story right: (HT: Triad Watch)

1. Those with development interests position themselves or their cronies within local government.  One of the fringe benefits is to gain early knowledge when various public works projects are being conceptualized.  Buying property nearby, or becoming a part of planned business endeavors, can position them for later benefits that will occur when local government invests to provide public amenities including roads, water and sewer.

2. An annex of the local community college is planned.  Robbie Perkins becomes an owner of some property nearby.  Zack Matheny at some point also has a conflict of interest in this area.  A group of "anonymous investors" seeks a rezoning for a housing development and shopping center near the new campus.

3. The new city council must vote to provide water and sewer to the area.  Robbie recuses himself, but Zack does not.  The overwhelmingly Melderec com Simkins majority votes to approve the project even though it is quite obvious that the mayor's property might benefit.

4. What would be the consequences if any council member were to vote against the project?

5. It was communicated in the local liberal media-- including the News and Record, Yes!Weekly and the liberal blogosphere-- that the results of the 2011 election represented political enlightenment.  WFMY also wanted Robbie to win; and they all understood the implications.  During previous years, some of them would have been vociferously unhappy over a turn of events such as those we just witnessed around Highway 68 near the new GTCC campus.

6. However, there was a certain political order to restore with the 2011 elections.  Let's just overlook all these issues that arise with respect to Robbie's mess; and let's be grateful that order was restored.

Sharpton vs. Santorum

Iowa Caucuses and the General Election: A Precarious Time?

Sometimes, I worry a bit.  I worry both for the country, and also for the Republican Party.

It is quite possible that Mitt Romney or Ron Paul could win the Iowa caucuses on Tuesday.  Those outcomes, in my opinion, would be very bad for the party; and very bad for the country also.  A Romney victory could enable him to seal up the nomination very quickly.  If Ron Paul were to win, it would throw the party and the nomination process into some degree of chaos; and would make it much more difficult for a conservative alternative to Romney to remain viable.

The conservative vote in Iowa is still divided among five candidates.  Unless conservatives there begin to think together with more accord over the next several days, we could have a very bad outcome.

But there are additional clouds on the horizon.  We continue to hear noises of a possible third party bid on the part of Donald Trump; or even on the part of Ron Paul assuming he fails to secure the GOP nomination.  Gary Johnson, who made no headway in the Republican nomination process, is trying to run as a Libertarian. 

Another organization, Americans Elect, appears quite determined to set the stage for a third party bid.  They claim they want a non-partisan candidate who will forge solutions to the nation's problems; but when I look at the key players, I wonder if their intention is to split the anti-Obama vote in order to secure Obama's re-election. 

Any strong third party bid could have that effect.

In addition, there are signs of some minimal improvement in the economy.  The media will portray any positive economic news in a highly favorable light over the next 11 months to help Obama-- even if the economy overall remains quite awful.

I am concerned about what the Iowa caucuses and the Republican nominating process will produce.  But we also should be concerned about the terrain the nominee might ultimately face.  Let's hope for the best, because it will be very bad for the nation if Obama gets re-elected.

Crunch Time

Rev. Mark Harris: Why Did He Need to Say That?

An interesting article from the Charlotte Observer discusses the Rev. Mark Harris.  He is the president of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina.  The article was published in the N&R this morning.

Harris and the convention are expected to be key players in the debate surrounding the Marriage Protection Amendment to appear on the North Carolina ballot on primary day.  Here is what he said:

I hope we can express our positions - keep the conversation to the facts and our principles - and do it in a civil way.

I have a question. 

Why would he need to express the hope that positions be expressed in a civil way?  Certainly, I expect that he is not planning to speak in other than a civil manner.

If he is concerned that certain parties might conduct themselves in an uncivil manner during the Marriage Protection Amendment debate, to whom could he possibly be referring?

Guilford Litany of Abuses

An article by Scott Yost in the Rhino outlines a long list of abuses committed under the leadership of Guilford Board of County Commissioners Chairman Skip Alston.

