So North Carolina hasn't had good state leadership since the 90s. What has happened to us? (Durham: good schools, gated)
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Why do you mix the governor and legislators together? They are elected independent of each other, and a governor has no real power (or leadership) over the legislature other than occasional vetoes. One has nothing to do with the other as it relates to honesty or integrity. A governor's administration (and the department's under his/her jurisdiction) should be looked at separately from any given General Assembly.
As for your basic question, I have no doubt there have always been some dishonest politicians at all levels and in most states. The degree to which that has occurred over the years is up for debate or one's personal cynicism. I believe that it appears to be more prevalent now because technology and social media make it harder to hide that dishonesty. And no political party is immune.
I really would like to be governor just to turn this state around. All of this money in politics has corrupted so many and we need someone who cannot and will not be corrupted as governor.
North Carolina to me use to be the state that was progressive and for the past couple of years it hasn't been but instead it has become a laughing stock not just in the national media but the international media as well.
I'm not a Republican or Democrat but instead a moderate Libertarian though I need to realize that the chances of a Libertarian getting elected in the North Carolina General Assembly or as governor are slim to none.
NC hasn't had good leadership ever. In recent years it simply went from bad to worse.
Thats simply not true. NC has had some excellent governors...Terry Sanford, The Jims: Hunt, Martin and Holshouser, Luther Hodges, Kerr Scott. Even Aycock did much for public education in this state that can't be overlooked.
I disagree Vatnos, Governor Jim Hunt was a great governor, in fact, he the longest NC governorship. He also crafted the 'Smart Start' program for pre-gardeners that the rest of nation soon adopted.
Governors of NC really don't have much power in this state , the governor was only given veto under Governor Hunt during his third term.
NC has a problem with the rural vote who always votes Republican and the Republican party in NC has gone from conservative to crazy and is hurting the state, big time.
NC has a problem with the rural vote who always votes Republican and the Republican party in NC has gone from conservative to crazy and is hurting the state, big time.
The demographic trends still look like a concern for Republicans. This state has crept closer and closer to the national average in every presidential election year since 2000. The percentage of the minority vote is increasing. Young voters are sticking around in greater numbers as they age... not moving out of state as often. NC is undergoing the same transformation as its neighbor Virginia, it's just happening slower since there was a much larger rural population to start with here. However, this year we should be very nearly exactly on the US average, so I expect whichever party wins the national popular vote... that same party should win out in every statewide race here.
The Republican party cannot continue pressing hard right social issues like they're doing. They run the risk of going from dominating the state to completely collapsing in 10 years.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SunnyKayak
I disagree Vatnos, Governor Jim Hunt was a great governor, in fact, he the longest NC governorship. He also crafted the 'Smart Start' program for pre-gardeners that the rest of nation soon adopted.
Governors of NC really don't have much power in this state , the governor was only given veto under Governor Hunt during his third term.
I consider Hunt a mixed bag, but I understand why many NC democrats have a lot of respect for him. He was very much a compromise candidate and I suppose we could not expect better with the electorate the state had in the 70s/80s/90s, especially considering many of the same people were voting for Jesse Helms on the same tickets. Still, his 'tough on crime' policies were devastating. He was one of the architects for the very undemocratic superdelegate system the democrats now use in their primaries. He was a career-minded political opportunist, and I think in the modern age he would not be seen as a particularly strong candidate.
NC has a problem with the rural vote who always votes Republican and the Republican party in NC has gone from conservative to crazy and is hurting the state, big time.
I agree this is a huge problem. Rural NC needs good representation to keep the powerful counties in check. Without it, the rural areas get ignored by the balance of power stays tilted to a handful of counties like Wake, Mecklenburg, Durham, Guilford, who already have a demographic and economic advantage over their rural counterparts.
The problem is, instead of representing their constituents to make sure economic development, good schools, and good roads aren't all relegated to the "metrowealth" areas of NC, the rural representatives are shooting themselves and their constituents in the foot (and their constituents are doing the same by voting for these people) by obsessing with how to villify people who aren't like them, book burnings, etc. that apparently are taking a priority, and ultimately costing the rural areas dearly when companies and individuals who would have a lot to contribute are seeing an oppressive social climate and shying away. And now those negative impacts have trickled down to affect the entire state.
The reason it seems that NC has not had good leadership since the 90's is that the economy really has not been on a solid footing since then..
The economic slide that began during the tech bubble bursting has made the failures of political leadership more visible. The modes under which they are operating are not conducive to dealing with problems of this magnitude. Granted there is very little a state can do when an entire country is failing. I do miss the more moderate approaches of the older generation of leadership though.
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