Governor Pat Mccrory announced in a video put out by his campaign earlier this week that he is running for reelection next year.
McCrory, 59, announced that he has more work to do in improving the economy and life for North Carolinians. He also cites school, transportation and tax reform as areas he wants to tackle during his next four years should he be reelected.
The video features candid shots of him and his wife Ann, with McCrory's voiceover telling the listener about how he understands the struggles of average North Carolinians.
"One of the hardest things I've ever had to do in my life is come home after my job had been eliminated," he says somberly. "And tell Ann that I didn't have a job anymore. So when I put my hand on the family bible three years ago… I knew what too many families in our state were going through."
After more shots of him in classrooms with smiling children, touring factories, and driving through rural towns in blue jeans, he continues to cite his accomplishments of lower income taxes and a slowing unemployment rate.
He ends with "I'm running for governor because our comeback story isn't over. There's still more to do and with your support we'll finish the job."
Despite hovering only at around 35% in approval ratings according to Public Policy Polling, the governor faces little competition. Thus far no Republican has emerged to challenge him in the primaries and the establishment seem to have been waiting ever since he was elected for him to run again.
He faces only two opponents on the Democratic side. Durham lawyer Ken Spaulding and North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper announced their candidacies over the summer.
The latest poll on the state of the race show a tight race between McCrory and Cooper should they become their respective party's nominee. The North Carolina gubernatorial race will be held on November 8, 2016.
McCrory previously served as Mayor of Charlotte and was a City Councilman before that. He is the first Charlotte Mayor to attain the office of Governor and the first GOP Governor of the state since 1988.
Sunday, December 6, 2015
NC Legislature Sued Over "Blackbeard's Law"
Two and a half centuries ago the Queen Anne's Revenge, the infamous pirate captain Blackbeard's flagship was a problem for merchant ships. Now, in the year 2015 the sunken pirate vessel is proving to be a nuisance again.
Rick Allen, who owns the Fayetteville video company Nautilus Productions, is suing the North Carolina legislature over a law that he argues hurt his company. He also claims that the law is completely unconstitutional.
House Bill 184, or "Blackbeard's Law" states that any vessel of shipwreck that is state property (such as the Revenge) is public record and therefore any photos or video of it that exist are public property. Allen claims that this law caused his footage of the wreck to be publicly distributed by the state without being paid a royalty.
Allen is specifically suing Governor Pat McCrory, various state legislators, and the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
"As caretakers of archival records who care strongly about openness in government and public records, House Bill 184 is part of an ongoing effort of the Department of Cultural Resources' desire to clarify what is a public record and when it can be made available to the public," said Department of Cultural Resources spokeswoman Cary Cox in a statement.
The Queen Anne's Revenge wreck was discovered in 1996 about a mile from Atlantic Beach, North Carolina in the Atlantic Ocean.
Rick Allen, who owns the Fayetteville video company Nautilus Productions, is suing the North Carolina legislature over a law that he argues hurt his company. He also claims that the law is completely unconstitutional.
House Bill 184, or "Blackbeard's Law" states that any vessel of shipwreck that is state property (such as the Revenge) is public record and therefore any photos or video of it that exist are public property. Allen claims that this law caused his footage of the wreck to be publicly distributed by the state without being paid a royalty.
Allen is specifically suing Governor Pat McCrory, various state legislators, and the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
"As caretakers of archival records who care strongly about openness in government and public records, House Bill 184 is part of an ongoing effort of the Department of Cultural Resources' desire to clarify what is a public record and when it can be made available to the public," said Department of Cultural Resources spokeswoman Cary Cox in a statement.
The Queen Anne's Revenge wreck was discovered in 1996 about a mile from Atlantic Beach, North Carolina in the Atlantic Ocean.
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
North Carolina Set To Get 14th Congressional District
Demographers this week have determined that due to North Carolina's growing population and demographic shift, the state is likely to get a new congressional district in the near future.
North Carolina, the ninth most populous state and home to the expanding cities of Raleigh and Charlotte, has become a prime area to move to. Demographers say that eight districts have seen their population swell by 40% since 2010.
On the state level there will be some changes in districting as well. The demographic studies also show that a large amount of rural North Carolinians are leaving their homes for more urban districts. This means that state congressional districts in rural areas will get larger and ones in urban districts will get smaller.
According to N.C. State political science professor Mark Nance this means there will be a 3 percent shift in the state legislature for the Democrats, who tend to dominate urban districts. "This is not going to flip many districts at all," he said in an interview with the News & Observer. "But certainly if that trend continues up through 2030 then the impact will be quite substantial."
According to Catawba College political science professor Michael Bitzer however, none of this matters due to the lack of "swing districts" in the state. According to him not a single one of the 13 federal districts were competitive and only 18 out of 120 House seats and 7 out of 50 Senate seats in the last election he claimed in the News & Observer.