It seems to me that Guilford County needs its own Declaration of Independence.  Recall how the 1776 document annotated the serial abuses committed by the British monarchy.  Perhaps someone needs to make a list; and outline the philosophy and plan whereby county residents are delivered from this situation.

Business-as-Usual Resumes at City Hall

Yesterday, we learned that the city of Greensboro is pursuing recycling alternatives to make its waste disposal program more cost-efficient.  Apparently, we are to believe that recycling "plastic margarine tubs (and) yogurt containers" is going to save the taxpayers as much money as reopening the White Street Landfill would have saved us.  I suppose we shall see.

There is no mention of dear Councilwoman Nancy Vaughan's proposal during the campaign that recycling be made mandatory.  Government exists under a subtext of force or compulsion or coercion.  Vaughan wanted to coerce Greensboro residents to recycle.  Let's see if that proposal rises to the surface.

Meanwhile, the paper reports today (unposted) that Mayor Robbie Perkins and city staff have discovered a creative financing method to enable the Lake Jeanette Library to be built.  This library, of course, has been one of Zack Matheny's key issues. 

We learned by default at the last council meeting that Mr. Matheny never had a conflict of interest with DH Griffin with respect to the White Street Landfill. 

It would be in Robbie's interest to keep Matheny within his orbit.  Maintaining an appearance of unanimity was a key political strategy of the pre-2007 city councils; and Perkins is doubtless eager to resume that tradition.  (Of course, this really was compulsory machine politics for those council members who did not wish to be outcast.)

But there was every reason to believe that Matheny would be on Perkins' side anyway.  I remember reading after the first council meeting how they together went to check out the new mayor's office in the Melvin Municipal Building. 

Bill Knight wanted Matheny on the side of council conservatives; and Matheny definitely wanted that prominent seat on the dais next to the mayor.  But Matheny's heart was elsewhere.  He was never a conservative.

The library is unnecessary; but it probably will be built.

Pride of North Carolina

Our illustrious governor, Beverly Perdue, brought more unwanted attention to North Carolina last week.  The story that she had received and used federal employment data before its legal date of release raised some eyebrows; and was discussed in the national media.  And it might have been illegal.  Here is one example of the discussion that took place (HT: Stormy):

The investigative journalists at the Carolina Journal recently discovered that North Carolina governor Bev Perdue had been receiving confidential employment data from the Department of Labor possibly days in advance of its official relief. As they pointed out, this was "quite likely in violation of federal law," the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002. What makes this disclosure worse is that the governor's press office often rewrote the federal press release "and added a positive spin, even if the data did not support Perdue's talking points."

Congress' Culpability

HT: Fred

Merry Christmas

I will be taking a break for several days to celebrate Christmas with my family.

Have a great Christmas.

GOP Adventure Flick

Eastern Guilford Water/Sewer: The Nexus between Perkins and Carroll

TriadWatch seems to think that, in order to understand the extension of water and sewer into eastern Guilford, you have to understand the relationship between Robbie Perkins and developer Roy Carroll.

Merry Christmas from C4GC

Candidate Preference Quiz

You can take a quiz devised by USA Today to determine with which GOP presidential candidate you most closely align.  Check it out, but answer the questions with care.

Santorum Rising?

Some key endorsements in Iowa have materialized.

I don't know whether he can win there; or if he can gather enough steam to continue in a credible fashion.  New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida look like tough states for someone like Santorum-- even if he were to do well in Iowa.

He comes from western Pennsylvania, which has somewhat of a midwestern flavor; and he is therefore not culturally incompatible with the folks in Iowa.  Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann have some challenges in that state; and it has been unclear whether any of the three will be able to predominate enough among social conservatives to prevail.

But unexpected things can happen in caucuses.  At the moment, Romney and Paul both appear strong in Iowa.  I would enjoy seeing either Perry or Santorum prevail; but one has to sink in order for the other to float.