archived: 25 Jun - 1 Jul, 2006         Back                 Next

                        THE AMAZING GOVERNOR EASLEY  

Survey USA has published its June polling results for Governors throughout America.  Governor Easley, unlike Bush, and several other Governors across the United States, has not suffered a decline in his polling numbers.  In fact, Governor Easley’s approval/disapproval ratings have remained largely constant for over a year as the chart immediately below indicates.

In May 2005, Easley approval rating was at 52% and in June 2006, his approval rating is at 55%.  Easley’s disapproval rating was 34% in May 2005 and is 38% in June 2006.  Survey USA polls have a high margin of error, over 4%, therefore, there is no statistical significance between these numbers.  

The best description of Gov. Easley’s performance is solid and consistent. 

Governor Easley has built his approval rating principally with Democrats.  Yet, he has also attracted support from a consistently high number of Republicans as the chart immediately below clearly demonstrates: 

While Gov. Easley has consistently held support in the 60% to 70% range from Democrats, he has constantly garnered support from 40% to 50% of Republicans.   

Gov. Easley’s performance is impressive by any measure.  For example, consider that he openly supported the NC Education Lottery, a highly controversial measure that was enacted into law.  It appears to have had no effect on his standing with the public.  

Amazing indeed.

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UPDATED: June 27, 2006 

                        A PARTY OF PRINCIPLES  

TPJ initiates a discussion of the Democratic Party State Convention held this past weekend that will cover the span of the next several weeks.   

Critical differences between the Parties can be delineated by the manner in which both conventions were conducted. The Republican Party closed its convention to the press, except for press access to “officially sanctioned” speakers. In an astounding display of abuse of open democratic processes the Republicans: 

Apparently concerned about party divisions,  . . . GOP Chairman Ferrell Blount barred the news media from covering official convention business -- consideration of resolutions, platform and other matters -- where the 546 delegates had a chance to talk from the convention floor.

 

Reporters were permitted to hear only speakers officially sanctioned by the party. 

While the Republicans operated outside public scrutiny and accountability, except for “officially sanctioned speakers,” they adopted a Platform expressing democratic principles of government belied by their anti-democratic leadership in practice (emphasis added): 

1.   The North Carolina Republican Party represents the values of the majority of North Carolinians. . . .

 

2.   We want to empower and free individuals.  We oppose all efforts to replace that power and freedom with undue governmental control.  . . .

 

5.  The Republican Party is strong, principled and conservative.  It is the party that should lead the state of North Carolina.  We lead, not by patronage but by principle, and not by dividing interests but by serving the good of all.  

Consider the sage comments that Republican US Senator John Cornyn expressed on the fundamental nature of openness of our government and critical importance of openness in the debate of civic issues (emphasis added): 

Well, freedom of information and openness in government are among the most fundamental founding principles of our government. The Declaration of Independence itself makes clear that our inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness may only be secured where governments are instituted among men deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. And James Madison, the father of our Constitution, famously wrote that consent of the governed means informed consent, that a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power that knowledge gives.  . . .

 

[O]penness in government is not a Republican or Democrat issue. Any party in power—it is just human nature—any party in power is always reluctant to share information out of an understandable, albeit ultimately unpersuasive, fear of arming one’s critics and enemies. Whatever our differences may be today on various policy controversies, we should all agree that these policy differences deserve as full and complete a debate before the American people as possible. 

In contrast, Democrats opened their convention to all, even those who oppose the Democratic Party.  The Republican Party’s official website favorably reports that a group of seven college Republicans appeared at the Democratic Party convention in High Point to protest: 

[Democratic] Delegates arriving early in the afternoon were greeted by a group of seven college Republicans waving signs and chanting slogans jeering Democratic House Speaker Jim Black.    Jon Thompson, a rising senior at UNC-Wilmington, read from a typed sheet to enumerate Black's ethics-related problems, including a ruling by the State Board of Elections that his campaign committee may have violated fund-raising rules.

"There's so much corruption around Jim Black.  Democrats try to say how they're the party of ethics, the party of morality, especially nationally.  If they really are, they would force Jim Black to step down and nominate a new speaker," Thompson said.  ...

North Carolina Democrats respected the right of these Republican protestors to express their dissent, to express it publicly and to express their dissent without any effort by Democrats to suppress their right.  In contrast, Republicans suppressed the “fundamental” right of all North Carolinians to learn of their debate over the very issues on which Republicans will campaign this November.  