It is unclear how the map would change with a 14th district but what is clear is that the Republican dominated state legislature would likely want to ensure that it be based in an area where a conservative could easily win.
North Carolina was a possible candidate back in 2010 for a 14th district however came up about 15,000 people shy in the U.S. census.
North Carolina, the ninth most populous state and home to the expanding cities of Raleigh and Charlotte, has become a prime area to move to. Demographers say that eight districts have seen their population swell by 40% since 2010.
On the state level there will be some changes in districting as well. The demographic studies also show that a large amount of rural North Carolinians are leaving their homes for more urban districts. This means that state congressional districts in rural areas will get larger and ones in urban districts will get smaller.
According to N.C. State political science professor Mark Nance this means there will be a 3 percent shift in the state legislature for the Democrats, who tend to dominate urban districts. "This is not going to flip many districts at all," he said in an interview with the News & Observer. "But certainly if that trend continues up through 2030 then the impact will be quite substantial."
According to Catawba College political science professor Michael Bitzer however, none of this matters due to the lack of "swing districts" in the state. According to him not a single one of the 13 federal districts were competitive and only 18 out of 120 House seats and 7 out of 50 Senate seats in the last election he claimed in the News & Observer.
It is unclear how the map would change with a 14th district but what is clear is that the Republican dominated state legislature would likely want to ensure that it be based in an area where a conservative could easily win.
North Carolina was a possible candidate back in 2010 for a 14th district however came up about 15,000 people shy in the U.S. census.
Monday, November 16, 2015
Terrorism Topic Dominates The 2016 Race This Week
The subject of terrorism, ISIS, and Islam came into the forefront of the 2016 presidential race this week after a series of ISIS related stories appeared in the media the previous week.
Earlier this week the U.S. intelligence community celebrated the potential death of Mohammed Emwazi, or "Jihadi John". The ISIS member is famous for his appearance in numerous ISIS videos where he executed numerous foreign hostages on camera. The Pentagon said they were "reasonably" certain earlier in the week that he was killed in an airstrike in the de facto ISIS capital of Raqqua, Syria.
A few days later the White House announced another victory against the terrorist group. This time the senior ISIS leader in Libya, Abu Nabil was killed in a U.S. airstrike.
The fight was looking so successful that President Obama announced that ISIS was "contained".
The week ended in tragedy however, when last Friday a deadly series of suicide bombings in various locations throughout Paris resulted in the deaths of at least 129 people.
The fear and shock of the incident reverberated throughout the world as the U.S. and various other countries vowed to stand with France in it's time of tragedy. France began launching a series of airstrikes on Raqqua in retaliation.
The attacks also had an effect on the 2016 campaign trail. It brought terrorism and ISIS into the spotlight and it dominated much of the Democratic Presidential Debate the next night.
The candidate's spent much of their opening statements wishing the people of Paris peace and prayers in the aftermath of what unfolded. Many of the questions focused on national security and terrorism, questions that Hillary Clinton, a former secretary of state answered flawlessly. Her competitor, Bernie Sanders, who's lack of foreign policy experience showed as he gave mediocre and vague responses.
On the Republican side a wide range of voices sounded off on the incident. Jeb Bush and Rick Santorum tore into Obama's lack of a comprehensive strategy to deal with ISIS and for saying they were "contained" and vowed to respond more aggressively as president.
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham warned that a second 9/11 was coming unless the country learn to take the threat of terrorists more seriously.
Donald Trump turned his fire on Syrian refugees who are fleeing the violence from the Syrian civil war. He claimed that the 10,000 that President Obama is permitting to enter the country are "a trojan horse". He also indicated that he would be open to the idea of closing all mosques across the country.
As the election season continues to heat up the issue of terrorism and ISIS is going to gradually become a larger issue. Americans will want to know from the candidates how exactly they will respond to the threats and candidates will be forced to pay attention to the issue more carefully.
Candidates will have a wide range of responses to show they are prepared to deal with the radical Islamists, whether it's Hillary Clinton citing her foreign policy experience as proof or Donald Trump appealing to the far right with his "no Syrian immigrants" policy, candidates now have a new area of policy they must explore and expand upon.
Earlier this week the U.S. intelligence community celebrated the potential death of Mohammed Emwazi, or "Jihadi John". The ISIS member is famous for his appearance in numerous ISIS videos where he executed numerous foreign hostages on camera. The Pentagon said they were "reasonably" certain earlier in the week that he was killed in an airstrike in the de facto ISIS capital of Raqqua, Syria.
A few days later the White House announced another victory against the terrorist group. This time the senior ISIS leader in Libya, Abu Nabil was killed in a U.S. airstrike.
The fight was looking so successful that President Obama announced that ISIS was "contained".
