Media’s Newsletters For The Left Target Gov. McPope
Mr. Pete Kaliner informs us that WRAL starting something new, a website tracking the new Republican Governor’s promises. Mr. Kaliner seems somewhat bemused by the entire affair, thinking that either WRAL has just entered the age of the Internet or is concerned that a Republican might not be exactly what WRAL thinks Raleigh wants. I take a different point of view, after reading some essays from the uptown paper and News and Observer (the Raleigh paper of record). We have, for example, this from the N&O:
North Carolina’s voters favored change, but not necessarily the Republican brand of it. After a long and deep recession, voters wanted more jobs and a robust economy. Republicans seem intent on cutting spending and taxes and unburdening businesses they think are impeded by onerous and unnecessary regulation. That’s not quite what most North Carolinians want. It’s likely what they’ll get.
….. Some of that hope resides in Gov. Pat McCrory, who as mayor of Charlotte for 14 years showed a moderate and practical bent.
McCrory would do well to be who he is rather than remake himself into an arch conservative. His veto pen may be almost useless, but he still has the bully pulpit. He can be a force for a middle way. That approach may lose often in this General Assembly, but it’s the most likely to win him re-election in a state that favors moderate governors.
Another piece takes exception to Governor McCrory’s picks for his cabinet and ‘kitchen’ cabinet: ….McCrory sent notice early that his administration would have a sharp, partisan edge. He named Art Pope as the one who would direct the drafting of the state budget. Naming Pope, a wealthy figure who virtually bankrolled the Republican takeover of the General Assembly, was a stick in the eye of liberal Democrats who regard him as hostile to many government functions and responsibilities.
There are other essays, the common thread being one of disapproval over the decisions Governor McCrory is making.
Let me be clear about this. It is a surprise to me that I am defending Pat McCrory. While Mayor of Charlotte, I always thought he steered too far to the left. But what he did was make sure he got elected, numerous times, and you do that by giving the voters what they want while also taking care of those whose monetary support you need to run your campaign. McCrory has obviously done that. He did it in Charlotte and is now doing it in Raleigh. North Carolina voters have given him a Republican House and Senate to work with and he is making decisions to reflect what the voters have said. Good for him. Good for the voters.
However, what Governor McCrory is doing probably doesn’t reflect the majority of the voters of Wake County, which is why WRAL and the News and Observer are making their dissenting noises. Theirs is a different need than that of the Governor. He must care about voters in Avery County, Alamance County, and 98 other counties, not just Wake. They care about their audience, which is mostly Wake. Considering that their audience is made up of many state and local government employees, most of whom are Democrats, one might try to understand their situation.
I suggest that the left’s media motives become more rational when one takes the view that the News and Observer considers itself the daily newsletter for Democratic state and local government employees, and WRAL as the private media medium for partisan Democrats of Raleigh. For support of this belief all one need do is read and listen to their opinions.
In order to accomplish what the majority of people voted him into office for, Governor McCrory would do well to ignore the Democrats’ newsletter editors and instead listen to Art Pope. The people who voted for a Republican Legislature and Governor for the first time in 100 years obviously want something different. They too will be better served if Governor McCrory continues in the direction he has started.
We need your help! If you like PunditHouse, please consider donating to us. Even $5 a month can make a difference!
Short URL: https://pundithouse.com/?p=12798
