2008
Stop already. I’m still working off the caffeine buzz from Tuesday night and already people are talking 2008.
Oh, fine, if we must. Anyone want to talk about local lawyer Bob Crumley running for Attorney General? Or should we save that for another day?
Yes, Mr. Thigpen? You have something for us?
Mike Easley vs. Elizabeth Dole.You heard it here first....
Sorry, Jeff, that one has been going around for a while. (I kid Jeff, I kid.)
Easley started the chattering class to chattering by coming out and playing nice with the state party this campaign season, something he’s been disinclined to do for much of his term in office. And columnist Scott Mooneyham writes:
Easley, though, has never served in a legislature. People who know him well question whether, given his independent, quirky personality, he'd really enjoy life in Washington as a U.S. senator.
Yeah, “quirky,” that’s a word for it.
And there was his December 2005 sit-down with reporters in which he said, essentially, he had no interest in serving in any legislature of any kind. Of course, the man could change his mind, but he sounded pretty darned emphatic last year.
So why the buzz?
Well, for one, Easley is going to need a new gig after the 2008 elections. He’s constitutionally prohibited from running for governor again until 2012.
And there’s the fact that the Democrats don’t seem to have anyone else handy for the job. In a way, it’s similar to the Republicans’ problem in the 2008 race for governor. (Yes, there are couple GOP candidates out there, just no one west of Carry or as far east as Fayetteville has heard of either of them.)
Easley is well known, has won even in years when Republican President Bush won the state handily, is a business-friendly moderate and has show the ability to raise truck loads of money when needed.
Of course, there’s nothing to stop him from going into private law and lobbying practice, cashing in his connections and making gobs of money like any other self-respecting former politician.
Speaking of gobs of money, Easley hasn’t been out raking in the dough for his campaign committee. His 3Q report for this year shows no donations. However, he has $666,151.26 in the bank still, more than enough to build on for some sort of run in 2008.
And if you want to really start a buzz, take a look at that campaign report and tell me what all those media buys are about.