The week ended in tragedy however, when last Friday a deadly series of suicide bombings in various locations throughout Paris resulted in the deaths of at least 129 people.
The fear and shock of the incident reverberated throughout the world as the U.S. and various other countries vowed to stand with France in it's time of tragedy. France began launching a series of airstrikes on Raqqua in retaliation.
The attacks also had an effect on the 2016 campaign trail. It brought terrorism and ISIS into the spotlight and it dominated much of the Democratic Presidential Debate the next night.
The candidate's spent much of their opening statements wishing the people of Paris peace and prayers in the aftermath of what unfolded. Many of the questions focused on national security and terrorism, questions that Hillary Clinton, a former secretary of state answered flawlessly. Her competitor, Bernie Sanders, who's lack of foreign policy experience showed as he gave mediocre and vague responses.
On the Republican side a wide range of voices sounded off on the incident. Jeb Bush and Rick Santorum tore into Obama's lack of a comprehensive strategy to deal with ISIS and for saying they were "contained" and vowed to respond more aggressively as president.
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham warned that a second 9/11 was coming unless the country learn to take the threat of terrorists more seriously.
Donald Trump turned his fire on Syrian refugees who are fleeing the violence from the Syrian civil war. He claimed that the 10,000 that President Obama is permitting to enter the country are "a trojan horse". He also indicated that he would be open to the idea of closing all mosques across the country.
As the election season continues to heat up the issue of terrorism and ISIS is going to gradually become a larger issue. Americans will want to know from the candidates how exactly they will respond to the threats and candidates will be forced to pay attention to the issue more carefully.
Candidates will have a wide range of responses to show they are prepared to deal with the radical Islamists, whether it's Hillary Clinton citing her foreign policy experience as proof or Donald Trump appealing to the far right with his "no Syrian immigrants" policy, candidates now have a new area of policy they must explore and expand upon.
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Chapel Hill Mayor Defeated
Chapel Hill, North Carolina Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt lost his reelection bid last week during Chapel Hill's mayoral election.
Kleinschmidt, who has served as mayor since 2009 and is the city's first openly gay mayor, was defeated by former school board executive and Orange county commissioner Pam Hemminger. The total vote tally was Hemminger's 54 percent to Kleinschmidt's 45 percent.
"This has been an incredible experience," Hemminger said according to WRAL. "I have really enjoyed listening to all the voices in the community and hearing people's thoughts."
Kleinschmidt says he isn't through with local politics despite the loss. He emphasized his policies that included bring more businesses to North Carolina.
"We created a vision for our community that has the potential and I challenge all of you to make sure its going to be true," he said according to WNCN.
Kleinschmidt, who has served as mayor since 2009 and is the city's first openly gay mayor, was defeated by former school board executive and Orange county commissioner Pam Hemminger. The total vote tally was Hemminger's 54 percent to Kleinschmidt's 45 percent.
"This has been an incredible experience," Hemminger said according to WRAL. "I have really enjoyed listening to all the voices in the community and hearing people's thoughts."
Kleinschmidt says he isn't through with local politics despite the loss. He emphasized his policies that included bring more businesses to North Carolina.
"We created a vision for our community that has the potential and I challenge all of you to make sure its going to be true," he said according to WNCN.
Friday, October 30, 2015
Republican Debate Breakdown
Republican presidential candidates squared off for a third time last Wednesday for the CNBC hosted debate in Boulder, Colorado at the University of Colorado.
The top ten candidates polling the highest faced off at 8 while the four lowest polling candidates faced off earlier at 6. The debate proved to be both entertaining and intense.
The main debate featured real estate mogul Donald Trump, former neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, Ohio Governor John Kasich, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina.
The debate was slightly different from the previous CNN debate that had happened nearly a month ago. One less candidate was on stage after Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker had dropped out and there had been a change in the party's frontrunner lineup. Trump had lost his first place status to Carson in both Iowa and nationally. Bush's numbers were also on the decline and Rubio and Cruz were skyrocketing amongst voters in post-debate polls.
The highlights of the night included a swipe at Rubio from Bush as the former Governor attempted to take down the Senator's rising position in the polls. It ultimately backfired when Rubio had a swift comeback and left Bush looking weak. The debate was largely free from attacks however. In fact, the debate moderators were the one who took much of the heat. The moderators were called out by Cruz when he lectured the moderators to focus on questions of substance and policy rather than provoke the candidates to fight each other.
