News-Record.com

A study that says auto-accidents increase on Election Day is getting a lot of ink and electrons this morning.

The best headline I've run across so far comes from the NY Post, natch: EXIT PALL: CAR-CRASH DEATHS UP ON ELECTION DAY.

Take away: there will be plenty of time to vote when you get to the polls. Heck, vote early and avoid the rush. No need to crash the family auto on the way to back your candidate of choice.

It's Oct. 1, and there's just over a month left in campaigns. Reporters are doubling their coffee intake, and campaigns, if they weren't already, are in full gear.

And to commemorate the mad dash to the homestretch, "October surprise" is today's urbandictionary.com word of the day:

An unexpected, dramatic last-minute event which potentially alters the outcome of an election. The term dates to the 1980 presidential campaign, in which Jimmy Carter planned, for October of that year, an operation to rescue American hostages held in Iran. Carter was lagging behind in polls and a successful rescue, an "October surprise," would likely have shifted the momentum to his side. The attempt failed, however, and Carter lost the election. Some have suggested that the Reagan campaign deliberately sabotaged the effort in order to bolster his candidacy. Before Osama bin Laden released his newest tape, some people thought the Bush campaign would produce him as an October surprise.

Anyone expecting any October surprises in this election season?

Sarah Palin is coming to Greensboro, according to local Republican fundraisers.

The McCain-Palin campaign-proper is not saying anything about the visit yet, but I can't imagine they'll bring her into the state without showing her off outside Irving Park.

Steve Arnold called this afternoon to tell us more on how he feels polling places are slanted toward Democrats.

Some folks have also taken up the conversation online, too. But here's some more Arnold:

"I think the Board of Elections is a partisan board, but if you ask them, they will claim to be completely objective," he said.

County's Republican and Democratic parties appoint a member to the board, and the party of the chairperson is dictated by the party of the governor. So, for this board, it's two-to-one Democrats to Republicans.

"They have purposely chosen early voting locations in mainly very Democratic locations," he said.

By and large, Guilford County is a mainly Democratic location - about 50 percent of its voters are registered Democrats, compared to about a third registered Republican.

Arnold said he believes that one reason Democrats tend to dominate the county's elections - for example, the 11-member board of commissioners has just four Republicans on it - is because early voting keeps getting backed up earlier, and more places are in the midst of Democratic strongholds.

We did a quick analysis of precincts around the early voting locations, and overall, they tend to reflect the makeup of county registrations.

And the longer voting term doesn't sit will with him, either.

"I move farther and farther away from appreciating the value of early voting," he said, proposing a shorter term closer to election instead.

"I would pick about three very public places and let that be that," he said.

Sen. Elizabeth Dole, a Republican, was one of 25 senators to vote against the financial industry rescue (bailout) package Thursday. In a written statement, she said:

"Action is clearly needed to return stability to our financial markets, but most importantly, effective, sound action is needed. To fix the markets, we must deliver a market-based solution, not a government bailout.

"Because of unrelated spending additions, this bill now comes at a cost of over $800 billion, and it is still a government takeover of our economy with no protection for taxpayers. It raises the debt ceiling to $11.3 trillion. It bails out foreign investors before American homeowners struggling to pay their mortgages. And it does nothing to address the root cause of this mess, the housing crisis.

"I was against the Administration’s original plan. I was against the bill that failed in the House. This latest revision is an improvement but still contains the flaws of the earlier proposals, and I will not support it.

"While it may be easier for some in Congress to quickly pass a bill, pat themselves on the back and say they’ve done their part to stabilize the markets, then pack up and head home – I say we must take the time to get this right. There are a number of possible alternatives being suggested by economists, bankers and experts from every political stripe.

"Now is the time for careful, deliberate actions – not hasty, knee-jerk reactions. I will stand up for the taxpayers and vote no."

Dole is in a tough re-election fight against Democratic state Sen. Kay Hagan. Even taking her statement at face value, it certainly seems to be a trend that those in tougher election fights are more prone to oppose the bill.

Earlier this week, Hagan declined to take a firm position on the bailout bill, saying that she had "grave concerns." In a statement issued Thursday evening, those concerns turned to outright opposition:

"I support this legislation's goal of freeing up the credit markets to stimulate an economy on the brink, but I would have voted against it because it doesn’t do enough to protect everyday North Carolinians," Kay said. "It's a fix for Wall Street, not Main Street, and this isn’t a situation where we can afford to only address half the problem. I’ve said that any new bailout legislation must add real accountability, oversight and protections for Main Street to ensure we never find ourselves in this position again."

Kay continues to insist that any bailout legislation include protections to fix the abuses that caused this crisis. The lax limits on CEO pay and compensation while including nothing to address protections for working families – lost jobs, high energy prices, falling wages and home prices – do nothing for the people this package should really protect.

"We got into this mess after years of Washington looking the other way and letting Wall Street and their lobbyists do as they pleased. And at a time when Main Street needs Washington to stand up for them the most, we should be ensuring this doesn’t happen again, not giving them our money and crossing our fingers," Kay said.

Both statements are similar in their sentiments. I'm wondering if the two campaigns are seeing polling or something else that says the bailout is particularly unpopular with some key constituency down here.

Republican Gov. Sarah Palin and Democratic Sen. Joe Biden are about to get their vice presidential debate on. Use the comments link here as an open thread or click here to join me on Twitter.

Guilford County's Board of Elections supplied us with an update on registration numbers, as of Wednesday. Notable numbers from the groupings:

Number of Guilford County voters: 338,694. (Since May 5: gain of 9,991).
Democrats: 166,823 (gain of 6,083), or 49.3 percent.
Republicans: 102,350 (loss of 10), or 30.2 percent.
Unaffiliated: 69,441 (gain of 3,838), or 20.5 percent.
Black: 105,192 (gain of 5,161), or 31 percent.
White: 220,000 (gain of 3,215), or 65 percent.
Multirace: 3,024 (gain of 1,702).
Male: 148,558 (gain of 4,688), or 43.9 percent.
Female: 189,618 (gain of 5,238), or 56 percent (518 didn't designate gender).

Registration continues through Friday, Oct. 10. If you're not registered and you don't vote, you can't complain!

No train wrecks, flops or errors, despite the liberal news media. That's some of what our folks on the Voterspeak panel had to say after last night's vice presidential debate. Their thoughts:

Phyllis Davis, 64, Republican: Governor Palin and Biden both had their moments - Palin however clearly won the debate in my opinion. She related to the average citizens and their concerns. Biden was still taking cheap shots at McCain and his proposed policies - Don't think Palin took enough shots at Obama and his tax increases on average america and the desire to send more troops in to Afghanistan but cut military spending.

In spite of the liberal news media - I think that Palin gave the GOP and the average american a boost!

Kendall Garvin, 29, unaffiliated:

I think Palin did a lot better than what most people expected. However, there were many times where she did not really answer the question that was asked of her. She is definately more confident on energy versus foreign policies. Although she did better than most expected, I still think Biden has more experience and did a better job in the debate than Palin.

Trevor Hamm, 25, Democrat: Nothing spectacular about this debate. I do think that Gov. Palin communicated much better in the debate format than she did in her interviews with the networks. With that said, I did have a problem with her avoiding some questions in favor of bringing up unrelated talking points. Sen. Biden's performance was adequate and he proved knowledgeable of the pertinent issues.

Mike Kelly, 60, Republican: A very fine debate that did not devolve into a train wreck as some pundits had predicted. Were I a member of a forensic society, I would deem Senator Biden as the winner on the strength of his command of his numbers and his overall demeanor.

Governor Palin's primary objective was to not be incompetent. This she accomplished with ease and truth to tell, she was Obiden's equal in nearly every phase of the debate. She was quite formidable when the questions were tossed into her wheelhouse. And with those that were not she sort of fought off the pitch and went to the opposite field.

All in all, this debate was far more entertaining than that rather lame affair between the McCain and Obama.

Kate Peeples, 27, unaffiliated: I was, like most of the commentators & analysts, surprised that neither of them had any major flops or errors. I was also relieved by that, because I think the election lately has taken a backseat to politics of personality. Even the furor over the Wall Street crisis has come down to name-calling and who's guilty of their party's typical behaviors, etc. As far as the VP debate specifically, I felt that Biden was a clear winner. I thought Palin held her own fairly well, but I'm not sure that it was much more than "cramming for a test," as several newsanchors have described it.

Deonna Kelli Sayed, 34, Democrat: Biden did well and performed very presidential. I appreciated this clarity, composure, and knowledge. Palin didn't screw up, but she came off as amateurish, unable to directly answer questions, and twitchy. She knows a lot about a few of the issues (energy) but not enough to make me feel comfortable with her as a VP to a really old man.

Jeff Bartolet, 38, Republican: Both Roy Cooper and Bob Crumley, who are running for attorney general, appear to be capable candidates for the job. I did appreciate the way Cooper brought swift justice reversing the guilty-until-proven-guilty verdict sought by many in the Duke lacrosse player case.

In any candidate, I look for a humble person who truly grasps the fact that the government is not the answer to all our problems. True, proven leaders don’t point fingers blaming the opponent or the opponent’s party for the nation’s problems because in reality, neither of the two main parties has created all the problems nor can one person resolve them all. So I vote for those who provide obvious leadership qualities, yet understand the limits of government.

Phyllis Davis, 64, Republican: Bob Crumbley for attorney general and Steve Troxler for commissioner of agriculture. Don’t know who is opposing.

Kendall Garvin, 29, unaffiliated: I do know who is running for these various offices, although they don’t get much attention due to the many big races occurring in NC and the presidential election. I plan on deciding my vote the same way I choose other candidates, and that is by doing my research online and looking at their past performance if they held an elected office in the past. The economy is a major issue nationwide, therefore, that is probably the main issue I will focus on in determining who I will vote for.

Trevor Hamm, 25, Democrat: Honestly, I didn’t know who was running for commissioner of agriculture and I didn’t know who was challenging Roy Cooper for the attorney general spot until I looked it up. I don’t know that there are key issues that sway my decision when thinking about Council of State positions. I’m more likely to read a little about each candidate and find the one whose approach or perspective or general outlook is most similar to my own.

Mike Kelly, 60, Republican: I do know the candidates for attorney general and commissioner of agriculture. This is not a boast because I think that it indicates I really need to get a life but, then, so does my participation on this panel.

The council of state races are important as the policies of these offices affect our daily lives more directly than those at the top of the ticket. Council campaigns are given short shrift by the media; understandably so as only policy wonks wax ecstatic over debates between insurance commissioner candidates. But, the management of this office has a direct impact upon our wallets (we can only hope there’s another Jim Long lurking among the roster).

I will consider the political pedigrees and track records of the candidates before casting my vote and hope that I have paid sufficient attention.

Marlene Costa Nielsen, 67, Democrat: Candidates for state attorney general are Democratic incumbent Roy Cooper and Republican challenger Bob Crumley, who is head of a large personal injury law firm. For the past eight years Cooper has been actively prosecuting those who prey on children and the elderly.

Kate Peeples, 27, unaffiliated: I support Roy Cooper for attorney general mainly because of his work toward making North Carolina’s schools and colleges better prepared for dangerous and potentially deadly crises on campus. Personally I have seen how unprepared (mentally and physically) schools can be in these situations and it is truly frightening. The more resources I know are there to help in such a crisis, the safer I feel and the better able I am to protect my students’ safety. I also support Cooper because of his efforts in helping and supporting organizations that help women and children who are victims of domestic abuse.

I also will be voting for Suzanne Reynolds for NC Supreme Court. Someone who has been teaching, researching, and writing about our laws for as long as she has would make an exemplary, impartial supreme court judge. Reynolds has expertise in the area of legal ethics. To me, such expertise seems like exactly what any judge —most of all, a supreme court judge — should have.

Deonna Kelli Sayed, 34, Democrat: I am a bit turned off by Bob Crumley’s status on illegal immigrants as the “root” of NC’s gang problem. That problem has many dynamics and isn’t merely a migrant issue.

I’m impressed with Roy Cooper’s commitment to child pornography, methamphetamine labs (a problem in rural areas), and the sex offender database. As a parent with kids from 6-16, these issues hit home. I am impressed with his handling of the Duke lacrosse situation. His actions make sense now as more info is available about the incident. With Crumley, there’s that old issue of his law firm/campaign ad which reminds me of Old South White Boy privilege.

Mike Sigmon, 61, Republican: These are some of the factors I will use in making decisions on key state wide races:
Auditor: we need to more closely monitor the use of taxpayer money by state funded non profits. There are too many instances of shady dealings and misuse of our tax dollars. More oversight is required.

Insurance Commissioner: a new perspective is needed. This department has been reasonably well run but there is much improvement needed. The former assistant running is not the person to implement the needed changes.

Attorney General: this is another state wide office that needs change. The same party has controlled this position for 5+ decades. I shudder to think of the misdeeds swept under the rug.

Ruth Mary Weston, 54, Democrat: I’m voting for Roy Cooper and Steve Troxler. For the life of me, I can’t recall their opponents’ names (blush).

