Since this area plays such a strong role in the democratic politics/ideals in this state, & since one of our own might join the race, I think this will be an interesting topic for discussion.
Secretary of State Elaine Marshall vs Durham Lawyer Kenneth Lewis vs Captain in the United States Army Reserve & former State Senator Cal Cunningham vs Mayor Kevin Foy
vs 
vs 
vs 
Here is some more background on the candidates:
N&O profiles:
http://projects.newsobserver.com/profiles/elaine_marshall
http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/profiles/kenneth_lewis
http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/profiles/cal_cunningham
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Foy (I couldn't find an N&O profile for Foy so I just used a wiki page, although ppl on this blog are probably most familiar w/ him already)
http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/foy_still_thinking (& here is a story about him still thinking about it in which he "hopes to decide by the end of the month"
Facebook groups/fanpages
Elaine Marshall: http://www.new.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=101700230921
Kenneth Lewis: http://www.new.facebook.com/pages/Kenneth-Lewis/97128081749
Cal Cunningham: http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=106543775883
Whoever wins this primary will be up against Republican incumbant Senator Richard Burr. This is the same Burr who
suggested to his family to do a bank-run when the economy got tight,
the same Burr who stood against Tammy Duckworth's attempts to help
veterans, the same Burr who thinks domestic abuse should count as a
pre-existing health condition whereby you ought to be denied insurance
coverage, and the same Burr that voted against an anti-rape amendment,
the same Burr who supports a a
constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, and the same Burr who is anti-choice.
I am hoping for a field of candidates that create some buzz about the primary and have strong issue focused debates wherein candidates don't tear each other down, and instead explain whey they'd be better than Burr. I think this will help with name recognition which is key in taking down an incumbant. I think right now is a particularly interesting time to look at this primary, because now is when candidates decide if they are in or out. Marshall & Lewis are definitely in. Cunningham is out at the momemt but may rejoin soon, and Foy is hoping to make a decision by the end of the month.
Who do you think can win in the primary, who do you think can win against Burr, who are you pulling for, and why? What issues do you hope to hear them address?
Issues:
Comments
I think Kevin not only would make a great Senator, but may have the best chance of defeating Burr. He would be an excellent campaigner.
Maybe the same people who call Kevin Foy a Chapel Hill democrat dismiss Kenneth Lewis as a Durham lawyer.
Voters are generally looking to move beyond the "gutter-ball" politics that we are mired in. (Today's N&O had a blurb about Marshall sending out find-raising solicitations to a list including a multitude of corporate lobbyists.) Kevin could really tap into that sentiment.
The reason that people write off someone as a "CH Democrat" is that although CH is a left town in general, which isn't a big deal, the most politically active segment of CH are farther left and since only 15% of CHers vote, those people have a larger say in who gets into office. So, as a candidate for mayor of CH, your choices are (1) agree with and/or cater to the segment of the population that votes, or (2) lose. Kevin Foy won several times. But the segment that votes here is much different than the voters in the state at large. Ask yourself this question. Of the people that voted for CH mayor last month, what percentage do you think voted for Obama last year? Next, compare that to the 49.7% that voted for Obama statewide. The point is, the people that vote for mayor in CH (which is always in off-year elections that consequently doesn't bring out people interested in voting for President or Senator) are much different than those that vote for US Senator, especially if we're talking about a general election instead of a Democratic primary.
Chapel Hill has a history of progressive policy-making. Many policies that Chapel Hill has adopted are emulated and later adopted by other municipalities. Their affordable housing model has attracted interest across the Southeast. Chapel Hill was awarded first place for the City Livability Award during the 2009 Mayors' City Livability Awards Program. The free transit program has been much admired. Energy efficiency policies were adopted many years before even the utilities began to tout energy efficiency as an important strategy.Our society is in a state of crisis and there is an understanding that we need to change the way we do a lot of things. Kevin Foy's experience with these successful progressive policies puts him at the forefront of those running.
My point is as follows, using numbers that may not be exactly right but I'm using it to make the larger point. Obama won NC about 50-49. But how bad did he win in CH/C? Say it's 63-37. Next, amongst the voters in CH/C mayor and TC elections in 2007 or 2009, how badly did Obama win? I mean, when those 2007 or 2009 voters voted for President in 2008? Do you think it was greater than 63-37 for Obama or less than that? I think it was greater. A Presidential election brings out a wider spectrum of people. An election with only local offices on the ballot tends to bring out the more dedicated voters and they are more likely to be to one side or the other, which in the case of CH/C means more left.What I'm saying is that voters in CH/C in general are more left than voters in NC as a whole, and voters in CH/C local elections are more left than voters in CH/C in general. So the voters that local candidates have to appeal to are way more left than voters in NC as a whole.
Here's what the presidential vote by town looks like :Orange County totalObama 53,086 71.83%McCain 20,266 27.05%Barr 522 0.70%Write-In 316 0.42% ==========Chapel Hill 19 precincts (includes all precincts wholly or partly in Chapel Hill IN ORANGE COUNTY except Patterson. Excludes Durham County precincts as they are heavily in unincorporated area and also have more Durham city than Chapel Hill town voters.)Obama 25,075 78.95%McCain 6,320 19.90%Barr 239 0.75%Write-In 128 0.40%===============Carrboro 8 precincts (includes all precincts wholly or partly Carrboro)Obama 12,000 83.53%McCain 2,206 15.36%Barr 83 0.57%Write-In 77 0.54% ============Remainder of Orange CountyObama 16,011 57.05%McCain 11,740 41.83%Barr 200 0.71%write-in 111 0.39%
find more information about Mayor Foy by going to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Foy
You do know that Kenneth Lewis lives in Estes Hills precinct, right?
The DSCC has a dismal record of supporting Republican-lite, Obama-type candidates whose progressive veneer melts at the first sign of real debate.
Kevin announced on his Twitter feed today that he won't be seeking the nomination:
"I decided not to
run for the U.S. Senate seat next year - but I very much appreciate all
the support and encouragement I've received."
I just poked around and Cunningham has nothing to to show on the bankrupt foreign policy that Obame has embraced. Not a hint. That is evidence of not being on top of the game.
I'm just not going to vote for any more war supporters. Kay Hagan, David Price, Beverly Perdue, Obama, etc.
And that us a huge indication of her intellignece and humanity.
...on LGBT equality.I decided to make this a seperate post, because I want this to be a discussion of all the issues and not to highlight a particular one over another. This issue however is important to me, as it affects my day to day life as a citizen very directly (& I could more often rely on eithers to ask questions relating to the economy & the environment), and so I have sought out answers about this from various candidates. In the past I've had to "corner" candidates at public events and ask them these sorts of questions. But in this case all of the ones I have asked have responded to me in an online format which I think is telling in regards to how much this state has changed. Anyone who remembers Dole's attempts to paint Hagan as a gay marriage loving atheist knows how much that backfired. Here are their answers (in some cases depending on the format I got into specifics like ENDA, DADT, DOMA & in others it was a more general question on lgbt equality - I was trying to both educate these potential legislators while asking them questions) Secretary of State Elaine Marshall
Durham Lawyer Kenneth Lewis
Captain in the United States Army Reserve & former State Senator Cal Cunningham