Triad Conservative

TWC Senate Debate

The first charade has concluded.  The televised North Carolina Senate debate tonight predictably featured media representatives from the Charlotte Observer and Time Warner News who hurled questions from the left. 

Time Warner's post-debate analysis team included three academicians and a representative from the NC Free Enterprise Foundation.  It is difficult to argue that the political values of three academicians is going to be typical of those who comprise the GOP base.  In any event, the post-debate analysts all were in the tank for Thom Tillis.  They frothed at the mouth, for instance, regarding how Tillis spoke repeatedly about Kay Hagan.

Tillis made a statement, however, that primary voters need to note.  He said that the economy is the most important issue that the United States Senate will need to address.

Is that what conservatives truly believe-- that the most important role of elected officials in Washington, especially at a time like this, is to address the economy?

Tillis also referred to his approach as "balanced"-- which should ring warning bells for conservatives.

Greg Brannon, as usual, made some great points and performed well.  He continues to be the candidate who is singularly grounded in the U.S. Constitution.  Mark Harris did nothing major to hurt himself. 

Even Tillis' opponents must concede that he presents himself well even if some of the things that he says do not seem terribly credible. 

But it was very difficult for any of those challenging Tillis in this particular environment to break out of the pack.  Because of this dynamic, Tillis might have been helped marginally by the debate; although I would hesitate to say that he won it outright from the vantage point of thoughtful conservatives.  The informed GOP primary voter will likely settle on one candidate based on his or her own priorities.

Let's hope the multitude of conservative forums and events at the local level, in which Tillis refused to participate, carry greater weight in the minds of these voters. 

It was clear, however, from the post-debate discussion that the media/left complex very much wants Tillis to be the nominee.  

Conservative senatorial candidates should not allow themselves to be vetted by the mainstream media.  But they elected to participate; and now have another debate with WRAL tomorrow night.

Matheny the Liberal Choice in the Republican 6th Congressional District Primary

There is a great experiment shaping up in the Republican primary for the 6th Congressional District.  Councilman Zack Matheny's candidacy openly tests the premise that a known, recognized liberal/progressive could grab the Republican nomination in a state like North Carolina.

A couple of interesting developments occurred over the weekend.  First, he secured the endorsement of the Greensboro News and Record, which is a liberal Democratic newspaper.  And in spite of this, the paper reported the very same day that he had been designated as "On the Radar" by the National Republican Congressional Committee.  The national Republicans are apparently unconcerned regarding what his politics represents.

It has been clear for months that Matheny is the choice of Greensboro liberals. 

Let's look at the man's record during the 6+ years he has served on the Greensboro City Council.

1. He is a big spending, big government politician.  He has supported enormously expensive, unnecessary projects such as the downtown greenway, the aquatic center and the performing arts center.  He has thereby cost the taxpayers tens of millions of dollars.  He has also been a big proponent of using taxpayer monies to prop up downtown Greensboro (and thereby, downtown commercial real estate interests). 

2. He aligned himself with a corrupt local political machine.  He repeatedly sought and obtained the endorsement of the Simkins PAC.  This group is almost exclusively comprised of progressives; and is defined by its racial identity politics.  The PAC, in concert with local development-related interests, had controlled local government in Greensboro and Guilford County for many years.  The tales of corruption associated with this machine are too extensive to recite in this post.

3. He has openly rejected traditional Judeo-Christian morality.  Matheny voted a couple of years ago to support a city council resolution opposing the state marriage amendment.  He has previously sought and obtained the endorsement of the Replacements Ltd. PAC-- a local special interest group that espouses the gay sociopolitical agenda.  And when Republican conservative council member Danny Thompson sought several years ago sought to require filters on library computers to protect minors, Matheny opposed it-- even though reports of library patrons openly viewing porn had been documented.

4. Greensboro has done poorly on his watch.  Matheny claims he is all about jobs and economic development.  But in fact, Greensboro has done very poorly.  It has had enormous problems with poverty rates and unemployment.  Matheny's policies don't work well. 

5. There are issues with temperament and character.  Check here for a recent example.

The national Republicans might believe that a politician like Matheny should be "on the radar".  But here in the state of North Carolina, conservatives ought to reject his candidacy summarily.

Let the Greensboro liberals support him as they wish, and throw their campaign dollars at him.  But conservatives ought to be warning voters what he is all about.

How Is Zack Matheny Earning His Piece?

An interesting story is circulating online about Greensboro City Councilman and congressional candidate Zack Matheny. 

Billy Jones is reporting that Matheny is earning a 2% share of the value of a real estate deal in Charlotte. Another blog reports that one of the parties to this transaction is an executive with Lomax Construction. 

George Hartzman reported that the building for the Gerbing incentive deal was owned by Lomax.  Recall that Matheny pushed for incentives for this deal even though it would have pulled jobs away from Rockingham County and into Greensboro.  (Furthermore, Billy Jones alleged that Zack would have received a brokerage fee for this deal even though he was acting as a city councilman.) 

It has also been reported that Matheny receives campaign contributions from the Lomax people.

In any event, a question is raised as to what Matheny did to earn a 2% share of the Charlotte transaction.  If all the above linked reporting is true, perhaps there is a good explanation for the 2%.  But it would be good to hear it.

Billy says that Zack's company, White Oak Capital, helps developers find money for projects.