Cooper’s getting rid of payday lenders and checking on gas price gouging show me he’s watching out for the little guy. Troxler had to clean up corruption, and deserves to keep his job.
I think Wayne Goodwin will carry on Jim Long’s good work as Insurance Commissioner, keeping rates in line and not running off insurance companies.

Sorry, but “Republican Commissioner of Labor” is just an oxymoron. Haven’t decided on Auditor or Lt. Governor yet – gotta read up on them.
I accidentally met Elaine Marshall, and she impressed me as well-informed, no-nonsense, open to suggestion and personally impressive. My personal dealings with her office were handled expeditiously.

With one month to go before Election Day, state Sen. Kay Hagan, a Greensboro Democrat, has to be feeling good about her chances to unseat Republican Elizabeth Dole. Consider:

• * PPP, a Democratic-friendly polling firm shows her with a lead. (PDF)

• * Rasmussen, a Republican-friendly firm, also shows her with a lead and editorializes: "it’s never comfortable for an incumbent to be trailing this late in the campaign season. Adding to Dole’s problems is the fact that John McCain finds himself in a very tight race with Barack Obama for North Carolina’s Electoral College votes. That means Dole can’t count on the lift from the top of the ticket usually enjoyed by the state’s GOP candidates."

• * Politico waded into the race recently, writing a piece that is the equivalent of intellectual catnip for Democrats: "Top Republicans say they have no hope for Dole in North Carolina. “There’s no point in even counting the votes,” said a top McCain official."

So should we stick a fork in this thing?

No.

Just as it would have been dumb to write this race off in Dole's favor back in May, it'd be silly for Hagan to start doing victory laps now.

If for no other reason, Hagan has gotten to where she is by running a pedal to the metal campaign. Letting up would just give Dole and opening.

Also, we all learned from the primaries this year that polling can be thrown off. And while the 30 day window before the election is closing fast, there's still time for this thing to move once again.

So, if it's all the same to y'all, I really think we ought to count the votes on Election Day.

That's what our friends at the HPE said recently about the quarter-cent sales tax.

The editorial board there now supports the quarter cent sales tax that they didn't back in May. Our editorial board supported it in May.

But on the first go 'round, the tax failed by a big margin in Guilford County. Now, supporters are getting back out and hope to see it through.

They're pounding on the benefits they perceive would come with the added tax: a revenue stream that's not linked to property tax that would bring about $16 million a year, and a way to pay for school bond debt that's not a property tax rate increase.

Supporters can get behind that point by saying that the Board of Commissioners pledged to use that revenue to pay for the school bond debt with that money in a nonbinding resolution this past summer.

Opponents of the sales tax have said that voters already said no to the tax in May, and that the sales tax would impact the poor more than the rich.

Overall, it means that someone spending $100 would spend another 25 cents in sales tax. And groceries, gas and drugs would not be affected.

The N&R editorial board will run a piece on the sales tax on Oct. 19.

And for others, here's the N&R endorsement schedule.

On huffingtonpost.

From the site:

Want to know if a celebrity is playing both sides of the fence? Whether that new guy you're seeing is actually a Republican or just dresses like one?

FundRace makes it easy to search by name or address to see which presidential candidates your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors are contributing to. Or you can se if your favorite celebrity is putting money where their mouth is.

The tracker lets you break it down easily. For example, back in 2007, Kay Hagan gave $1,000 to Edwards' campaign.

You can track by name, address or location on the map.

The News & Record’s Voterspeak panel reviews the Greensboro bond referendum.

The question: Will you vote for any of the issues on Greensboro’s $205 million bond package? Is $50 million worth it for a new auditorium? Is $134 million worth of road bonds the only way to pave roads and build greenways? How about $20 million for Parks and Recreation, which will include a $12 million pool complex? If all the bonds pass, it would take an extra 2.5 cents on the property tax rate to fund all those projects. Will you be thinking with your wallet when you vote?

And they said:

Jeff Bartolet, 38, Republican: How much of a tax burden can the average citizen bear? In times of economic downturns, our leaders should be finding ways to do more with less. Yes, there is a desire to make this city look like a contender for businesses and investments, but at what expense? Auditoriums and pools have unknown financial returns to the city and are even more risky considering the average consumer will now have to cut back on wants to pay for needs. Why not look for investors who have the money and passion for these special projects instead of making every homeowner pay the price for a luxury few can afford right now? Why not find a way to improve our roads with less cost?

Phyllis Davis, 64, Republican: I don’t live in Greensboro, so would not be able to vote on these issues. However if I did live there I could not support all of the bonds. With the downturn in the economy and being in the business to sell homes, the 2.5-cent increase in taxes would impact the ability of a major segment of homeowners to complete a transaction.
While some of the bonds are probably necessary and in the long run would benefit the citizens of Greensboro, it might be best to put these on hold until taxpayers feel more secure.

Kendall Garvin, 29, unaffiliated: I plan on voting for the street improvement, housing and the War Memorial bonds. The first two bonds will enhance the appearance of the city. Although spending money on the park will also improve the appearance of the city, it will not have as much effect as the previously mentioned bonds.
War Memorial is in a state where it either has to be fixed or be torn down. It will be much easier to fix it now vs. wait and have more to fix later.

Trevor Hamm, 25, Democrat: I’m considering voting for the housing bond and the parks and recreational facilities bond. For me, it’s not necessarily how much money a bond is for as much as it’s about what we’re getting for that money. I think the auditorium bond is unnecessary and I think that the street improvement bond is inflated.

Mike Kelly, 60, Republican: I will vote only for the street improvement bonds as maintenance and upgrades to our infrastructure benefit all of our citizens. Safe streets and bridges are necessary components to a city’s commerce. Further, with the construction of additional walkways and bikeways, people may opt to eschew traditional modes of transportation and resort to cycling and walking as means of commuting.
The housing bonds proposal is a tough call. Many people would benefit from its passage. However, I do not think that those of us who pay taxes should be called upon to further underwrite the needs of the disadvantaged of our community.
I probably would have voted for the parks and recreation bonds had not the swimming pool rider been added. Although producing the heir apparent to Michael Phelps may bring notoriety to our fair city, a natatorium will be of little use to most of us. The same can be said for the improvements to War Memorial Auditorium. Nice to have? Sure. Necessary? Not really. Does our “quality of life” suffer? Relative to what we have become accustomed, yes. However, we must face the reality of hard financial times getting harder and that taxpayers are just about tapped out.

Marlene Costa Nielsen, 67, Democrat: With this economic environment, it will be difficult to pass these bonds. We need to separate wants from needs and may have to find other ways to finance these projects.

Kate Peeples, 27, unaffiliated: I definitely think there are some bond projects that are more important than others (a pool complex??). Even amongst the school bonds, I can point to some that I would prioritize over others. I'll be voting for a lot of the bonds again - even though that property tax hike affects me, and not so much the rest of my voting demographic, and filling my tiny gas tank all the way to "F" is now a luxury. But not all of them. It may seem unfair to judge a need for road improvements against a need for a pool complex, and I certainly don't want my action as a voter to stifle the local arts scene, or economy. Like everyone else, I will vote based on what sort of progress I would most like to see the city make.

Deonna Kelli Sayed, 34, Democrat: Parks are a wonderful thing, as are new auditoriums, but Greensboro isn’t lacking in these departments. It is a marvelously green city with many swimming pools and recreational facilities. It is financially irresponsible during this economic crisis to spend on things which are more or less OK. No one wants their taxes raised but if it has to happen, I’d rather see that 2.5-cent tax go to assist those struggling due to the economic crisis or toward any city infrastructures in dire need of repair.

Mike Sigmon, 61, Republican: I would prefer the pool complex be a separate item. As I recall it was defeated in a prior election cycle. Merging it with the Parks and Recreation bonds appears to be a “back-door” attempt at passage. Where is the other $8 million being spent?
Since the auditorium money is to be spent for renovations to the existing building, I would be concerned about the acoustics.
What new roads will be constructed and where? If this is for repair and maintenance only?
The City Council and County Commissioners need to make the case for a “yes” vote. Without more information I’m hesitant to approve any of these.

Ruth Mary Weston, 54, Democrat: I’ll vote for the housing bonds. I think the best use of this money would be energy-efficiency upgrades on older rental housing stock. I’ll consider it one last chance to see our tax revenue used wisely under a properly supervised, well-targeted program. Tenants should benefit through reduced energy costs. Only properly licensed and insured contractors should participate under a “lowest conforming bid” scheme, and all work should be inspected before payment. A small amount for use of existing government staff should be the only expenditure outside of actual work performed.
The rest of the bonds get a “No.” C’mon, guys! You’d like a line-item veto on budgets; so would we. Let us vote on the merits of separate projects where possible.

This has got to be crazy-making if you're trying to intervene in a U.S. Senate campaign:

In the last week, Kay Hagan -- Democratic challenger to Sen. Elizabeth Dole for North Carolina's U.S. Senate seat -- has been hammered by critical robo-calls from two operations: Freedom's Watch, a non-profit founded by GOP operatives in 2007, and the Free Enterprise Alliance, an offshoot of the Associated Builders and Contractors, whose PAC is the third-biggest contributor to Republicans in the country.

But instead of calling North Carolina voters, maybe the anti-Hagan robo-callers need to get on the phone and talk to each other. Because on at least one of the key issues Hagan is being attacked over -- immigration -- the two groups are sending voters a mixed message.

A few Voterspeak members gave us their thoughts about the second presidential debate on Tuesday, the town hall-style meeting at Belmont Univeristy with Barack Obama and John McCain, moderated by Tom Brokaw.

Here's the transcript, as well.

Kendall Garvin, 29, unaffiliated: I did not like the blatant disregard of the rules that the senators agreed upon. I understand that each candidate wanted their side of the issue to be heard, but rules should be followed. I also didn't like how some questions were not clearly answered by both candidates.

One issue that I clearly agree with Obama on is his platform on conserving our fuel usage. It is a very simple thing that each American can do and will also improve the environment. I also agree that the answer to the fuel crisis is not to simply produce oil, but to invest in alternative energy sources like solar, wind, geothermal and others. Drilling is just a short term fix of the crisis we are in right now.

I also agree that proper health care should be a right and not a responsibility. A country like America should not have just a health disparity among the "rich" and the "poor". I like the idea of offering all Americans a federal health plan. Many lower income people will avoid going to the hospital because of lack of insurance and/or the knowledge of how much the doctor bill will cost even with insurance.

Kate Peeples, 27, unaffiliated: I didn't think many of the audience's questions got answered, sadly. Seeing as this is the only debate format that includes any sort of audience input, it's pretty disappointing that their questions weren't really answered - even as each of them walked over to address the audience member in particular. It seemed both McCain and Obama spent most of their time attacking one another's reputations. At this point, I can't imagine that this evasiveness, whether on purpose or not, could possibly sit well with voters, both committed and undecided ones. That being said, I thought Obama was the clear winner in this debate. He appeared much more "presidential," and as at least one commentator put it, appeared more like a "calm leader," which is something I appreciated seeing from him.

Deonna Kelli Sayed, 34, Democrat: Both McCain and Obama seemed to be in good form. I tensed when either candidate criticized the other. Give me facts and insights, not side swipes! I appreciated Obama's method of breaking down and listing his actions (even though we know a politician's promises never go very far). Obama quoted facts and figures, particularly regarding energy, allowing the viewer to actually learn something during the debate.

The segment on health care and insurance just confused me. Obama seemed to be more informed but I'm unclear how his policy will work. McCain commented that one state may have cheaper health care options than another, but how can families afford to cross state lines with
fuel so expensive?

Obama is right about how the rest of the world perceives America. Having lived overseas, I can attest that being an American carries a lot of baggage that wasn't there before Bush was elected. Most people do not see us as a "force for good" as Obama and McCain suggested.
I'm sad that many see American foreign policy as downright malevolent. Obama needs to calm down when it comes to Pakistan. That country is about to explode due to US presence and their own internal issues. If Pakistan goes, all bets are off for any stability in the region. Neither candidate really gets what is going on in Afghanistan. The US needs to involve the Taliban in government and invest deeply in developing the country rather than putting in more combat troops. McCain was absolutely right about Russia and Putin's KGB mindset. Thankfully, Obama linked our energy policy to Russia, which shows insight.

The last question asked was probably the most important. Obama said unexpected challenges are the biggest obstacles. His comments on the American Dream? Is that still around? McCain's comments were too general for my taste. I wanted a personal answer, not a political one.

I felt a little bad that McCain's few attempts at humor throughout the debate fell flat. I hoped Tina Fey would pop up in the audience to give him some support. But honestly, we didn't gain any new insights regarding candidate positions on the issues. Same stuff, different day. Is anyone ready for election season to be over?

This is an ad running against Sen. Elizabeth Dole in her re-election campaign against state Sen. Kay Hagan right now:

Sponsored by VoteVets.org, it is substantially the same commercial used in the 2006 U.S. Senate campaign against George Allen:

Back in 2006, here's what FactCheck.org had to say about it:

Granato says of the newer armor, "Senator George Allen voted against giving our troops this. Now it's time for us to vote against him."

