In just six months, NC Voters are dissatisfied with their new governor. Extreme tactics, catering to the rich, and especially the GOP war on women have consequences. I refer you to my previous diary on the subject. Though his veto could have been overridden, surely he could have offered it on principal in response to the list of outrageous GA votes. Additionally, in a revenue non-neutral flat tax agreed upon just yesterday (and with passage likely from both houses today), he has gutted government funding while giving the rich disproportionate tax cuts. And he lied. In the campaign, he said he would veto any new abortion restrictions. And this week he has pledged to break that promise. And so the tide is turning away from him. Here is what the voters think of him now:
For the first time since taking office we find that McCrory has a negative approval rating this month. Only 40% of voters are happy with the job he’s doing to 49% who disapprove. That’s down a net 15 points from June when he was at a 45/39 spread. While McCrory’s numbers are pretty steady with Republicans, he continues to lose ground with Democrats (down a net 17 points from, minus 36 — 24/60 — last month to now minus 53 — 17/70) and independents (down a net 20 points from +12 — 46/34 — last month to minus 8 — 41/49 now). Only 68% of people who voted for McCrory last fall continue to approve of his job performance.
Yes, the public is beginning to awaken. But it’s too late. And therein is the cautionary tale for Virginia. Don’t North Carolina Virginia!
In every realm but politics I love my state. It is a wonderful place to live. But not for long, as even as we speak:
* The funding sources for services and infrastructure are gutted;
* Our rights are decimated;
* The environment is ravaged;
* The tax base is obliterated for senseless, hugely disproportionate giveaways to the rich; and
*NC is dragged back to the Stone Age.
McCrory is so delusional that he thinks in just six months he has brought NC back from the recession. But he has done squarely nothing-until this week, when he didn’t fight for jobs, but rather gutted state jobs, and broke his pledge on reproductive choice. He has had nothing whatsoever to do with any recovery. Indeed, he just made it worse. It is way too soon to see the effects of his new policies and draconian tax plan. But they won’t be positive. We have more than thirty years of evidence that is true.
The Teahadists in the North Carolina GA are won’t to say they are doing “what they’re elected to do.” The only trouble is that that’s not true. They tapped into frustration of voters following both former governors Mike Easley and Bev Perdue. Easley had a nepotism (plus more) scandal and two of Perdue’s staffers failed to properly account for campaign expenses and campaign flights.
Compared to Bob McDonnell, though, the NC former governors’ scandals pale by comparison. McDonnell ran the governor’s mansion like a subsidiary to a tobacco company. (Come on, Virginia, where are you? Make your voices heard!) We in NC also had a very weak candidate step up at the last minute when Perdue suddenly found herself as the least popular governor in America and withdrew from her reelection race. He had handily beaten this serf to the Koch’s and Art Pope in her previous election.
The extreme and duplicitous behavior of the NC GA and its governor provide a warning for Virginia pols who eliminate the progress of the 20th Century and the first decade plus of the 21st. Bad behavior has consequences. And North Carolina continues to show how low you can go as well as a positive path forward. Let Virginia voters speak with one voice. “We are not for sale” (to Tea Party donors or otherwise), say the lyrics of Old Ceremony singer, Django Haskins.’ Alas, some in both NC and Virginia are.
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