There is a side of Matheny's political profile that the local MSM does not report.  It would be a downright shame if he were permitted to replicate this behavior in Washington.

Social Conservatives to Join Forces with Constitutional Conservatives for Senate Race?

The GOP primary for the U.S Senate race in the state of North Carolina is potentially a mess.

Far too many candidates are running-- including several with little or no chance of prevailing in the primary.  They ought to get out of the race as soon as possible.  With so many putative conservatives running, it risks throwing the nomination to the moderate Tillis.  Is that what all these candidates want?  (I acknowledge that it is entirely possible one or two of them might be running precisely to help achieve that end.)

Something else ought to be happening in this primary race-- but is not.

Constitutional conservatives and social conservatives ought to be running into each other's arms to back a single candidate.  They ought to be working in tandem to assure that a moderate is not nominated.   But instead, we have seen them backing different candidates.

In addition, some of the national organizations like National Right to Life and the NRA have thrown their support to Tillis.  They probably don't understand that they might be undermining the most reliably conservative candidates.  Maybe these groups have been influenced by national GOP operatives.  Maybe they don't understand the race at the local level as they should.

Constitutional conservatives and social conservatives, during the next couple of weeks, need to figure out a way to unite and back a single candidate.  A few good candidates are running; and each camp might have its own preferences.  But it would be a lot easier to beat Tillis if these two conservative factions were to figure out which candidate, among the entire field, is going to be acceptable to both camps. 

My own opinion is that this candidate is Dr. Greg Brannon.

Addendum 04/17: Those who believe Thom Tillis is a strong social conservative ought to consider the following.  First, there has been a sentiment among the NC House leadership in favor of casino gambling in certain limited parts of the state.  Second, they have failed to counter effectively the electronic gambling establishments that have proliferated in local communities on their watch throughout North Carolina.  And third, we did not see any legislation passed during Tillis'  period of leadership that would effectively reverse the awful, increasing trend toward single parent families within our state.  We don't need another Richard Burr who will "grow" on the social issues once he arrives in the US Senate.

Best LTE: No Ordinary Weakling

This appeared in the Register-Guard in Eugene, Oregon a few weeks ago: (HT Conservative HQ)

Those who compare the bare-chested conqueror of the Crimea with the metrosexual ruler of the United States and find our emperor weak to the point of deserving ridicule miss the essential strength of President Obama.

It’s no ordinary weakling who can turn a once-respected country into an international joke; reduce Congress to a gaggle of sniveling sycophants; turn the world’s finest medical system into a failed third-rate socialist nightmare with a stroke of his pen; shatter our Constitution without attempted recourse by the sons and daughters of frontiersmen and pioneers whose blood was used to write that inspired document; and turn the people of our once-united states into a herd of competing minorities who, like suckling pigs, are each afraid to lose his place on the government teat should he raise his voice to protest the ruin of our country.

So don’t denigrate the nonentity ruler who has overcome his uncertain ancestry and ludicrous incompetence to do what no other king or dictator has been able to do in our 237-year history: He has destroyed America.

REIS R. KASH

Springfield

The Nevada Showdown

C4GC Primary Endorsements

MSM Chess Game on Republican Senate Nomination

Sam Hieb notes the News and Record's endorsement of Jim Snyder for the upcoming US Senate Republican primary.  Hieb notes:

Our local paper of record is and always has been in the tank for Hagan, so I can’t help but think they’re endorsing the candidate who has the least chance of defeating her in November.

The absurdity of a liberal Democratic newspaper endorsing in a Republican primary ought not be understated.  But Sam's hypothesis is entirely justified.  It is quite clear that the mainstream media wants Kay Hagan to win; so we must analyze all their actions during Republican primary season through this prism.

A great drama is developing regarding the TV debates sponsored by Time Warner Cable and WRAL, respectively.  Thom Tillis-- the moderate candidate-- is only participating in the former, not the latter.

I had previously argued that the candidates should not participate.  The "journalists" moderating the debates and writing questions are being granted a key role vetting Republican candidates.  This is insane. 

How will the "journalists" handle this responsibility?

One possibility is that they will attempt to sink the most conservative candidate(s) outright.  They would doubtless enjoy being able to do that.  Another scenario is that they might try to help the candidate they perceive to be Hagan's weakest prospective opponent.  Finally, they might want to try to propel the least conservative candidate.

For the MSM players, this is a big chess game. 

They will not necessarily perceive their role to be that of an honest broker.  Instead, they will more likely want to be a participant; and might also covet the opportunity to influence the primary outcome.  The question is which moves they will make, and why.

NCFPC on NC Marriage Amendment Case

The North Carolina Family Policy Council (NCFPC) has issued a statement explaining that the new ACLU lawsuit against North Carolina's marriage amendment is patterned after "a legal strategy that has been successful in other states".

NCFPC says of the US District Court hearing the challenge here in Greensboro:

The court should not become distracted from the question that is before it, which is to determine whether there is a rational basis for North Carolina's marriage laws that define marriage as only the union of one man and one woman. That rational basis is found in the fact that for all of history across varied cultures, and through thousands of studies over decades, marriage between one man and one woman has been recognized as providing the best environment for raising children, and for producing a flourishing society.

Let us pray that the federal district court will see through the ACLU's new strategy in these cases, and uphold North Carolina's marriage laws as constitutional.

 

I had written about this matter last week.

Shameless Kay