That's false. Allen did not vote against giving troops modern body armor. What the ad cites is a vote on an amendment April 2, 2003, just days before the fall of Baghdad, that would have appropriated just over $1 billion for unspecified "National Guard and Reserve Equipment." It made no mention of body armor. And when the amendment's sponsor, Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, took the Senate floor to give examples of the kinds of equipment that might be purchased with this money, she cited "skin reduction exposure paste," "mobile chemical agent detectors," and "collective shelters" for chemical attacks – but didn't once mention buying body armor. Neither did any other senator. Her amendment was killed by a mostly party-line vote.

It is true that in a press release Landrieu quoted the Marine Corps Reserve as saying it needed more "bullet-proof inserts, and tactical vests" before another wave of reservists went to Iraq, among many other items. But neither Landrieu nor any other senator mentioned that during debate.

More importantly, there was already money for buying body armor. As we explain in more detail later in this article, the Pentagon was already in the process of vastly increasing its orders for the latest-model armored vests, and the shortages that plagued some units in Iraq for the first few months of the war were due not to a lack of money, but to the inability of Pentagon contractors to manufacture the vests fast enough to meet the sudden spike in demand, and problems getting the gear shipped to the troops.

The Dole ad cites two votes in the 108th Congress. One is the same as cited in the Allen ad. The other is this one, which appears to have been the same sort of amendment and failed along the same kind of party-line vote.

Draw your own conclusions, but I tend to view this ad as suspect.

I have been meaning to get reaction to something in the U.S. Senate race from out there in the blog-o-verse about this but it has slipped my mind until this blog post (from Minnesota no less!) reminded me of the topic this morning:

Elizabeth Dole is continuing her campaign in North Carolina of smearing her opponent, Kay Hagan, for simply associating with atheists. We atheists are the "most vile, radical liberals in America," out to wage war on Christmas and stock boy scout troops with homosexuals, and we actively support political candidates who are atheists. I know … how dare we.

I have a personal reason to be offended, however. The Dole ads cite endorsements by two atheists, FriendlyAtheist.com and DaylightAtheism.org. Now hang on…what's so scary about the Friendly atheist? And Daylight Atheism sounds positively pleasant. Couldn't they find one mean, cruel, truly frightening atheist to give a testimonial, like maybe one with an obscure and somewhat intimidatingly intellectual name?

The entire post is here. Dome has written about this here.

I asked Hagan about this fundraiser back when she was in the building for an editorial board interview. Hagan described herself as a "devout Christian" and said she's working with folks of all different religious stripes.

"I believe the people you're talking about typically have Democratic fundraisers and (they asked) to support me from a standpoint and I agreed," she said.

Click here to listen to her full answer.

So does this matter to you? Would you base a vote on this association? Or this merely a distraction in a race that has a lot of other issues to deal with?

Cross-posted from Capital Beat.

-=-=-=-=-
This New York Times story has gotten people's attention this morning. It suggests that North Carolina is somehow using Social Security numbers to exclude people form the voter rolls.

State and local election officials I talked to this morning say that's simply not the case. I just posted this to online:

A report in the New York Times this morning saying that North Carolina is improperly using Social Security Numbers to vet voters was called “very misleading” by the state’s chief election official this morning.

The Times story said that North Carolina had been warned that it was checking an abnormally large number of social security numbers against a federal database and that federal officials were worried the state could be improperly excluding voters.

But Elections Director Gary Bartlett said Social Security Numbers were only being checked in the case where a drivers’ license or other acceptable form of identification has not been provided.

“We believe we’re in full compliance and they’re providing misinformation and stirring up the public and that is not good,” Bartlett said. The story, he said, has caused a non-stop stream of calls and e-mails to his office this morning.

North Carolina has registered more than 700,000 new voters since the beginning of the year and may top 800,000 by Nov. 1. Of those, about 400,000 have been run through the federal Social Security database.

The state, Bartlett said, had a high number of universities, military personnel and businesses that bring people in from out of state. Often those people don’t have drivers’ likenesses when they register to vote and therefore use their Social Security Number to verify their identity.

No one is denied registration if their Social Security number does not match said Bartlett and local elections officials.

“The worse case scenario is they show ID at the polls when they show up,” said Charlie Collicutt, deputy elections director in Guilford County.

If a voter still doesn’t have identification on Election Day, Bartlett said, they would be allowed to vote a provision ballot that will be counted once their information is confirmed.

Names are not removed from the voter rolls based on a Social Security number mismatch, said both state and county officials.

Bartlett said the state was contacted by neither the New York Times nor federal officials and today’s story was a surprise.

“No one has called us, no one has suggested we’re not in compliance,” Bartlett said.

Update: Three bits of updates for you:

• * A news release from Bob Hall at Democracy North Carolina taking up for the State Board of Elections:

  The harder problem continues to be cynical rumors and false information from ill-informed, sometimes well-intended, sources, now including the New York Times (and local re-printers who failed to check the story with state election officials). Certainly, there have been serious problems with lost ballots and election manipulation. The public should remain vigilant, and individuals with any doubts should confirm their registration status through websites like 2008ElectionConnection.com or by calling their local board of elections. What we don’t need are inflammatory stories about stolen elections or cheated voters that have no basis in fact.

• * A news release from Elections Director Gary Bartlett who gives in detail, and three part harmony, why the Times story was incorrect, at least as it pertains to North Carolina:

  No reporter for either publication contacted any one in this office to verify North Carolina’s procedures. Nor did the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration contact us before he released his allegations that North Carolina may be preventing voters from registering; instead he sent a letter to the Secretary of State, who does not administer elections in North Carolina, and we had to obtain a copy from a national organization.

• * And for you fun with numbers types, click here for the spreadsheet that started the mess.

Regarding that last bit, the folks at the Social Security Administration sent me that Excel file in response to my questions about what exactly they were thinking. Their press release is here, but essentially they said higher than expected usage of the database caught their attention.

Those higher volumes, according to administration spokesman Mark Lassiter, prompted worries that states may be improperly keeping people from registering to vote.

“It really was an issue of saying, ‘Look, we want to be sure that nobody who is registered to vote is prevented from doing so,’” Lassiter said.

Fair enough, I guess, but it basically sort of cast aspersions on the whole electoral process here in North Carolina without producing any evidence that anything was done wrong.

A few notes from the numbers game:

• * If you look at that spreadsheet, you'll see less than a quarter of the checks are coming up mismatched. So, if you're looking to exclude folks, this social security method wouldn't be the best way to go about it.

• * One thing that neither the New York Times nor Bartlett pointed out today was that this is North Carolina's first time as a battleground state in a presidential campaign. So in addition to military voters, college students and new people moving to the state, you're going to be registering a higher than normal number of people who have never voted before.

Voterspeak is discussing what they want in a Guilford County commissioner.

Ths question: What are the main issues that you’re using to weigh candidates in the county commissioners races? Are you most concerned about infrastructure? Economic development (or the lack of it)? Taxes, spending and government efficiency? County services? Another issue? Why?

Join the conversation in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

Jeff Bartolet, 38, Republican: Who will promote fiscal responsibility and accountability? We need commissioners who will invest the mind power to think through board decisions before making them; people who will research ways to prosper the county without increasing taxes. We need commissioners who will be creative, proactive, and humble, willing to think outside the box of tax and spend.

Phyllis Davis, 64, Republican: I would be most concerned about government efficiency and the total operations of government. A fair tax increase that would generate revenue from all and not just property owners. And of course we will have commissioner Yow to insure a watchful eye for the majority of the citizens in the county of Guilford!

Kendall Garvin, 29, unaffiliated: One thing I look at with the incumbents is their effectiveness in meeting. If the candidate spend their time in meetings making rude contacts and/or arguing with someone then they are not being an effective mature commissioner.

Trevor Hamm, 25, Democrat: Spending and efficiency are important to me. I think that it’s important to know a commissioner’s priorities when it comes to what they’re willing to approve. For instance, I 'd like to see someone vote to put more money into education before he/she votes to build another prison. Overall, I think we should elect commissioners who really put the long-term best interests of the people first.

Mike Kelly, 60, Republican: This year’s election allows the voters of Guilford County to rid itself of six commissioners, two of which (and we know who they are!) have been a toxic presence on the board. We have the opportunity to begin to change this theater of the absurd into at least a semblance of what public service should be. My point being that incumbents have gotta go.
In view of the on-going global financial crisis all attention must be focused on fiscal responsibility. Those programs which are sort of nice to have but are not essential to the efficient management of county government business should no longer be funded.
The citizens of this county can begin these belt tightening measures by voting “No” for the bond proposals. It is no longer “Morning in America”, at least for the nonce and we must realize that all non-essential services must be shelved until our economy has been righted.

Marlene Costa Nielsen, 67, Democrat: I would like to see less partisan bickering and more cooperation among the commissioners. Guilford County is facing shortfalls in revenue from property taxes and retail sales and will need to find ways to provide essential services as efficiently as possible.

Kate Peeples, 27, unaffiliated: I kind of think the new folks running for commissioners’ seats (and maybe incumbents as well, and those not up for re-election too) perhaps ought to take personality tests, and voters should use that information. Then maybe we can put together a group of county commissioners who can spend more time governing properly and less time bickering.

Joking (and wishful thinking) aside, if we should be so lucky to get a group that gets along, the issue I’d most like them to address is economic development. Guilford County has done a so-so job in attracting some companies to create jobs here in an admittedly difficult economic climate. I’d like to see the commissioners put more effort into that, and into supporting those new jobs by supporting better technical training and living wages.

Deonna Kelli Sayed, 34, Democrat: Ah, the local races! How many people actually know who is running for these seats without referring to the N&R first? Most know amazingly little about local races.

I’m new to Greensboro so I asked other residents about this one.

Local government has done well fostering an environment to bring high profile companies to the area. Greensboro is a well-planned, green city with admirable parks and recreation. I’d vote to keep what we have in good shape but not to add any new projects during these pitiful economic times. I’ve spent time in New York state where some public schools systems are horrible so I appreciate Guilford county schools. However, the change in school bus services due to fuel cost has affected my children (and no one in the Guilford County School Transportation office has returned my 10 calls).

This leads to another point: despite all the good things about Greensboro, many people feel county and city government stinks. There seems to be inefficiency, corruption, dishonestly, and lack of professionalism among local government. I’d like to see candidates have a more public personality, engage with average citizens. For example, county commissioners could visit high school civics classes to inform youth about local issues. Show some transparency regarding local decisions. I’d like to see a candidate bring local government out in the open, rebrand local government into something more engaging. I I will look for integrity and insight when it comes to the local races.

Mike Sigmon, 61, Republican: I looking for candidates who are working for the taxpayer and not playing of game of “us & them” and “gotcha” politics, The district/ward system of election enables people with views on the outer edge of politics to hamper working for the good of the entire county.

Guilford County needs a smaller, and balanced, budget. There are too many sacred cows in the budget line items.

We need to continue the recruitment of good paying jobs (FedEx, BioTech firms etc).
Greater oversight of grants to nonprofit organizations is needed. Too many of them are related to the folks mentioned in the first paragraph or are not properly reported and administered for the proclaimed objective.

Ruth Mary Weston, 54, Democrat: I’ll be casting one vote in the County Commissioners section: Paul Gibson, At-Large.

He dropped by my house during his first race, and I liked his idea of building up a surplus to cushion budget problems. He’s a pragmatist, a consensus-seeker, and practical while working out of an idealistic vision. I think that results in good ideas. Also a biggie for me, he acts like a responsible adult!

In my District, Mike Winstead is unopposed. Nothing against him personally, but as a former home builder/developer, I’d say my ilk is already over-represented in both city and county government.

It’s obvious our economic meltdown will substantially reduce revenues from sales taxes. Property taxes are likely to remain unpaid as household budgets are strained. Balancing the budget will be the biggest challenge. Fund the must-haves generously, the like-to-haves cautiously. Take this opportunity to carefully review the performance of all programs and agencies, and study how County Departments can support each others’ work. I.e: A problematic railroad crossing was fixed after long struggles with the railroad. A few months later a different department had to tear it up for another project, never to be fixed right again - that’s just stupid!

I’d like to see any business incentives targeted at new small, local businesses, especially in alternative energy development. With our colleges and universities, available business parks, empty commercial property, transportation infrastructure and new school superintendent, there’s a huge opportunity to be a key hub for this new industry.

From today's paper:

If television commercials are to be believed, the U.S. Senate campaign features a Republican ne’er-do-well incumbent in league with an unpopular president versus a snippy state senator with a penchant for raising taxes and apron strings tied to powerful Democratic figures.

It’s hyperbole, to be sure.

Neither U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole, the Republican incumbent, nor Democratic state Sen. Kay Hagan live up to the images on TV ads of late — for good or ill.

But who are the women portrayed in these ads? Have they been effective legislators?

Is there some truth in advertising?

Click here to read the whole thing. And click below to discuss.

Your humble correspondent is in Wilmington today for the big McCain rally here. I'm both working on a report for tomorrows paper, as well as something for a couple weeks from now. For the time being, here are some photos of the day so far (McCain isn't due to speak until 2:15 p.m. or so.)