Here is a breakdown of the debate by each candidate:
Ben Carson- The former neurosurgeon had nowhere to go but down as he walked across a debate stage for only the third time. After taking his place as the party's frontrunner and declining to fire back at Trump's attacks he was ready to prove to voters why he deserves to remain as the frontrunner. Surprisingly he remained quiet for much of the debate. The soft spoken doctor refused to partake in the few bouts of brawling that did emerge and ultimately spoke for just seven minutes according to NPR. He was asked a question late in the debate about his relationship with a diet pill company that openly supports gay marriage and if that speaks to "his character". The question drew loud booing from the audience and Carson was simply able to laugh off the question by replying "They Know". He thanked his fellow candidates on stage at the end of the night for refusing to partake in the supposed moderators attempts to get the candidates to fight each other. His refusal to attack his fellow candidates is perhaps what really speaks to his character.
Donald Trump- Even if you have little or no interest in politics you may still watch the debate simply for "The Trump Factor". Not only did Trump focus on his platform but he barely broke out any personal insults at all. In the previous debates Trump had called Bush "low energy" and claimed he had plenty of insult material with Rand Paul however this time all attacks Trump used were political. He attacked Kasich early on by claiming that the Ohio Governor's work at Lehman Brothers were a reason not to trust him. He also combated a claim by Kasich that he had created economic prosperity in the state by telling Kasich that fracking was likely the cause of the state's economic boom. Trump remained calm and strategic throughout the debate to many viewers surprise. However, at the end he couldn't help but brag that his and Carson's threats to boycott the debate if it wasn't cut from three hours to two were an example of his negotiation skills.
Marco Rubio- The Florida Senator has had a hot streak during the last two debates and has seen his standing in the polls and his campaign donations rise in the wake of them. Once again he had a great night behind that podium. Early on he swatted down an attack from Bush and defended his voting attendance record in the Senate. Earlier that day the Florida Sun Sentinel, a newspaper that had endorsed him when he first ran had called on him to step down due to his constance absences in Washington. It argued that there was no reason for him to receive a tax payer salary if he wasn't doing his job. A friend of his had even been quoted earlier of saying that Rubio "hates" his Senate job. Rubio started the spark of the night's attack on the media. He pointed to examples of missed votes from John Kerry and Barack Obama from when the then-Senators ran yet the media didn't cover it. He got the most applause when he flat out referred to the media as Hillary Clinton's largest Super PAC.
Jeb Bush- Bush by far lost the debate. The former Florida Governor had started out the summer by leading the pack of candidates and having the strongest financial backing. With his debate performance you would have never guessed. He attacked Rubio early in the debate in an attempt to seem fiery and aggressive yet ultimately appeared weak when Rubio had a strong defense. Bush later gave a long winded answer on regulating fantasy football which both confused and annoyed viewers and fans of the sport.
Ted Cruz- Cruz has received a strong haul of campaign cash over the last few weeks as he is now the only Texas candidate in the race. He had managed to lock down many of the Texas millionaires and billionaires that were supporting former Texas Governor Rick Perry's campaign. Yet at the same time he consistently polls between fourth and sixth place in both national and Iowa polls. Cruz needed the debate to go his way. It ultimately did. Cruz delivered a powerful attack on the media when he accused the moderators and the media in general of focusing too much on drama between candidates rather than actual substance.
Rand Paul- The Kentucky Senator had a less memorable night. After weeks of rumors that he may be the next candidate to drop out it would make sense for Paul to come off as powerful and as strong as ever to prove his critics wrong. Instead he gave a few mediocre answers and spoke very infrequently. He briefly called out the moderators for favoring other candidates by asking when it would be his turn to speak.
Chris Christie- Christie was another candidate who needed to prove himself on Wednesday night. Similar to Bush the New Jersey Governor has seen his poll numbers decline over time. Christie has made it clear he wants his campaign to be about the people. As usual whenever he spoke he did it directly into the camera as if he could see anyone who was watching at home. He was able to seize his moment late into the debate. After Bush flubbed on a question about regulating fantasy football Christie broke in to declare the question as ridiculous when you consider all the other problems the country faces. He later broke out his classic New Jersey bluntness that made him so popular in his home state. When posed a question on climate change he found himself interrupted by moderator John Harwood several times. Christie quickly responded with "John, would you like to respond?" much to the delight of the audience. He finished it off with "Even in New Jersey what you are doing is considered rude," leading to his largest applause line of the night.
Carly Fiorina- The former CEO was another candidate who had something to prove. With no experience in public office and polling in the middle to lower of the group she needed a strong quote to help her fundraise. After the last debate she had been typecast in the media as being a crusader against abortion after most of her speech material consisted of defunding planned parenthood over videos allegedly showing the discussion of the sale of fetal parts. In this debate she focused on almost anything else. She opened with a joke on how pundits say she should smile more and finished by telling the audience that she is Hillary Clinton's worst nightmare. She came off as smart and prepared and did a pretty good job overall.