It is not only a matter of suppressing press access.  The Republican Party is “closed” in many important ways.  Consider this plank from the Republican Platform: 

6.  Membership in our Party is open to all citizens residing in our state who share the values and beliefs expressed in this document.  We welcome all who share these values including groups not traditionally associated with our Party.  

While sounding inclusive; “open to all citizens,” Republicans proved that “share the values and beliefs expressed in this [Platform]” is Republican code speak for intolerance.  At the Republican State Convention in 2004, gays and lesbians were banned based on the fact that the NC Republican Platform then, and in 2006, proclaims that gays and lesbians are “not normal:”  

Bill Peaslee, a spokesman for the state GOP, said its leaders rescinded their offer to grant the Log Cabin Republicans a table at the convention because "in our opinion, they're not really a Republican organization. Their political agenda is different than our political agenda."

 

"While they call themselves loyal Republicans, they spend more time and more resources pointing out what's wrong with the party than what's right," Peaslee added. "They're attacking Republicans. We're in the business of electing Republicans. They're not loyal." 

In stark contrast, the Democratic Party Platform, in 2004 and 2006, recognizes that the right of dissent must be tolerated in a democratic society, even within its own Party.  This provision appears in the Preamble of the Democratic Party Platform: 

This party shall provide an avenue for the free and open expression of diverse ideas and opinions, including the right of every person to dissent, and shall work to promote government which is responsive to the legitimate needs, interests, and aspirations of every man, woman, and child in a manner which does not diminish human dignity or those fundamental rights, which are the birthright of all people of a free and democratic nation. 

During the Democratic Party convention, the public was given full access to the delegates’ debate of three amendments to the Platform on the issue of reproductive choice.   

The conduct of and the principles adopted by the two conventions poignantly defines the issue of the 2006 election – which philosophy will the people of North Carolina chose to guide their government for the next two years?  George Lakoff, Marc Ettlinger and Sam Ferguson of The Rockridge Institute state it well (emphasis added): 

Conservatism itself is the villain that is harming our people, destroying our environment, and weakening our nation. Conservatives are undermining American values through legislation almost every day. This message applies to every conservative bill proposed to Congress. The issue that arises every day is which philosophy of governing should shape our country. It is the issue of our times. Unless conservative philosophy itself is discredited, Conservatives will continue their domination of public discourse, and with it, will continue their domination of politics. 

Democrats must start discrediting the brand of conservatism being practiced by the North Carolina Republican Party.  If Republicans will close their Convention to the public, what nature of government can citizens expect Republicans to bring to this State if elected?   

North Carolinians value and demand openness in their government, not secrecy.  Republicans are trampling the “fundamental rights” that generations of Americans have died to protect, including our troops engaged in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Bush professes that these wars are being fought to bring democracy to both nations.  Yet, the North Carolina Republican Party dishonors the sacrifice Americans are making by its anti-democratic actions at their State Convention.  

Constitutional principles guarantee the right of every American to petition its government.  Will a Republican Party that bans the press and segments of its citizens from its convention act any differently if entrusted with the governmental power of the State?  

The answers should be obvious to thinking North Carolinians of all political persuasions.        

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                        BUSY LOSING 

Those not busy being born are busy dying. – Bob Dylan 

Those not busy registering voters are busy losing. -- TPJ 

The NC Board of Elections has released voter registration data as of June 2006.  Democrats lost ground again against Republicans.  From January through June 2006, Republicans have gained 5015 more voters than Democrats statewide. From May to June alone, Democrats lost ground to Republicans by 623 voters.  On monthly average, Democrats are losing ground at the rate of approximately 836 voters.   

Today, TPJ concentrates on the macro perspectives of current voter registration.  In the coming weeks, TPJ will feature a micro analysis of voter registration for individual races.   

TPJ has compiled the 2006 statistics that can be viewed and downloaded by clicking the hyperlink immediately below: 

NC Voter Registration June 2006 TPJ Version 

The chart is in Microsoft Excel format, lists counties alphabetically and is print ready.  The spreadsheet separately lists columns with voter registration data for April, May and June.  

The chart immediately below ranks the counties by the raw number of Democratic Party registrations lost or gained since January 2006 in ascending order of positive performance. Democrats lost registrations in 27 counties, gained 100 or less voters in 41 counties and gained 101 or more registrations in 31 counties.

The chart immediately below displays the number of Republican losses or gains in voter registration by county since January 2006, ranked in ascending order of performance. Republicans lost registrations in 17 counties, gained 100 registrations or less in 38 counties and gained 101 or more registrations in 42 counties.