First off, Democrats had a little counter-protest down on the waterfront this morning. State Sen. Tony Rand and Ag Commission Candidate Ronnie Ansley spoke.

"I've got nothing against John McCain," Rand said. "He's just wrong."

Later on, I trolled the line looking for folks with interesting signs. Jim Whitworth, 44, of Wilmington is a former Clinton supporter who now backs McCain.

"To me, Obama is running for class president," Whitworth said. He mentioned that he had been reading excerpts from Obama's books.

"I have found him to be a devout racist," he said.

Maureen Drake is a self-described independent voter. She's a nurse from Wilmington who said that her pro-life beliefs influence her vote. She said she's voting FOR McCain rather than against Obama.

I'll let this last one speak for itself:

More in tomorrow's paper and updates to the main news site this afternoon.

County election officials are expecting even more voters than ever to cast their ballots early, staff writer Jason Hardin reports.

Charlie Collicutt, Guilford's deputy election director, says about 35 percent of the vote in 2004 came in the form of early voting. This year, with more early voting sites, 40 or 45 percent might be attainable.

That's a good thing, because it reduces the crush on Election Day on Nov. 4.

"If we can hit that, that would be nice," he says.

For voters looking for the quickest possible voting experience, midday is generally the slowest time, Collicutt says. The polls are generally busier in the morning and after work.

It's hard to know exactly what to expect on the first day of early voting, but nearly 600 people voted on the first day during May's primary, so the number should be significantly higher than that.

Unless you're planning on registering, you probably won't be asked for ID during early voting.
The only voters who might need ID include a few first-time Guilford voters. Their registration card should say whether that's the case, Collicutt says.

To see a map of early voting sites, dates and times, click here.

To learn more about registering to vote if you missed the deadline, click here.

To learn more about candidates on the ballot in Guilford County, start here.

Republican Pat McCrory and Democrat Bev Perdue will visit Temple Emanuel in Greensboro for separate candidate forums.

McCrory will appear at 8 p.m. Thursday. Perdue will visit at 3 p.m. Oct. 26. Each candidate will speak for 20 minutes then take questions. The public is invited.

Temple Emanuel is at 1129 Jefferson Road, Greensboro.

Update: Click here for the story from Tuesday's paper.

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I trucked down to Wilmington for John McCain’s appearance there today. I had forgotten how well the man can deliver a speech because his debate performances have been very average. But today, he was in good form and had the crowd fired up.

There’s one odd thing that had my colleagues in the local and national media puzzled after the event. From the story I’m working on for Tuesday’s paper:

McCain’s appearance was marked by an unannounced shift in plans. The occasion was to be a “town hall meeting” according to publicity that preceded the event. And McCain himself started his remarks by saying, “My friends, I’d like to make some remarks to you and then I’d like to open it up for some questions or comments you might have.”

But at the end of his speech, speakers blared “Gonna Fly Now,” the theme from Rocky, and McCain moved about the front rows of the audience shaking hands. Then he left the auditorium, well before the next appointment - a media interview - listed on the schedule given to members of the traveling press.

A spokesman who talked to pool reporters traveling with the McCain Monday said the decision to shift to a rally rather than a town hall meeting was made on Sunday and could not explain why McCain said he would take questions. A second spokesman, contacted after the event, said the campaign wanted to emphasize the new speech, which offered “a different tone” than had prevailed over the past several weeks.

The response from the campaign isn’t all that satisfying and leaves one to speculate if one is so inclined. What could explain the change? So options:

• * McCain was short on time. This seems unlikely because, according to my friends in the traveling press corps, he didn’t have anything on his public schedule until well after he strolled out of the auditorium at Cape Fear Community College today. He did two media interviews (both with television types) and shot a commercial before leaving the state.

• * McCain forgot about the switch. Actually, I’m willing to buy this one in part. The guy has done so many events his opening lines become sort of reflexive. He was working from a teleprompter today but it sounded like he was adlibbing a bit at the beginning of his speech. Still, you’d think someone on staff would have said, “Now remember boss, today’s all about the new stump speech, no questions.”

• * The audience might not have accommodated that "different tone" and once the campaign workers took the temperature of the crowd they decided it didn’t want to give anyone openings to call Sen. Obama a terrorist.

As the Associated Press noted in this story, even some Republicans have grown uncomfortable with the tenor of attacks leveled by McCain at Obama in recent weeks. From the AP story:

NDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Three weeks before the election, Republicans are growing increasingly concerned about John McCain's ability to mount a comeback, questioning his tactics and even his campaign's main thrust in a White House race increasingly focused on economic turmoil.

"He has to make the case that he's different than Bush and better than Obama on the economy," said former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, one of more than a dozen prominent Republicans who in interviews during the past week expressed concern over the course of McCain's bid. "If he doesn't win that case, it's all over, and it's going to be a very bad year for Republicans."

Several Republicans, who spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid angering McCain, said the campaign should have sought to plant doubts about Obama's associations with 1960s-era radical William Ayers and others months ago, rather than waiting until the campaign's final weeks. Doing so now, they said, makes the 72-year-old McCain come off as angry, grouchy and desperate, playing into Democrats' hands.

But if you read my blog post from earlier today, you know there were people in the crowd willing to sing from that more hostile hymnal.

So what was going on? Was it a last minute switch designed to avoid stories about how rabid the crowds at McCain rallies have become or truly contemplated a day in advance and McCain just misspoke? Well, more than one person told me today that it was fruitless to ask since, as one put it bluntly, “They’re all going to lie to you anyway.”

Your speculation welcome at the comments link below.

Can't get enough of the elections? Want to spend time with folks in the same boat? UNCG has your hook-up:

‘Another Democratic Wave?’: UNCG Offers Elections Lecture Oct. 29

GREENSBORO, NC - The Department of Political Science and The Center for Legislative Studies at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro continue their fall lecture series Wednesday, Oct. 29, with a public lecture by Dr. Patrick Sellers of Davidson College.
Sellers will speak on “Congressional Elections 2008: Another Democratic Wave?” His lecture begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Weatherspoon Art Museum Auditorium.

The event is free and open to the public. A reception follows the lecture, and free parking is available behind the art museum.

Sellers’ lecture is the second of three in the series. Dr. Alan Abramowitz of Emory University will provide a post-election analysis Wednesday, Nov. 19, titled “The Presidential Election 2008: What Happened and Why?”

For more information, call (336) 334-4360.

Are you craving more of the map-cap fun in the 6th Congressional District race that pits Teresa Bratton, a democratic pediatrician, versus Republican incumbent Howard Coble? Then let's do lunch with the League of Women Voters who just passed on this announcement:

League of Women Voters of the Piedmont Triad

Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 12:15 PM
Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Haywood Duke Meeting Room
605 N. Greene St. near downtown Greensboro

Candidate Forum
Sixth Congressional District

Representative Howard Coble
Republican Incumbent

Dr. Teresa Sue Bratton
Democrat, Challenger

Moderator Dr. David Olson

The October 21 program is free. Reservations are necessary if you’d like to have lunch at a cost of $8.00 per person. Make reservations by Friday, October 17 and please arrive at noon on the 21st if you plan to have lunch.

Reservations: tkwhitacre@triad.rr.com or call Marlene Pratto at 336-275-4422 or Trudy Whitacre at 643-2131.

We've mentioned that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican VP nominee, will be in town Thursday for a fundraiser in Greensboro. And we've mentioned that it just doesn't seem likely that she'd come to town without doing some sort of public event.

Well, the announcement for that event just came through:

Who: Governor Sarah Palin

(Hank Williams Jr. will be along for the ride. He will be singing his new McCain-Palin song which is attached.)

What: Road to Victory Rally

When: Thursday, October 16, 2008

Where: Latham Park (Baseball Stadium) at Elon University

Time: Doors Open at 12:00pm

By far, the best thing about this release is it did come with an audio file attached. Click here to listen to Ol' Hank dump on "the leftwing liberal media" and extole the virtures of Sen. John McCain and Palin.

If you want to see the governor or hear Hank live, here's how you do it.

***Tickets will be available for pickup beginning on Tuesday at 12:00 PM at the the Victory Offices listed below. Tickets are limited to two per-person and will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis.

****Please note that ticket does not guarantee entry to the event. Entry will also be on a first-come, first-serve basis to those carrying tickets, so please be sure to arrive early! Parking for the event will be available at Firehouse Field on Williamson Avenue. For security reasons, bags and signs are prohibited inside the venue.

Ticket Distribution Centers, after the jump:

Early voting will begin Thursday and will continue through Nov. 1.

Our question for Voterspeak: “Do you plan to vote early? What will drive you to the poll before Election Day, or why will you wait until Nov. 4? Where will you cast your ballot?”

Their responses follow:

The lines are out the door and down the block, and hey, there's plenty of early voting days left, not to mention Election Day.

On The Daily Dish, a reader from Asheville wrote in with news from her neck of the woods.

An older man, also in line, told the woman she could not vote because she was electioneering. Another man spoke up and said that the woman could vote so long as she wasn't arm-twisting anyone to vote for her candidate. I am a copy editor for the local newspaper as well as a political junkie. So I vaguely remember reading about some controversy regarding what people may or may not wear to the polling place and how that could be used to disenfranchise voters. It seems like this is what happened at my polling place this afternoon. The poll worker clarified the situation, stating the only ones who could not wear campaign paraphernalia were poll workers.

Want to avoid some of that confusion?

Read what we received from George Gilbert, Guilford County's elections director, on the top misconceptions he's seen around here during this election season.

On his last point, that elections workers don't want a close election, this is a little of Gilbert's humor and pragmatism showing through. If an election is close, then many headaches and questions result, along with the potential for legal battles, recounting ballots and the fear of more hanging chads.

A landslide election victory averts that possibility. Though at this point the presidential election appears to be a close one here in N.C.

This clip from the old 1960s Batman TV series has been floating around in e-mail and on blogs for a few weeks now. Three people have e-mailed it to me just this week.

I do have to say it seems sort of eerily appropriate this election season.

Gov. Sarah Palin visited Greensboro and Elon Thursday.

Click here for the report on her speech.

Click here for the crowd story.

Pictures

I am bemused by the headline on this Burlington Times News piece: "Palin's message delights crowd of 15,000 at Elon"

15,000?

I don't think so. I've seen 15,000 people, I know what that looks like - they don't fit comfortably into a college baseball stadium with room for kids to run around on the grass.

Our story said 2,000, which we got from a police officer and seems consistent with what we saw on the ground. The entire baseball field was open to spectators, but the outfield wasn't full, nor was the infield really.

I would have bought a number up to 5,000, but 15,000? There would still be a traffic jam in Elon if that many folks were there.

The U.S. Seante race between U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole and state Sen. Kay Hagan is getting an increasingly level of attention from national media outlets. After the jump, the take from NPR and NY Times.

The folks staffing VP candidate Sarah Palin's campaign said at the end of the day Thursday that no one from the media - not local pool not national pool - would be going to the DeJoy-Wos house for the fundraiser.

So imagine my surprise when a friend of mine calls asking about this post from the Washington Post's "The Trail" blog.

I'll let you decide for yourself what it means that Palin was talking about press access. From the Post's post:

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- No wonder GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin harbors such hostility toward the mainstream media: her staff imposes limits on her access to it.

During a fundraiser here that raised $800,000 last night, Palin admitted that her aides often dissuade her from tuning into televised coverage of the presidential campaign.

"So North Carolina, I appreciate you all so much, who are here who already get it. You know, maybe I'm preaching to the choir a little bit here, but being here encourages me because I know that I'm not alone and I'll send this message back to John McCain also. At those times on the campaign trail when sometimes it's easy to get a little bit discouraged, when, you know, when you happen to turn on the news when your campaign staffers will let you turn on the news," she said, prompting laughter from the group. "Usually they're like 'Oh my gosh, don't watch. You're going to, you know, you're going to get depressed.'"

She added that while she doesn't always appreciate the way reporters portray the GOP ticket, she's been bolstered by the prayers of many of the campaign's backers.

"But yeah, sometimes you do get depressed watching what it is that they're reporting and the spin and some of the distortion of what our message is and what we stand for. Sometimes that, that gets draining," she continued. "But it's at events like these and our rallies that we are so energized and inspired and we know that we are not alone. We feel your strength and we feel the power of prayer, so many of you tell us that you are praying for us and praying for our country and that's why we so appreciate you being here."

More here. And a follow-up here.

Voterspeak is discussing what how the big registration numbers among Democrats might weigh in the fall election.

The question: Roughly 50 percent of voter registrations this year are Democratic, while only about 20 percent are Republican registrations. About a third of the registrations are independent. What impact (if any) do you believe the increase in Democratic registrations will have on North Carolina's election results?

Join the conversation in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

Jeff Bartolet, 38, Republican: It is not surprising nearly 30 percent don’t identify with either party and that 30 percent will be the deciding factor. What is surprising is how long one party can ride their wave of anti-Bush campaigning, which most likely impacted the registration percentages. I hope the biased and incessant polling will prove futile again this year. Maybe the media gods would learn a little lesson in fairness ... probably not though, their agenda is quite obvious.