Mike Huckabee- Huckabee was another candidate who needed a breakout moment after months of polling in the middle of the group and having less than average fundraising numbers. He never really found it. A substantial amount of time had passed before he even got a question directed at him. He mostly stuck to his policy idea of focusing resources on curing life shortening diseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer's and cancer rather than cut Medicare. He was another candidate on stage who refused to engage in attacks. When asked his opinion on Donald Trump the former Arkansas Governor showed off his Trump brand tie and said he had tremendous respect for him.
John Kasich- Kasich had the honor of getting to answer the first question and he wasted little time in putting his foot down. When asked what his greatest weakness was Kasich declined to answer and instead trained his fire on the rise of the non-politicians. He argued that Carson and Trump (without directly naming them) should not be able to be president without having elected office experience. From there he was able to pivot to his record of balancing the budget in Ohio, cutting taxes, and taking responsibility for the budget surplus in the 90's when he was chairman of the House Budget Committee. He dueled with Trump early on when Trump accused Kasich of taking credit for the state's economic boom when fracking likely had more to do with it. Kasich sort of faded into the background after that.
Rubio and Cruz were the likely winners of the debate. Their attack on the media and the urging of their fellow GOP candidates to refrain from personal attacks made them appear honest and focused. Their youth and charisma also made them appealing. Christie also had his moments and came off as strong and assertive.
The next debate is November 10 and will be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It will be hosted by the Fox Business Network and the Wall Street Journal. The debate will be slightly different in terms of criteria to be on the stage. The criteria for the previous debate was for a candidate to achieve at least 1% in national polling this one will require 2.5%. This potentially could push Paul, Christie and Huckabee into the undercard debate.
The top ten candidates polling the highest faced off at 8 while the four lowest polling candidates faced off earlier at 6. The debate proved to be both entertaining and intense.
The main debate featured real estate mogul Donald Trump, former neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, Ohio Governor John Kasich, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina.
The debate was slightly different from the previous CNN debate that had happened nearly a month ago. One less candidate was on stage after Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker had dropped out and there had been a change in the party's frontrunner lineup. Trump had lost his first place status to Carson in both Iowa and nationally. Bush's numbers were also on the decline and Rubio and Cruz were skyrocketing amongst voters in post-debate polls.
The highlights of the night included a swipe at Rubio from Bush as the former Governor attempted to take down the Senator's rising position in the polls. It ultimately backfired when Rubio had a swift comeback and left Bush looking weak. The debate was largely free from attacks however. In fact, the debate moderators were the one who took much of the heat. The moderators were called out by Cruz when he lectured the moderators to focus on questions of substance and policy rather than provoke the candidates to fight each other.
Here is a breakdown of the debate by each candidate:
Ben Carson- The former neurosurgeon had nowhere to go but down as he walked across a debate stage for only the third time. After taking his place as the party's frontrunner and declining to fire back at Trump's attacks he was ready to prove to voters why he deserves to remain as the frontrunner. Surprisingly he remained quiet for much of the debate. The soft spoken doctor refused to partake in the few bouts of brawling that did emerge and ultimately spoke for just seven minutes according to NPR. He was asked a question late in the debate about his relationship with a diet pill company that openly supports gay marriage and if that speaks to "his character". The question drew loud booing from the audience and Carson was simply able to laugh off the question by replying "They Know". He thanked his fellow candidates on stage at the end of the night for refusing to partake in the supposed moderators attempts to get the candidates to fight each other. His refusal to attack his fellow candidates is perhaps what really speaks to his character.
Donald Trump- Even if you have little or no interest in politics you may still watch the debate simply for "The Trump Factor". Not only did Trump focus on his platform but he barely broke out any personal insults at all. In the previous debates Trump had called Bush "low energy" and claimed he had plenty of insult material with Rand Paul however this time all attacks Trump used were political. He attacked Kasich early on by claiming that the Ohio Governor's work at Lehman Brothers were a reason not to trust him. He also combated a claim by Kasich that he had created economic prosperity in the state by telling Kasich that fracking was likely the cause of the state's economic boom. Trump remained calm and strategic throughout the debate to many viewers surprise. However, at the end he couldn't help but brag that his and Carson's threats to boycott the debate if it wasn't cut from three hours to two were an example of his negotiation skills.
Marco Rubio- The Florida Senator has had a hot streak during the last two debates and has seen his standing in the polls and his campaign donations rise in the wake of them. Once again he had a great night behind that podium. Early on he swatted down an attack from Bush and defended his voting attendance record in the Senate. Earlier that day the Florida Sun Sentinel, a newspaper that had endorsed him when he first ran had called on him to step down due to his constance absences in Washington. It argued that there was no reason for him to receive a tax payer salary if he wasn't doing his job. A friend of his had even been quoted earlier of saying that Rubio "hates" his Senate job. Rubio started the spark of the night's attack on the media. He pointed to examples of missed votes from John Kerry and Barack Obama from when the then-Senators ran yet the media didn't cover it. He got the most applause when he flat out referred to the media as Hillary Clinton's largest Super PAC.