Phyllis Davis, 64, Republican: Since North Carolina is one of the states that Acorn might have illegally registered voters, I think this could have a big impact on the elections. Democrats are using “scare tactics” to get voters to register - responsible Republicans were already registered. If election is close there will be a recount.

Kendall Garvin, 29, unaffiliated: It definitely makes things interesting as the election date approaches because of the uncertainty. The main question I have is how many of these new voters will actually vote, since they have not voted before. Another concern that I’ve noticed is that inexperienced voters usually have more trouble with voting because they are not aware of various things that experienced voters automatically know. For example, I have talked to SEVERAL young inexperienced voters who still are not sure of where to go vote and others who think they can just show up some place and simply vote. Missing that one piece of information can take up a lot of time for someone trying to vote.
I don’t think any one can predict how things will go in North Carolina or even in America because of so many different variables until the election day.

Trevor Hamm, 25, Democrat: I think that the increase in Democratic registrations could realistically lead to Democratic candidates winning the presidential, senatorial and gubernatorial races in N.C. I think the increase in registrations just speaks to the frustrations people have had with the current state of the country and the necessity they feel to do something about it.

Marlene Costa Nielsen, 67, Democrat: I would think that most Democratic candidates would have an advantage, given these numbers and the level of discontent among voters.

Kate Peeples, 27, unaffiliated I just don't think the math works out in the Republicans' favor on this one. I think that 30 percent chunk of independents is going to go Democratic, at least for the most part. I don't think McCain's performances in the last couple of debates, nor Palin's public appearances, have done much to boost their standing here. As far as the presidential election goes, I think North Carolina just might "go blue." The other partisan races, especially Dole and Hagan for the US Senate seat, are much tougher to predict. I still think that one in particular could go either way (and I happen to think their ads are much nastier than the Obama/McCain ones).

Ruth Mary Weston, 54, Democrat: Conventional wisdom says the surge in Democratic registrations gives them an edge. However, it won’t result in proportional turnout because most are young/minority, who historically vote less habitually.
I think Republican flight to Unaffiliated is more telling, and linked to national government performance. The Unaffiliated pool is diverse, and no one message will reliably gain all that support. They’ll decide the national election. Party faithfuls will decide down-ballot races.

Weston also included this document.

From
Red State this morning:

Hagan lives on Meadowbrook Terrace in Greensboro, North Carolina. Her property is just down the street from the Greensboro Country Club. She and her husband have lived there since 1984. Charles, her husband, is a legacy member of Greensboro Country Club.

The Country Club didn't allow black members until at least 1995. According to Michael Riley, writing in Time on June 25, 1990, ""Signs of separation persist in the city's neighborhoods, nightclubs, gazes and words. A perspiring black man, nattily dressed in suspenders, white shirt and a hat, pushes a mower across a lush lawn just yards from the elite, whites-only Greensboro Country Club."

Jack Scis, writing in the News & Record on April 6, 1995, noted, "Greensboro Country Club may join other clubs in admitting African-Americans."

This year, in The News & Observer, Kay Hagan told Rob Christiensen, "The Hagans sent their children to the private Greensboro Day School and the family is a member of the Greensboro Country Club, which she said is racially integrated."

Hagan just failed to leave out that she and her husband were members well before the County Club started letting black people through the front door. And you can get on Nexis yourself. You'll find no record of Kay Hagan ever standing up publicly against the policy.

The post also mentions Hagan attending a fundraiser with Godless Americans PAC, which I wrote about here.

So is this anything? Does the policy of a country club that changed 15 years ago and that Hagan belongs to make a difference in your mind? Or is this just so much chaff in the campaign?

(By the way, I think Red State is quote from a column by Jack Scism - not "Scis" - a fixture here in our paper's pages, who writes a history column for us these days.)

Update: My boss also points out that the post in question misspells the name of News & Observer writer Rob Christensen.

Did you vote on Sunday?

Tell us about your experience. Were there lots of people at your polling place? Did you find the magic short line? Did you have any difficulty voting?

If you're undecided on the race for the 6th congressional seat held by Republican Howard Coble and challenged by Democrat Teresa Sue Bratton, then pack a lunch and head on down to Holy Trinity Episcopal Church for a forum that fires up at 12:15 p.m. today.

It's being hosted by the League of Women Voters of the Piedmont Triad.

Also, check this out for those questions still hanging like a chad when it comes to early voting, voting and registration here in Guilford County.

Back when voter registration closed, I asked the Board of Elections for a spreadsheet with each Congressional District broken down by party affiliation. The numbers will move somewhat between now and Election Day because of those who will register during early voting, but the percentages should hold up pretty well.

Click here for my handy-dandy spread-sheet, doctored up somewhat since the SBOE sent it along.

The thing that should jump out at you is that where one party has a majority of voters in the district - cases where more than 50 percent of voters are registered to one party - their party holds and is likely to keep that Congressional seat.

Cases where a party holds a plurality - they have more voters than the other guys but not more than 50 percent - is a good but NOT perfect predictor of which party holds the Congressional seat.

As an example: In the districts that claim pieces of Greensboro, Democrats have majorities in the 12th and 13th Congressional Districts and those districts are held by Reps. Mel Watt and Brad Miller, both Democrats. Further, it is unlikely that either of those men are going to lose their seats this year and if they do expect their losses to be picked apart by political scientists and the national media for months.

In Greensboro's other Congressional District, Republicans hold a plurality of voters and Republican Howard Coble has held the seat for the better part of two decades. It's important to know that there are plenty of Democrats who vote for Coble because they've met him or he's provided them some constituent service or they just like his style. Also, more than 20 percent of the voters in the district are unaffiliated, which means they may have political leanings but they're not showing their hands for whatever reason. A loss by Coble to challenger Teresa Sue Bratton would be surprising but you could, maybe, construct an argument for it in the context of a national wave - but writers like me would be using words like "stunning" to describe the upset.

The two districts in North Carolina that have run counter to party registration advantage are the 3d Congressional District, a Democratic leaning district held by Republican Walter Jones, and the 8th Congressional District, a Democratic leaning district held by Robin Hayes.

In the 3d, the Democratic plurality is relatively weak, only 42 percent. That leaves plenty of independent voters for Jones to win over. Historically, Democrats down there are moderate-to-conservative, which means they are open to voting Republican for national offices. And Jones has taken some cross-party/moderate stands as of late, possibly endearing him to some Democrats. For example, earlier this year he was one of only three Republicans who voted to hold Joshua Bolten and Harriet Miers in contempt of Congress for failing to testify and provide documents relevant regarding the firing of federal prosecutors.

Hayes nearly lost his 8th District seat two years ago and the registration numbers tell me he's darned closed to the tipping point. Democrats are within rounding error of having a majority of voters in the district, while Republican voters make up only a quarter of the district. That means if unaffiliated voters break even slightly against Hayes, he could be in big trouble. And, of course, this is the one Congressional race in the state where either national political party is dumping big money.

Based on the numbers and historical voting patters, the only Congressional district I would expect to see flip this year would be the 8th, where Hayes may lose to school teacher Larry Kissel. Numerically, a Jones loss in the 3d shouldn’t be a surprise but I think there is more going on locally there than the numbers reflect. Any other incumbent losses would be surprising.

Local to Greensboro, the numbers and historical trends say that Coble will win but maybe not with the 60-plus-to-70-plus percent of the vote he is used to pulling down. Bratton has given Coble a good run, but something fundamental in the numbers or the campaign that I just do not see right now would need to change in a hurry for her to pull off the upset.

The News & Record’s Voterspeak panel talks about gathering information helpful to voting.

QUESTION: “Early voting is gathering a head of steam, the presidential debates are over, and other forums for local and state races are dying down as campaigns run to Election Day. Have you decided who you want to vote for? If not, what information do you need to sway you from undecided to choosing a president, senator or governor? Are you finding it?”

And Voterspeak says:

Jeff Bartolet, 38, Republican:One issue gets no media/press coverage at all, but Obama has promised to make sure all restrictions on abortion are removed in his first days in office if elected . McCain-Palin gets my vote for defending the defenseless in our society. Elizabeth Dole has done much more for this state than the media or her opponent says. She’s my choice for U.S. senator.

Phyllis Davis, 64, Republican: My support and vote is for McCain-Palin for president, McCrory for governor and Dole for Senate. Surely the registration fraud/voting issues prompted by ACORN must have swayed even the more ‘diehard’ Democrat to wake up! The distribution of wealth of the working class should be another “wake up call” (socialism). As for “Joe the Plumber” making $250,000 — the news media must not have called a plumber lately and gotten their bill!”

Kendall Garvin, 29, unaffiliated: I have decided who I am voting for and will take advantage of early voting very soon. I found most of my information from looking at local newspaper and TV station Web sites, looking at their past voting record if the person was previously in politics and finding a few interviews of candidates on www.youtube.com. At this point there isn’t much that’s going to change with the candidates.

Trevor Hamm, 25, Democrat: I voted Thursday at the Old Courthouse. I don’t think there is going to be any information that will come out between now and Nov. 4 that would change the way I felt about any of the races or the bonds.

Mike Kelly, 60, Republican: Yes, I have decided for whom I am going to vote. And in this election and at all levels, I believe each person’s vote will be critical. The races for offices are tightly contested and contentious with even that venerable old ship of state, Howard Coble, taking a few shots across his bow. For me, no more information is necessary as nothing new and revelatory has burst upon the scene in the last several weeks. And there have been no swiftboatings or less-than-flattering photos of helmeted candidates in Patton tanks to cause consternation among the nominees from either party.
If a person wanted or needed more information, which is beyond my comprehension, it certainly is easily accessed. I cannot recall an election so rife with data, all a function of campaign wars being waged as much on the Internet as on the stump.”

Marlene Costa Nielsen, 67, Democrat: After watching the debates and the lengthy campaign season unfold, I have become increasingly impressed with Sen. Obama’s intelligence, maturity, good judgment and calm demeanor, which will serve him well as the next president of the United States.

Kate Peeples, 27, unaffiliated: I’ll be voting for Obama on Nov. 4. Sarah Palin was, for me as well as many others, the deal-breaker as far as giving any support for McCain. The choice in the presidential race is clear to me, as is my choice of Kay Hagan for U.S. Senate. (I’m not sure Elizabeth Dole would even know her way around Salisbury anymore.)
The choices in the governor’s race, on the other hand, are much muddier. I really don’t want to vote for either Perdue or McCrory, so for the next couple of weeks I’ll be researching Mike Munger. I do not have any idea right now of who I will vote for in that race. I’m finding that race to be truly frustrating, but elections should give voters the feeling of being forced to make a choice — I just wish that there were better choices to be made!

Deonna Kelli Sayed, 34, Democrat: I am prepared to vote and eager for election season to be over! While I haven’t taken advantage of early voting, I’ve decided on all candidates, both at the national and local levels. This is the best informed I’ve ever been, particularly regarding local election issues. Voterspeak is to thank for that!
Interestingly, I’m waiting until Nov. 4 to vote just in case something big happens to influence my decision in the N.C. races, particularly the gubernatorial and senate seat. There’s nothing that can sway votes like an old-fashioned, well-timed scandal.

Mike Sigmon, 61, Republican: I’ve reached the saturation point! This frequently happens at this stage in election cycles.
I’ve read position papers and watched debates and interviews. Observed who might serve as a presidential cabinet member or adviser. Looked at who might be appointed to key post by a sitting governor or serve as senior staff to a U.S. senator.
Right now, I’m watching and waiting for an action, or reaction, that might change my mind.

Ruth Mary Weston, 54, Democrat: All my decisions are made, but I haven’t quit watching the candidates in case I need to change my mind.
The senate and governor’s races’ advertising is disgusting. But I’m encouraged this election cycle. Journalists have worked harder at fact-checking candidates’ talking points. There’s been better issue coverage.
Maybe we citizens have finally learned our lesson: Our elected officials need our constant guidance and supervision! When their election is over, our real work is just beginning.

The Guilford County Board of Elections met today and decided not to add another day to the early voting calendar.

This, despite an all-star group of local leader-types to support adding an extra day.

The line up included Rep. Alma Adams, Commissioner Carolyn Coleman, Board of Commissioners Chairman Kirk Perkins, Rev. Cardes Brown Jr., pastor of New Light Missionary Baptist Church and local NAACP leader, and Gregory Headen, pastor of Genesis Baptist Church, along with a couple attorneys as backup.

They wanted another day of Sunday voting to build on this past Sunday's big turnout.

But in the end, the board voted to keep things the same, citing the long-standing schedule and giving the elections staff some room to catch up on the work that voting brings.

So if you're looking to vote early, use this same ol' schedule, the one that's been posted since the summer.

For those interested in Kay Hagan's Country Club membership, Politico reports:

The husband of North Carolina Democratic Senate hopeful Kay Hagan is a lifelong member of an exclusive country club that didn’t admit its first black member until 1995, Hagan’s campaign disclosed Tuesday.

Charles “Chip” Hagan III, a businessman and former Democratic county leader, “supported opening up membership” at the 1,000-member Greensboro Country Club -- but remained a member for years despite his opposition to the club’s de facto segregation policy, Hagan spokeswoman Colleen Flanagan told Politico.

Kay Hagan, who is counting on strong support among North Carolina’s black Democrats to unseat Republican incumbent Elizabeth Dole, has never been a member of the club herself, Flanagan added.

“Chip supported broadening the membership to include African Americans and others,” she said. “Though it took longer than it should have, Greensboro County Club fully desegregated in 1995 and remains so today.”

Hagan, a state senator and niece of former Florida Sen. Lawton Chiles, leads Dole by one to three points in a race that is one of the most bitterly fought in the country.

The vast majority of black leaders in the North Carolina back Hagan, who pushed through a $1.5 million state grant for an international civil rights museum in the state senate and recently voted for a bill banning cross burning and the display of nooses.

Click here for their full post.

Update: Hagan's spokeswoman sent along the following, which has been reported in other stories:

"This is textbook Washington desperation. For Elizabeth Dole to be launching these kinds of attacks to cover up her own record of using and defending racially tinged tactics last election cycle as the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee is despicable. And just months ago, Dole chose not to condemn the racist ad run against Democrats in this year’s gubernatorial primary, saying "I'm just not going to get into refereeing a third party political ad that has nothing to do with my race." Those attacks have no place in this campaign, which should be about moving the country forward, not backward. Chip supported broadening the membership to include African Americans and others. Though it took longer than it should have, Greensboro County Club fully desegregated in 1995 and remains so today."

Update: After the jump, a story from the time about the integration of GSO Country Club.

Congressman Robin Hayes, who represents the 8th Congressional District down near Charlotte and the South Carolina border, has managed to get national attention for wedging his wingtips down his throat. From The New York Observer:

Representative Robin Hayes, who prefaced his comments by saying it was important to “make sure we don’t say something stupid, make sure we don’t say something we don’t mean.” Republicans, he reminded the crowd, were kind people. Plus, he added, the liberal media had shown itself eager to distort such remarks. With the crowd duly chastened and put on best behavior, he accused Obama of “inciting class warfare” and said that “liberals hate real Americans that work and achieve and believe in God.”

Dome reports that Hayes later retracted the comments.

The Fightin' 8th, where Hayes faces Democrat Larry Kissell in the election, is a bit out of my coverage area but I note the comments here because they sounded familiar. When Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin was in town, the Washington Post reported she said:

"What about this reward for strong work ethic, isn't that what capitalism is all about? Isn't that what the American economy should be based upon? And so when I mention Joe the Plumber, know that that's why I do mention it. Because we understand what his concerns were as he spoke to Barack Obama there in that rope line," she added.

[snip]

Palin also made a point of mentioning that she loved to visit the "pro-America" areas of the country, of which North Carolina is one. No word on which states she views as unpatriotic.

In a follow up to that post, the Post reporter gave us the full quote:

"We believe that the best of America is in these small towns that we get to visit, and in these wonderful little pockets of what I call the real America, being here with all of you hard working very patriotic, um, very, um, pro-America areas of this great nation."

Like Hayes, Palin later clarified.

Our friends over at UNC-TV have been busting tail to video a bunch of interviews with candidates in federal and statewide races this fall. Along with the N.C. Center for Voter Education they've put together a pretty cool website covering the election, where you can find debate archives, PBS NewsHour reports, and other things of interest if you happen to be among the undecided.

Click here for the homepage.

Note to Doug and other court fans: They have interviews with candidates for Court of Appeals and Supreme Court.

And, just by the way, the News & Record's own election page is right here.

I'm doing a little reporting on a story Saturday looking at what the Internet has done in this election compared to before, in 2004, and came across this from the St. Petersburg Times.

So for the fact-checking junkies out there, it's a fun and informative resource.

Also, if you're going online to watch the streaming debate or to research candidates more and more, I'd like to hear from you. Drop me a line this afternoon or tomorrow. I'd like to know what you're using, where you're going, how you're doing it, and how 2008 is different from 2004. If anything is really getting under your skin about the election online, I'd also like to know about that.

So it IS possible to be amused, to have your heart warmed and to throw up a little in your mouth all at once...

We've known about this quarter-cent sales tax for a while now.

So this letter ran today, which said was signed by Commissioner Kay Cashion and a few others, including Billy Yow, Paul Gibson, John Parks, Kirk Perkins, Mike Winstead and Linda Shaw.

In print and online it was only listed that other commissioners signed, so we're putting the full list here.

Sen. Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee for vice president, will be back in Greensboro on Monday. From the Obama-Biden campaign:

EARLY VOTE FOR CHANGE RALLY WITH JOE BIDEN Price Bryan Performance Place 200 N. Davie St. Greensboro, NC 27401

This event is free and open to the public. Tickets are NOT required, but an RSVP is strongly encouraged. Members of the public are invited to RSVP at www.nc.barackobama.com. Space is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

***For security reasons, do not bring bags. Please limit personal items. No food or drink allowed inside the ballpark. No signs or banners allowed.***

From today's print edition of Inside Scoop:

John Davis has been breaking down state legislative races for NC FREE, a nonprofit that ranks politicians based on how “business-friendly” they are, for more than 20 years. And for most of that time, his message for Republicans in the N.C. Senate race has been gloomy.

Until this year, he said.

“Something very unique is going on this year with the passion of the American public in terms of wanting to make changes,” Davis said. “If an incumbent gives voters a reason to vote them out, the voters are going to jump all over that.”

Democrats have a 31-19 advantage in the Senate. For Republicans to take control, they would need to win seven seats held by Democrats.

Davis identifies eight seats he says could be vulnerable because of changing demographics or missteps by the incumbent. The closest one to Guilford County is in District 24, based in Alamance County, where first-term Democrat Tony Foriest faces Republican Rick Gunn. A Republican had held the seat for the decade before Foriest won in 2006.

Sen. Phil Berger, a Rockingham County Republican and his party’s leader in the Senate, said the eight races Davis has identified are ones where the party sees opportunity as well.

“We’ve been saying all along that the Democrats will be playing defense this time,” Berger said.

Berger’s opposite number on the Democratic side, Fayetteville Sen. Tony Rand, derides Davis’ analysis.

“You mean the analysis by the long arm of the Republican Party? He has no basis for any of that,” Rand said. “John’s simply wrong.”

By the way, in Guilford County, Davis rates the seat held by U.S. Senate candidate Kay Hagan as one Democrats are likely to keep. There, former City Council member Don Vaughan, a Democrat, is running against Republican Joe Wilson.

North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race has become one of the most closely watched in the nation as money from national parties and interest groups has flowed into the state.

State Sen. Kay Hagan, a Democrat, is trying to unseat incumbent Republican Elizabeth Dole. The seat is key to Democrats’ efforts to win the 60-vote majority in the Senate, which would allow them to pass legislation over the objections of Republicans.

The News & Record asked its Voterspeak panel of readers to suggest questions they thought were still unanswered in this final week of the campaign. Coming Wednesday: U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole’s responses.

Questions for N.C. Sen. Kay Hagan:

Phyllis Davis, 64, Republican:
“How do your views differ from those of Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee for president?”

A: “They do differ. One of the big ones is on drivers’ licenses for illegal aliens,” Hagan said.
Hagan is referring to comments Obama made during primary debates that he would allow states to give drivers’ licenses to illegal aliens. Hagan says that should not be allowed.

The issue has not been a major part of the presidential campaign but has become the subject of an ad by the National Republican Trust PAC in recent days. Differences on illegal immigration policy were one of the first major points of contention between Hagan and Dole.

Hagan said she also opposes Obama’s plans to raise the capital-gains taxes — those taxes paid when property or stock is sold at a profit.

According to documents on his web site, Obama would eliminate capital-gains taxes for some small businesses and keep them the same for families making under $250,000. For families making more than $250,000 who are in the federal government’s top two tax brackets, Obama would raise the capital gains tax to 20 percent. Hagan opposes that rise.

Mike Sigmon, 61, Republican:

“Explain in concrete terms your position on off-shore drilling? What safety concerns do you have about preventing oil spills?”

A: “I was an early support of the bipartisan ‘Gang of 10’ legislation,” Hagan said, referring to an energy bill drafted by Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Senate. That “gang” is now a gang of 20, and Dole has joined.

“It would allow North Carolina to get 37.5 percent of the profit,” Hagan said of the bill, saying it was important that the state see return on the exploitation of its oil reserves.

Hagan said that improvements in technology have allayed many, if not all, of her safety concerns.

She added that the governor and state legislature should get to make the final decision about drilling.

Deonna Kelli Sayed, 34, Democrat:

“Looking back at your time in the legislature, what would you do differently?”

A: “I do think I learned that legislation comes from compromise,” Hagan said when asked to reflect on her time in the state Senate. She pointed to the state’s clean smokestacks bill as an example of something that taught her the value of working with Republicans.

When asked if there were votes she wishes she could redo, Hagan said, “I’m sure there are, but I’d have to think about it.

“I’m proud of the stand we took on education, financial literacy for high school students” and other issues.

Update: Hagan later said through a spokeswoman that in hindsight she would have voted to ban soda from middle schools, and would have liked to have seen the ban expanded to high schools, as well. She also said if she was still in the state senate, she would work to add nutrition classes to the school curriculum.

Compiled by staff writer Mark Binker.

Former state Sen. Hugh Webster, the Republican nominee for the 13th Congressional District House seat now held by Democrat Brad Miller, has received a notice from the N.C. State Board of Certified Public Accountants asking him to "cease and desist" using the term "certified public accountant" on a sign at his office on West Main Street in Yanceyville.

Webster says he has covered up the offending words on the sign and has formally consented to abide by the order, which prevents civil action by the board. He also calls the notice "political bull----."

Webster says the sign has been on the building for about 30 years, but that he ceased being a CPA several years ago.

The order was issued about a month ago.

So the NYTimes had something to say about the state's balloting recently.

North Carolina may have the country’s worst. It is already causing confusion with early voters. And if the presidential race is close, it could change the outcome.

Like a number of states, North Carolina allows its voters to choose a straight-party ticket. To do that, voters can mark one box and cast votes for all of the nominees of their preferred party. But North Carolina’s ballot has an unexpected twist. Even if a voter checks the straight-party box, he or she must vote separately for a presidential candidate.

North Carolina’s ballot explains the need to check two boxes, and election officials make an effort to inform voters of the drill. But the ballot is still far too confusing.

Voting machines here give people the option to check ballots. And the county's elections director, George Gilbert, said that it's impotrant for all voters to check their ballots before submitting them.

And if there's a problem with any of the machines, he added, call a pollworker over before submitting the ballot.

Meanshile, Reason.com says that the real problem is dumb people voting:

The problem isn't with North Carolina. The problem is democratic. Any majoritarian system is, by its nature, going to rely on the involvement of masses of dumb people who can't read or understand rules very well. Any ballot tweak meant to increase voter choices or simplify one part of the process is going to accidentally disenfranchise people who don't understand the rules. In 2000, this literally cost Al Gore the presidency. Not old people misreading butterly ballots, that is. People who didn't get the rules.

And a professor at Troy University in Alabama says:

Any complication that can be avoided, should be avoid. For example, as a ballot designer, one has to anticipate that there will be voters who will rush to the “Straight Ticket” section and not pay as careful attention as they should. On the one hand, it is clearly the responsibility of all voters to read the instructions, on the other, it is the state’s responsibility in a democracy to make the voting process as easy as possible. There is also the possible problem that the semi-literate would be able to recognize “Straight Ticket” and go there while no being able to read and comprehend the instructions.

Opinions on this are all over the blogosphere. What do you think?

North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race has become one of the most closely watched in the nation as money from national parties and interest groups has flowed into the state.

Republican Elizabeth Dole is running for a second six-year term against Democratic state Sen. Kay Hagan. Dole has made the case that it’s important to keep a significant number of Republicans in the Senate so Democrats don’t have a “blank check” in running government.

The News & Record asked its Voterspeak panel of readers to suggest questions they thought were still unanswered in this final week of the campaign.

Dole’s responses:

Phyllis Davis, 64, Republican:

“How do your views differ from those of Sen. John McCain, the Republican nominee for president?”

A: “We had a little difference on the immigration issue,” Dole said. Dole was part of a group of senators that blocked a comprehensive immigration reform bill that included a path to citizenship for those here illegally.

McCain sponsored that bill but has not come closer to Dole’s position, saying that the United States needs to secure its borders before tackling other pieces of the immigration puzzle.

Dole said she “has some differences” over the McCain-Feingold law that attempted to set limits on campaign spending. McCain is a long-time advocate for restricting the flow of money in political campaigns of all kinds, while Dole and other conservatives say the measure amounts to a restriction on free speech.

Mike Sigmon, 61, Republican:

“Explain in concrete terms your position on offshore drilling? What safety concerns do you have about preventing oil spills?”

A: “Well, I don’t think you’d want to set the rigs up right on the shore,” Dole said. “So certainly you’d want it out where it’s not seen, because tourism is a really important industry.”