Jeb Bush- Bush by far lost the debate. The former Florida Governor had started out the summer by leading the pack of candidates and having the strongest financial backing. With his debate performance you would have never guessed. He attacked Rubio early in the debate in an attempt to seem fiery and aggressive yet ultimately appeared weak when Rubio had a strong defense. Bush later gave a long winded answer on regulating fantasy football which both confused and annoyed viewers and fans of the sport.
Ted Cruz- Cruz has received a strong haul of campaign cash over the last few weeks as he is now the only Texas candidate in the race. He had managed to lock down many of the Texas millionaires and billionaires that were supporting former Texas Governor Rick Perry's campaign. Yet at the same time he consistently polls between fourth and sixth place in both national and Iowa polls. Cruz needed the debate to go his way. It ultimately did. Cruz delivered a powerful attack on the media when he accused the moderators and the media in general of focusing too much on drama between candidates rather than actual substance.
Rand Paul- The Kentucky Senator had a less memorable night. After weeks of rumors that he may be the next candidate to drop out it would make sense for Paul to come off as powerful and as strong as ever to prove his critics wrong. Instead he gave a few mediocre answers and spoke very infrequently. He briefly called out the moderators for favoring other candidates by asking when it would be his turn to speak.
Chris Christie- Christie was another candidate who needed to prove himself on Wednesday night. Similar to Bush the New Jersey Governor has seen his poll numbers decline over time. Christie has made it clear he wants his campaign to be about the people. As usual whenever he spoke he did it directly into the camera as if he could see anyone who was watching at home. He was able to seize his moment late into the debate. After Bush flubbed on a question about regulating fantasy football Christie broke in to declare the question as ridiculous when you consider all the other problems the country faces. He later broke out his classic New Jersey bluntness that made him so popular in his home state. When posed a question on climate change he found himself interrupted by moderator John Harwood several times. Christie quickly responded with "John, would you like to respond?" much to the delight of the audience. He finished it off with "Even in New Jersey what you are doing is considered rude," leading to his largest applause line of the night.
Carly Fiorina- The former CEO was another candidate who had something to prove. With no experience in public office and polling in the middle to lower of the group she needed a strong quote to help her fundraise. After the last debate she had been typecast in the media as being a crusader against abortion after most of her speech material consisted of defunding planned parenthood over videos allegedly showing the discussion of the sale of fetal parts. In this debate she focused on almost anything else. She opened with a joke on how pundits say she should smile more and finished by telling the audience that she is Hillary Clinton's worst nightmare. She came off as smart and prepared and did a pretty good job overall.
Mike Huckabee- Huckabee was another candidate who needed a breakout moment after months of polling in the middle of the group and having less than average fundraising numbers. He never really found it. A substantial amount of time had passed before he even got a question directed at him. He mostly stuck to his policy idea of focusing resources on curing life shortening diseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer's and cancer rather than cut Medicare. He was another candidate on stage who refused to engage in attacks. When asked his opinion on Donald Trump the former Arkansas Governor showed off his Trump brand tie and said he had tremendous respect for him.
John Kasich- Kasich had the honor of getting to answer the first question and he wasted little time in putting his foot down. When asked what his greatest weakness was Kasich declined to answer and instead trained his fire on the rise of the non-politicians. He argued that Carson and Trump (without directly naming them) should not be able to be president without having elected office experience. From there he was able to pivot to his record of balancing the budget in Ohio, cutting taxes, and taking responsibility for the budget surplus in the 90's when he was chairman of the House Budget Committee. He dueled with Trump early on when Trump accused Kasich of taking credit for the state's economic boom when fracking likely had more to do with it. Kasich sort of faded into the background after that.
Rubio and Cruz were the likely winners of the debate. Their attack on the media and the urging of their fellow GOP candidates to refrain from personal attacks made them appear honest and focused. Their youth and charisma also made them appealing. Christie also had his moments and came off as strong and assertive.
The next debate is November 10 and will be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It will be hosted by the Fox Business Network and the Wall Street Journal. The debate will be slightly different in terms of criteria to be on the stage. The criteria for the previous debate was for a candidate to achieve at least 1% in national polling this one will require 2.5%. This potentially could push Paul, Christie and Huckabee into the undercard debate.
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Democratic Debate Breakdown
The 2016 presidential election picked up this month with the first Democratic primary debate of the season.
The debate and the candidates that participated in them show that the race is becoming faster paced as America is now just 96 days away from the Iowa caucuses. The debate pitted together five candidates each vying to be President Barack Obama's successor.