Earlier in her Senate term, Dole opposed lifting the federal offshore drilling ban. She reversed that position this year and said she is convinced that drilling can be done safely.

“In terms of oil spills...the technology has gone so far they can drill a hole the size of a closet and reach out 5 miles. So I think there’s pretty much a consensus that the technology is such you really do not” have a concern.

Dole points to Hurricane Katrina, saying that there were minimal spills in the Gulf of Mexico from that storm. That fact is disputed by several reports, including one by the EPA that showed more than 1 million gallons was lost from one refinery.

Dole is now a member of the “Gang of 20,” a group of senators from both parties hoping to craft energy legislation that can pass the Congress.

Deonna Kelli Sayed, 34, Democrat:

“Looking back at your time in the Senate, what would you do differently?”

A: “I’m pleased with the way I voted on the issues the first term. There are things that occurred that should have been done differently, like the first part of the Iraq War where the administration made a lot of mistakes,” Dole said.

Dole said she is satisfied with the way she has voted.

“I try to make the best decision I can on what I think is right for North Carolina, it’s always North Carolina first,” she said.

Compiled by staff writer Mark Binker.

The News & Record’s Voterspeak panel talks about the McCain campaign.

QUESTION: “As polls show Sen. Barack Obama taking a wider lead over McCain, what would you do if you were running the Republican’s campaign to improve his position in this final week before the election?"

And Voterspeak says:

Jeff Bartolet, 38, Republican: "Understanding that nearly 25 percent of the probable voting population are undecided and that only a small percentage have already cast their votes, I would encourage McCain to map out a detailed plan to stabilize the economy making public his advisory group of highly skilled and influential people, while providing accurate evidence how Obama, Frank, Dodd, etc., contributed to this economic mess and yet are arrogantly blaming Bush. At the same time, he should launch a massive grassroots get out the vote on election day campaign appealing to social and moral conservative who make up a major voting bloc in this nation.
"In my personal opinion, polls should be expelled from the political process at least one month in advance of an election. They have proven to be biased and propangandistic (if that’s a word). And 1000-2000 people from selected pools of people should not determine who will lead this nation for millions of voting Americans."

Phyllis Davis, 64, Republican: "McCain would have to repeatedly emphasize that Barack Obama has no interest in Traditional American Values such as “work hard and you will be rewarded”. He and his running mate would constantly remind the American voters that Obama would disarm our nuclear capabilities at the same time terrorist nations are expanding their nuclear weapons capabilities.
"And of course keep reminding the public that Obama will be raising taxes on the middle class to fund the redistribution of wealth. (The rich will find ways around paying)
And last hope that main stream media will go back to investigative reporting!!"

Kendall Garvin, 29, unaffiliated: "The first thing I would do is to remove McCain’s negative ads against Obama and the democratic party and instead simply focus on McCains’s experience. McCain wants to show he has more experience, since he has been in the senate much longer than Obama. Therefore, he should speak about some things he has done in the senate in plain English that Americans understand. In other words, not simply mention he’s a maverick by standing up to his party, but some other specific things he has done in the senate and house of representatives.
"The ads against the democratic party stating that the government will be all democratic is probably not helping gain a substantial number of votes. Those ads simply speak to his core base of people who are going to vote Republican because of party loyalty. It’s probably not going to do much to persuade “swing” voters."

Trevor Hamm, 25, Democrat: "If I were running the Republican campaign, I would develop a clear vision about where they wanted to take the country as it relates to the economy, energy policy and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Then I would focus all of their efforts on trumpeting that vision instead of talking about Joe the plumber and continuing to try to come up with things to make people afraid of Obama."

Mike Kelly, 60, Republican: "I would have unceremoniously fired me long ago. McCain’s efforts to get elected have been unfocused and scattershot, wandering amoeba-like across the country.
“McCain is now doing what he should done from the onset of this race. His strength lies in more intimate venues where he can press the flesh and speak earnestly and passionately about a few key issues. He has found a few chinks in Obama’s armor, and he has hammered away at those with some success."

Marlene Costa Nielsen, 67, Democrat: “If I were Senator McCain’s campaign manager, I would drop scare tactics and negative ads and give the nation a little straight talk about his priorities should he become president. I would also eliminate the Joe the Plumber reference which has become trite and annoying."

Kate Peeples, 27, unaffiliated: "I would tell McCain first of all, stay in Ohio. And second, lock Sarah Palin up in a room that is nowhere near any cameras or microphones."

Deonna Kelli Sayed, 34, Democrat: "I think I’d take a philosophical perspective if I were a campaign manager. John McCain was once someone respected across the aisle. He also had a bipartisan following among voters. Then he went weird, perhaps taking advice from the wrong people and running a campaign that did nothing to advance his unique accomplishments. I feel for McCain: if he doesn’t win, this legacy will be tainted by his conduct and the Palin factor. This is a disgraceful way to go for a man with a career like his.
"On the tactical side, I’d reign Palin in and have her stop speaking off-the- cuff. I would have McCain talk about how this campaign has side- swiped his real personality and purposely reach out for the disenfranchised republicans instead of appealing to the more conservative demographic."

Ruth Mary Weston, 54, Democrat: "I think it’s too late for Senator McCain to reclaim his former aura of integrity, but that’s his only hope. As a fervent believer in election reform, he is obviously uncomfortable in the mud pit. More Americans than usual are paying attention to this election, and they’ve already seen the puppet-strings of the campaign handlers calling McCain’s dance.
"But we are a nation that believes in redemption. We’re ready to embrace a prodigal son who admits his error. He should recover the inspiring principals and rhetoric of past campaigns. He should embody the honorable America he envisions, not the ignoble one that disappoints him."

Remember the story about state Sen. Kay Hagan taking money from "Godless Americans?"

It's back.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole, who is defending her seat against Hagan, has put an add on the air, starting with newscasts that aired at 5 p.m. Tuesday night, that draws connections between Hagan and Godless Americans PAC.

The ad is based on the fact that Hagan attended a Boston fundraiser that was hosted by more than 30 people. Click here to see the invite.

It took place at the home of Wendy Kaminer and Woody Kaplan, who are leaders in secularist/atheist circles. Kaplan is a founder of Godless Americans PAC.

You can click here to see the text of the ad the Dole's campaign back-up for the claims.

Hagan, who is a church elder, said the ad misrepresents her views. In particular, she says she is incensed by a piece of the ad that shows her picture on screen while a woman's voice says, "There is no God."

I'll have a story on this in tomorrow's paper - you can read a draft after the jump of this post. I'm working on pulling down a copy of the 30-second spot, but you can see a longer non-televised spot by a National Republican Senatorial Committee here:

As I explain in the story, a politician just cannot get elected in North Carolina begin godless. Yes, on behalf of some voters there is a prejudice against different points of view. But far more, I have the sense, take it as a sign of arrogance or a lack of a certain moral barometer. (Note: I am NOT endorsing that view, just saying it is held by some voters.) It just does not play here.

With less than a week before Election Day, this is an aggressive move by Dole - who had to put her "I approve this message" line on the ad. The lack of time makes it harder to push-back against an ad, and the message is pretty severe.

On a side note, I've been writing stories that involved Hagan since 2001 and covered her in the legislature since 2005. This, bar none, is about as angry as I've ever heard her. The newspaper story is after the jump.

I just filed the following to our online site:

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole, a Republican, says she has no intention of taking down an ad connecting her opponent, state Sen. Kay Hagan, to Godless Americans PAC.

The Greensboro Democrat said the ad implies that she does not believe in God and has demanded that Dole cease airing it.

“I think Kay Hagan needs to explain to people why she did that, why she would … make the trip to Boston and go to the home of the home of the founder of the Godless American PAC,” Dole said after appearing at a campaign event in Lexington today. “What do they stand for? They stand for taking God out of the pledge of allegiance, for taking God off our money.”

At a news conference this morning, Hagan said she did not know about the Godless American PAC when she went to Boston for a fundraiser that was organized by ActBlue and hosted by more than 40 individuals.

“I would never, ever condone this kind of personal slander,” Hagan said of the Dole ad. Hagan said she has sent a cease and desist letter to the Dole campaign and a spokeswoman for Hagan said the matter could end up in court.

Click below to listen to my brief interview with Dole this afternoon:

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Here's the 30-second ad, by the way, courtesy of my friends at the The Legion of Dome.

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For those following the back and forth over U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole's ad inferring state Sen. Kay Hagan might be "Godless," you can click here or below for audio of a press conference Hagan held this morning.

More to come on all this. Perviously.

Update: From Allen Johnson.

State Sen. Kay Hagan has put two ads up in response to the Godless controversy.

The Carolina Peacemaker ran a Q&A for county commissioner candidates recently.

They polled the candidates for at large and district 4 on whether they like the quarter cent sales tax referendum, a county-funded health clinic for southeast Greensboro and equal funding for schools.

In short, here's what they said, some of which, we've also reported.

Health clinic
At large candidates
Paul Elledge, Libertarian: No
Paul Gibson, Democrat (i): Yes
John Parks, Democrat (i): Yes
Larry Proctor, Republican: Has to do more research
Wendell Sawyer, Republican: No, it needs private funding

Distirct 4
Kirk Perkins (i), Democrat: Yes
Eddie Souther, Republican: Yes

Sales tax
At large
Elledge: No
Gibson: Yes
Parks: Yes
Proctor: Yes
Sawyer: No

District 4
Perkins: Yes
Souther: Yes

State Sen. Kay Hagan is suing U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole over the "Godless" ads.

Click here for the complaint.

Cross-posted from Capital Beat.

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Jim Neal, who faced Kay Hagan in the U.S. Senate primary, is weighing in on the general election campaign. In particular, he takes aim at Dole's ad on Hagan suggesting Hagan may sympathize with a "Godless" agenda. From his piece on "The Daily Beast:"

Florence Nightingale unleashed her fangs yesterday. The Dole campaign lit up the airways with a stinging commercial suggesting that Democrat challenger Kay Hagan was other-than Godly and Democrats are seething. Kay is in fact an active member of the First Presbyterian Church in Greensboro. She attends Sunday School class regularly. She has served as a church elder. Dole’s attempt to smear her as a secularist is none other than just that. Local television and YouTube should be running a Hagan counter-attack ad tomorrow. I expect Kay will express outrage at anyone who would impugn her faith and then pivot back to her message emphasizing Dole’s voting record, absences from the state and high points of the 2008 Democrat Party economic playbook (i.e., knot a Bush around Dole’s neck.)

Click here for the whole thing. One wonders what kind of ads Dole may have launched based on Neal’s fundraising and endorsements.

From this morning's paper:

RALEIGH — State Sen. Kay Hagan has sued her rival in the U.S. Senate campaign, claiming Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole defamed her with a campaign television commercial that implies the Democrat would support a “Godless” agenda.

"We said from the very beginning this was a very serious matter,” said Hagan spokeswoman Colleen Flanagan. “Kay takes the defense of her faith and her public image very seriously."

The lawsuit was filed in Wake County Superior Court, and Hagan’s campaign provided copies to reporters Thursday night.

The ad in question links Hagan to the Godless Americans PAC, a group that advocates for removing references to God from the Pledge of Allegiance and other areas of public life.

Dole's claim is based on a fundraiser Hagan attended in Boston that was organized by the Democratic fundraising group, ActBlue. Although Godless Americans PAC was not a sponsor, the event was held at the home of one of the PAC’s founders.

Hagan is a Sunday school teacher and elder at First Presbyterian Church in Greensboro. She says the implication that she would back an atheist agenda is "personal slander. ... This is politics of the worse kind."

Deeper in the story, Dole's folks call the suit "frivolous."

Click here for the full story.

Click here for a copy of the suit itself.

Both posted here so those want to discuss can discuss.

Libertarian Chris Cole, the third candidate in the U.S. Senate race, has some thoughts he e-mailed along on the Godless Americans ad controversy:

The Republicans are demonstrating absolute desperation. Their inability to campaign on principles - they have none- forces them to scrape the bottom of the Helms barrel.

Hagan, on the other hand, is offensively disingenuous. She turns to a damsel-in-distress routine because she really has no defense. She was well-aware that her relationship to the Godless Americans PAC would be offensive to most Carolinians. That's why SHE never publicized it. She got caught, and turns to crocodile tears to gain sympathy.

Hagan already had a couple of ads up responding to the Dole's ad on Godless Americans. Here's a third, that's a little more head-on:

Hagan says Dole faked her voice in the ad. My reading of the back-up material was the ad used the voice of a member of the Godless Americans PAC. But because it was played over Hagan's picture and most people don't know what Hagan sounds like, one could jump to the wrong conclusion.

From our friends at the Associated Press:

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) _ Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole is back on the airwaves with a new ad that again decries her rival's ties to an atheist group.

Dole says in the ad airing Friday that the faith of Democratic state Sen. Kay Hagan is not the question. The incumbent says the facts are that Godless Americans held a fundraiser in her honor in Boston.

An adviser for Godless Americans held a fundraiser at his home. The event was not billed as a Godless Americans event, and other hosts included an ambassador and U.S. Sen. John Kerry.