The Democratic debate was held earlier this month in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Wynn Hotel and Casino. It featured former Secretary of State/New York Senator/First Lady Hillary Clinton, Independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, former Virginia Senator Jim Webb, former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley and former Rhode Island Governor/Senator Lincoln Chafee. A sixth podium sat just off stage in case Vice President Joe Biden made a last minute decision to join in.
The debate, which was hosted by CNN and moderated by Anderson Cooper, was a fairly straight forward statement of ideas and policies that went pretty much how political analysts expected. If you were a Clinton fan, you walked away supporting her. If you liked Sanders then you walked away still a fan of his. The other three candidates failed to make much of a splash at all.
Key moments of the night included Sander's now infamous quote "The American people are sick and tired of hearing about your damn emails!" in reference to a question posed about Clinton's use of a private server to conduct government business when she served as Secretary of State. It also featured Clinton's comment that worried some moderates when she claimed that Republicans were the enemy she is proudest to have.
Here is a breakdown of how each candidate performed:
Hillary Clinton: Clinton came out both relaxed yet ready to reintroduce herself to the voters after they rejected her in favor of Barack Obama in 2008. With her comfortable lead in most polls both nationally and in Iowa, she had little to fear as she took the center podium reserved for the frontrunner. Throughout the night she took questions on her email scandal, her economic plan, and how she wouldn't just be an Obama third term (she punted on this question by simply saying the fact that she is a woman would make her bid historic enough). She ultimately walked away with polls saying she won however support for Sanders exploded on social media.
Bernie Sanders: Sanders came to the debate ready to show America why he should be the Democratic party's nominee despite not being a registered Democrat. The 74 year old Senator has claimed he will run a "clean" campaign consisting of no attacks. He did however attempt to paint a picture as to why he is the opposite of Clinton by pointing to his lack of a Super PAC and how he supported gay marriage and opposed the Keystone XL pipeline before Clinton. He was forced to get into mild sparring with Clinton during questions over placing a "no fly zone" over Syria as well as education and Wall Street policy but no personal attacks were used. Sanders finished second in the polls of who won the debate however he became a trending topic on social media as supporters claimed the media was biased towards Clinton.
Jim Webb: Webb came into the debate ready to introduce himself to the American people however stumbled almost immediately. During his opening statement he awkwardly paused while attempting to name all of his children and spent much of the debate arguing with Cooper over the other candidates getting more time to answer questions than him. At one point he spent most of his allotted time arguing about the amount of time he was allotted while Cooper reminded him that he was wasting time in that very moment. Cooper also repeatedly had to tell Webb that he had agreed to the debate rules and he must abide by them. Webb cited his service during the Vietnam War and his son's service during the Iraq War multiple times as he attempted to appeal to veterans and appear smart on national security. Webb ultimately answered very few questions and walked off the debate stage with no rise in poll numbers or financial backing. He became the first Democrat to drop out of the race a few days later and is currently entertaining an independent bid.
Martin O'Malley: The former Baltimore mayor had quite a few questions to answer when he was confronted on how his zero tolerance policy on crime may have led to the riots that seized the city last spring. O'Malley was also forced to change his stance on the "Black Lives Matter" slogan after he offended members of the movement by saying "All Lives Matter" during a campaign speech earlier this year. This time he was ready to point to his work with African-Americans and portray himself as a progressive believer in easing racial tension in the country. His biggest applause line of the night is when he cited the NRA as the enemy he is proudest to have. He barely registered in polls both before and after the debate however the candidate seemed comfortable with his performance in the post-debate spin room.
Lincoln Chafee- Chafee never stood much of a chance. The candidate attempted to contrast himself to Clinton by telling voters "During my 30 years in office I've never had any scandals," however this didn't draw him in any new supporters. During the discussion on Clinton's email scandal he attempted to jump in and voice his opinion on how he believes someone with ethics should be in the White House. It was shown just how little Clinton considers him as a serious contender when she simply responded with "No" when Cooper asked her if she would like to respond. Chafee later stumbled when he appeared confused and flustered over a question on how he voted down the Glass-Steagall Act, a bill that prohibits banks from making risky investment decisions with taxpayer money. Cooper even seemed to suggest that he wasn't aware of what he was voting for. Chafee ultimately dropped out of the race a week later citing Clinton's strong debate performance and her acclaimed Benghazi testimony.
Clinton and Sanders ultimately walked away as the night's winners. Both appeared strong and confident and gave the most memorable lines during the debate. The other three failed to make any major breakout moments for themselves.
The next Democratic debate will be on November 14 in Des Moines, Iowa on the campus of Drake University. It will be sponsored by CBS and the local Des Moines register. CBS news reporter John Dickerson will moderate.
The debate and the candidates that participated in them show that the race is becoming faster paced as America is now just 96 days away from the Iowa caucuses. The debate pitted together five candidates each vying to be President Barack Obama's successor.
The Democratic debate was held earlier this month in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Wynn Hotel and Casino. It featured former Secretary of State/New York Senator/First Lady Hillary Clinton, Independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, former Virginia Senator Jim Webb, former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley and former Rhode Island Governor/Senator Lincoln Chafee. A sixth podium sat just off stage in case Vice President Joe Biden made a last minute decision to join in.
The debate, which was hosted by CNN and moderated by Anderson Cooper, was a fairly straight forward statement of ideas and policies that went pretty much how political analysts expected. If you were a Clinton fan, you walked away supporting her. If you liked Sanders then you walked away still a fan of his. The other three candidates failed to make much of a splash at all.
Key moments of the night included Sander's now infamous quote "The American people are sick and tired of hearing about your damn emails!" in reference to a question posed about Clinton's use of a private server to conduct government business when she served as Secretary of State. It also featured Clinton's comment that worried some moderates when she claimed that Republicans were the enemy she is proudest to have.
Here is a breakdown of how each candidate performed:
Hillary Clinton: Clinton came out both relaxed yet ready to reintroduce herself to the voters after they rejected her in favor of Barack Obama in 2008. With her comfortable lead in most polls both nationally and in Iowa, she had little to fear as she took the center podium reserved for the frontrunner. Throughout the night she took questions on her email scandal, her economic plan, and how she wouldn't just be an Obama third term (she punted on this question by simply saying the fact that she is a woman would make her bid historic enough). She ultimately walked away with polls saying she won however support for Sanders exploded on social media.
Bernie Sanders: Sanders came to the debate ready to show America why he should be the Democratic party's nominee despite not being a registered Democrat. The 74 year old Senator has claimed he will run a "clean" campaign consisting of no attacks. He did however attempt to paint a picture as to why he is the opposite of Clinton by pointing to his lack of a Super PAC and how he supported gay marriage and opposed the Keystone XL pipeline before Clinton. He was forced to get into mild sparring with Clinton during questions over placing a "no fly zone" over Syria as well as education and Wall Street policy but no personal attacks were used. Sanders finished second in the polls of who won the debate however he became a trending topic on social media as supporters claimed the media was biased towards Clinton.
Jim Webb: Webb came into the debate ready to introduce himself to the American people however stumbled almost immediately. During his opening statement he awkwardly paused while attempting to name all of his children and spent much of the debate arguing with Cooper over the other candidates getting more time to answer questions than him. At one point he spent most of his allotted time arguing about the amount of time he was allotted while Cooper reminded him that he was wasting time in that very moment. Cooper also repeatedly had to tell Webb that he had agreed to the debate rules and he must abide by them. Webb cited his service during the Vietnam War and his son's service during the Iraq War multiple times as he attempted to appeal to veterans and appear smart on national security. Webb ultimately answered very few questions and walked off the debate stage with no rise in poll numbers or financial backing. He became the first Democrat to drop out of the race a few days later and is currently entertaining an independent bid.
Martin O'Malley: The former Baltimore mayor had quite a few questions to answer when he was confronted on how his zero tolerance policy on crime may have led to the riots that seized the city last spring. O'Malley was also forced to change his stance on the "Black Lives Matter" slogan after he offended members of the movement by saying "All Lives Matter" during a campaign speech earlier this year. This time he was ready to point to his work with African-Americans and portray himself as a progressive believer in easing racial tension in the country. His biggest applause line of the night is when he cited the NRA as the enemy he is proudest to have. He barely registered in polls both before and after the debate however the candidate seemed comfortable with his performance in the post-debate spin room.
Lincoln Chafee- Chafee never stood much of a chance. The candidate attempted to contrast himself to Clinton by telling voters "During my 30 years in office I've never had any scandals," however this didn't draw him in any new supporters. During the discussion on Clinton's email scandal he attempted to jump in and voice his opinion on how he believes someone with ethics should be in the White House. It was shown just how little Clinton considers him as a serious contender when she simply responded with "No" when Cooper asked her if she would like to respond. Chafee later stumbled when he appeared confused and flustered over a question on how he voted down the Glass-Steagall Act, a bill that prohibits banks from making risky investment decisions with taxpayer money. Cooper even seemed to suggest that he wasn't aware of what he was voting for. Chafee ultimately dropped out of the race a week later citing Clinton's strong debate performance and her acclaimed Benghazi testimony.
Clinton and Sanders ultimately walked away as the night's winners. Both appeared strong and confident and gave the most memorable lines during the debate. The other three failed to make any major breakout moments for themselves.
The next Democratic debate will be on November 14 in Des Moines, Iowa on the campus of Drake University. It will be sponsored by CBS and the local Des Moines register. CBS news reporter John Dickerson will moderate.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)