Hagan has already filed suit against Dole, saying an initial ad on the subject was defamatory.

Dole ends her new ad by asking voters, "If Godless Americans threw a party in your honor, would you go?"

Hagan Spokesman Colleen Flanagan said that the ad contradicts a statement Dole spokesman Hogan Gidley made to the Independent:

Dole spokesman Hogan Gidley insists the ad did not imply that Stone is an non-believer, or even that the fundraiser was an atheist event. "There were people there of several different, I'm sure, religious backgrounds," he says. "I'm sure there were some Christians there. But we know there to be some atheists there."

"This whole thing is not about religion," Gidley says. "It's about a radical agenda from a group that wants to take ‘under God' from the Pledge of Allegiance and ‘In God We Trust' off the money, and not allow Christmas to be a federal holiday. Members of the Senate vote to confirm judges at all levels of government. And the battlefront for these cases against God in our public square are fought in local courts." (That's not quite true: Senators confirm federal judges.)

From the Dole campaign:

Salisbury, NC - Lawyers for Senator Elizabeth Dole's campaign attorney today filed a motion to dismiss Kay Hagan's frivolous lawsuit and a discovery request which will compel Hagan to answer under penalty of perjury as to the factual accuracy of Senator Dole's campaign ad. The filing includes 25 questions Hagan’s campaign will have to answer and will force her to admit that the "Promise" ad is 100% truthful.

"For once during her campaign, Kay Hagan won't be able to dodge serious questions," said Dole Campaign Communications Director Dan McLagan. "The questions in this filing, if answered truthfully by Hagan, will prove the “Promise” ad is 100% accurate."

The letter, from the law firm Boyce & Isley, PLCC to Hagan's attorneys at Parker Poe Adams and Bernstein, LLP, responds to Hagan's stated intent to launch a frivolous lawsuit against Dole. It was delivered to the Hagan Campaign today.

Click here for the "Request for Admissions" the Dole campaign sent Hagan.

Update: Click here for the motion to dismiss.

The following is a prepared statement sent to me by the Piedmont Freethought Association about everyone's favorite (or not) campaign ad:

The Piedmont Freethought Association is a group of North Carolina citizens that has met in Greensboro for many years. Our members have in common only the fact that we do not accept religion as unquestionable truth. We represent non-believing and non religious Americans from all walks of life. Like most Americans, we pay taxes, raise families, and donate time and money to charitable causes to serve our country and communities. We also hold many diverse political philosophies including Republican, Democrat, and Independent. Therefore, the Association is not usually interested in participating in political races that take place here. We certainly have never discussed the notion of endorsing or opposing any candidate for public office.

However, the recent use of an attack ad by Senator Elizabeth Dole against her opponent, Kay Hagan, has led us to make the following statement:

Senator Dole's use of scare tactics, implying that her opponent is either atheist or in sympathy with atheists, does a great disservice to the people of this state. There are a large number of people in North Carolina who do not follow a religion and do not believe in a God or Gods, yet do strongly believe in the principles of democracy and freedom of religion that our nation was founded on. No member of the Piedmont Freethought Association, past or present, has done anything to warrant the insinuation by Senator Dole that we are in any way dangerous or worthy of lesser standing as citizens than anyone else. This is an insult to all of us, but especially those veterans in our association who proudly served and sacrificed for our country in uniform.

We respect Senator Dole's right to say whatever she pleases in her ads, restricted only by campaign laws and funding. However, we respectfully request that she consider removing this ad from circulation as a matter of civic decency. We also ask that she issue a statement to the effect that she recognizes that non-believers and all minority citizens of North Carolina have full rights and standing to participate in the voting process, and to express their views. Finally, we ask that she apologize to Kay Hagan for insinuating there should be a religious test for public office.

Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory and Lt. Gov. Bev Perdue are locked in a tight race for the governor’s mansion. The two have traded leads in public polls as they trade barbs through campaign ads.

We asked our Voterspeak panel of readers for questions they would want to ask the pair, hoping to help people who might still be undecided in the race make up their minds.

Ruth Mary Weston, 54, Democrat:

“With tax revenues falling, how do you propose to balance the state’s budget?”

A: “The first thing I’m going to do is reprioritize where we’re spending our money,” McCrory said. “I’m going to look at every program, including education.”

He said that colleges should shift spending from majors that don’t produce good job prospects to those that do. For example, he said he would channel money into the nursing program by taking money from programs that don’t have obvious career paths attached to them.

“My goal is to get people jobs,” he said.

He said that he would put together a crisis team to go through the budget line-by-line and cut unnecessary expenditures. McCrory said that he would not raise taxes to balance the budget.

Jeff Bartolet, 38, Republican:

A: McCrory responded by saying he has a 10-point plan to do that posted on his Web site. He was asked to highlight one or two points.

“I’m already doing some of it. I put my financial reports online so everyone can see exactly where my contributions come from,” McCrory said, referring to his campaign finance documents.

He also said that he wanted the state to put every contract and the bids for that contract online so that people can see what government is buying, what is being paid and who is winning the business.

Kate Peeples, 27, unaffiliated:

A: “Leadership,” answered McCrory, who has founded his campaign on his work guiding the city of Charlotte for the past decade.

“Leadership in the area of public safety, leadership in the area of economic development. ... Leadership in open and honest government,” he said.

“I have a successful track record in recruiting and creating jobs, preparing transportation in anticipation of growth rather than reacting to it,” he said.

Compiled by staff writer Mark Binker

Lt. Gov. Bev Perdue and Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory remain locked in a tight race for the governor’s mansion. The two have traded leads in public polls and traded barbs through campaign ads.

We asked members of our Voterspeak panel for questions they would want to ask the pair, hoping to help people who might still be undecided in the race make up their minds.

Ruth Mary Weston, 54, Democrat:

A: Perdue said she has helped balance state budgets before, including as a Senate budget chairman after Hurricane Floyd.

“I know how to do that, and we’re going to have a big shortfall to deal with,” she said. When asked for specifics, she said: “You do it the hard way; you make tough choices about what you invest in with limited funds.”

Perdue says the day after she is elected, she will begin assembling a team to examine the state budget and find cuts that can be made. She said she would protect budgets for education and she praised current Gov. Mike Easley’s move of ordering 3 percent budget cuts from state agencies.

Perdue said she would not advocate raising taxes, saying that would only frustrate the state’s current economic problems.

Jeff Bartolet, 38, Republican:

A: “The documents of North Carolina agencies and office holders belong to the people of the state,” Perdue said. She said she would make sure that as much as possible is posted online so the state would have a kind of “Google accountability.” That would include state contracts and bids so people could examine what the state is buying and how much it paid.

She added that anyone working in her administration would have to sign a form saying that if they were suspected of unethical conduct — even if cleared by the state ethics commission — they could be fired by the governor if their behavior “doesn’t pass the smell test.” Perdue added, “I intend to set a new standard for accountability.”

Finally, she said that she would work to establish public financing for statewide races so candidates for governor would not have to raise such large sums of money.

Kate Peeples, 27, unaffiliated:

A: “This state must have someone who can build and protect the jobs we have,” Perdue said.
She pointed to her experience helping to keep military bases in the state and her efforts to invest in renewable fuels.

“I saw green before it was the cool thing to do,” Perdue said.

In general, Perdue said she had the right experience to manage the state’s budget through the economic downturn.

Compiled by staff writer Mark Binker

The News & Record’s Voterspeak panel talks about making good with the losing party.

QUESTION: “The campaigns for president have been rough, especially considering the ads and attacks from both parties. If the candidate you want for president loses, what do you want the winner to do? How can he reach across the aisle? What would he need to do to mend fences and lead this country?"

And Voterspeak says:

Jeff Bartolet, 38, Republican: "I'd like to see whoever wins work toward establishing independent regulation of government-backed financial institutions; i.e., unannounced audits of financials, drastically reduce salary/pension/severance caps for CEO's, limit fringe benefits, etc.
"There also needs to be independent reviews of government research on global warming, medicine, health insurance, bioethics, and immigration. Eliminate the bureaucracy behind the 'expert' panels and let those with expertise in these areas from both sides of the political spectrum speak openly.
"Much more rides on this election than most think. The Democratic party is doing everything they can so they won't have to reach across the aisle, aiming for the filibuster-proof margin in the Senate and buying prime-time to gain control of the executive and legislative branches. If that happens, they will have two years of unfettered power and will probably try to fill the judicial branch with activist judges. If McCain wins, he has proven himself a man who puts country before party, so he will most likely reach across the aisle to work with Democrats to resolve the economic situation while keeping America safe from terrorism."

Phyllis Davis, 64, Republican: "If my candidate of choice for president does not win I would want the opposition to rethink redistribution of wealth. It would be unfair for young people to believe that "big government" will provide for all their needs. Why would young people strive to be a success in life if someone else worked hard and long to succeed for others to share in their wealth. I think that is sending the wrong message to our young citizens. He would need to know the difference between a "privilege" and a "right" as described in our constitution and convey that to the base of voters that elected him. No one should depend on a "hand out" as a way of life. Redirect the ones that are there now and educate the ones that might grow to depend on hand outs in the future."

Kendall Garvin, 29, unaffiliated: "Trying to heal the party lines is something that will be very hard to do in a short period of time. One thing that the winning candidate can do is to remember that he is an individual and not tie EVERYTHING into what the party wants. Another thing is to advocate for compromises to bring the parties together."

Trevor Hamm, 25, Democrat: "If I were running the Republican campaign, I would develop a clear vision about where they wanted to take the country as it relates to the economy, energy policy and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Then I would focus all of their efforts on trumpeting that vision instead of talking about Joe the plumber and continuing to try to come up with things to make people afraid of Obama."

Mike Kelly, 60, Republican: "The campaigns waged by this year’s combatants have been tame relative to, say, that of 1828 in which the morality of Jackson’s wife was questioned, or to the “Daisy Girl” of 1964 or more recently to the “Swiftboating” of Kerry. Obama and McCain have inflicted minor injuries on one another, really. Certainly nothing that cannot be overcome if not completely forgotten.
"I think that the horrendous state of our economy, strangely enough, will serve as a salve to the wounds sustained during the run-up to the election. This may seem counterintuitive, but the fact is we have a hell of lot more to worry about than if some pol had his feelings hurt.
"One talks of mending fences. America has more than just fences that need fixing. The winner must take immediate measures to fix our economy. And in so doing, he will necessarily have to enlist those members of the other party. If the new president cannot sublimate party politics in order to right our floundering economy then he has no hope of leading this country anywhere."

Marlene Costa Nielsen, 67, Democrat: “If John McCain is elected president, I hope that he will find the best foreign policy and economic advisors, regardless of party. I would like for him to work with Congress to allow the Bush tax cuts to expire in 2010 and find a way for present illegal immigrants to become U.S. citizens while securing our borders. We need to become one country again after the long and bitter campaign season."

Kate Peeples, 27, unaffiliated: "If Obama wins the election, I would expect McCain to put to use all of his positive leadership qualities and skills - most of which have had to be shelved during the latter parts of the campaign - to ensure his fellow Republicans' cooperation with the new, Democrat-led government. He has talked all along about his experience "reaching across the aisle," and whether or not we have doubted that record all along, in the event of his defeat, McCain should take the opportunity to continue that kind of leadership.
"Since North Carolina is still considered a battleground state, though, I thought I'd try to look at this question from the other side, too. So, if McCain wins, I think Obama should use the incredible momentum his campaign has built up to keep people involved in the political and governmental machines. Civic responsibility doesn't stop with voting. And even if another Bush Republican does take the oath of office, there will more than likely be a Democrat-led, if not majority, Congress. Usually that means more time wasted as the two sides dig in, but I think Obama is the kind of leader who can discourage people, including elected representatives, from simply blocking the other side's way, and instead encourage cooperation. Naturally, I would expect him to lead by example."

Deonna Kelli Sayed, 34, Democrat: "If Obama (my preferred candidate) isn't elected, I would hope McCain would be McCain again. I'd want him to distance his administration from all the Bush cronies. I'd like to see some of Obama's people in the new administration as an act of bipartisan good faith.
"Certainly, I'd want to see more attention paid to the middle class. McCain's discourse on the average person doesn't go beyond Joe the Plumber I'd really like to see huge diversity in his advisors regarding health care. Personally, I would feel deeply alienated from his administration with Palin as VP. I hope he would clearly define her role to be as minimal as possible."

Ruth Mary Weston, 54, Democrat: "There used to be this thing called sportsmanship. It meant playing by the rules as hard as you could. It meant treating your opponent with the same respect, win or lose. No gloating, no taunting, just a handshake and a look in the eye.
"Sportsmanship keeps you cool-headed so you can analyze the game for strengths and weaknesses. It concentrates your energy for constructive use instead of dissipating it on excessive celebration or depression. And, perhaps most importantly, it prevents making implacable enemies in case you end up on the same team later.
"If each of us chooses sportsmanlike conduct, regardless of who wins, we’ll show our new leader the way to really get together and solve problems we agree on."