Claude Pope, the chairman of the N.C. Republican Party, is biting back at the New York Times. The Times ran an editorial last week titled "The Decline of North Carolina" that decried the Republican legislature's policies. Pope responds with an open letter to the Times editorial board, "thanking" them for gracing us with their "political wisdom from on high."
Here's Pope's letter:
Thank you, New York Times. We southern hillbillies are always honored when the Old Gray Lady’s beacons of intelligence bestow their political wisdom from on high.
And why shouldn’t we be eager to heed your advice on critical legislative matters pending in the Tar Heel State?
After all, you’ve stood courageously against some of humanity’s most imminent threats – like soda. Does the thought of hiking taxes on North Carolina’s job creators make your Ivy League hearts flutter as fast as a new tax on Dr. Pepper? It must. Why else would you be so serious about leaving the unemployed stuck in poverty, instead of helping them climb out of it by creating new jobs?
You’re one of the world’s most ardent advocates of diversity and tolerance. Except the ideological kind, of course. Remember 1956? That’s the last time you endorsed a Republican presidential candidate.
That’s right: Carter, Dukakis, Mondale – all met your elite editorial standards. So it’s understandable you felt the need to traipse into this General Assembly’s business, with no mention of the Democrat disaster that preceded it.
If you had ever stepped foot in North Carolina, you’d know the carnage you describe is actually a massive rebuilding and clean-up effort. Your ideological soul mates sunk this state into a financial hole larger than your collective egos.
No wonder the liberals here swoon over your every word. What you oracles of knowledge lack in humility, you certainly make up for in fair-mindedness, and accuracy.
Although, your “demolition derby” of hyperbole did miss the mark on our legislative agenda. The voter ID laws we’re “rushing” through have actually been in the works since January. The convicted death row inmates you defend – those guilty of some of our state’s most egregious, violent crimes – already have an avenue to prove discrimination, one that doesn’t rely on faulty political science research.
What was it, exactly, about North Carolina that you found so “farsighted”? Was it double-digit unemployment? Horrendous dropout rates? Declining wages? The highest taxes in the Southeast?
And spend more money for better education, you say? How’s that working for your public schools, NYC? Still poorly-performing, and poverty stricken?
Oh, and thanks for all the revenue. The “grotesque” policies you decry are bringing North Carolina more residents from New York than any other state in the nation.
Thanks again, New York Times. We aspire one day to live in a state as progressive, clean and friendly as your city. And to live in a world as enlightened as your editorial board.
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20 comments:
You might hope that the result of the well-reasoned and on-target Times editorial might result in a bit of critical self-examination from the NC Republican leadership, but no. After all, being a die-hard conservative means never having to say you're wrong, or you're sorry, or conceding anything at all to your heathen opposition. Because you're always RIGHT, aren't you Mr. Pope? (even when you're tragically wrong).
I suspect that some of the hundreds of thousands of our state's poorest residents who would have been able to finally have some minimum standard of health care had the "leaders" of the state GOP been willing to expand Medicaid (paid for by the feds) might feel somewhat differently. But then, they don't really matter to folks like you, do they Claude? By golly, if they want health care, let them get a job that provides it, eh? Oh yeah, the number of employers refusing to offer health care grows every year, and you don't want Obamacare to help. And besides, they seldom vote Republican, so who cares about 'em? Certainly not you.
In fact, you and yours have so much contempt for the middle class and poor that you want to restructure the tax code to make them pay more in sales and service taxes just so you can give your wealthy constituents more tax cuts, even though there is scant evidence cutting marginal tax rates on the rich ever creates any new jobs, as Warren Buffet has tried to explain to people like you many times. They just end up sinking that extra "found money" in high-risk, high-return investments like the sub-prime mortgage market - how'd that work out?
As for cutting funding for education, an achievement the GOP is especially proud of, just how many new jobs will THAT brilliant decision bring? We're already next to the bottom in terms of teacher pay, and you want to make sure we scrape the very bottom of that barrel. Our university system was once the pride of the nation. Looks like your buddies in the legislature are going to remedy that situation, huh? High-tech companies looking for a well-educated and skilled workforce will be sure to take note.
I could go on, but why bother? Your mean-spirited letter to the Times has shown you have nothing but contempt for anyone living outside your alternate reality bubble. Pity those of us who have to live in the real world with guys like you in charge. The only good news is there will be another election next year, and maybe you'll listen to the "great unwashed" then. You'll have plenty of time on your hands, I'm guessing.
Thanks "Arch" for your delusional leftist response.Whether you like it or not, cutting US marginal income tax rates in the 80's led to the greatest economic boom in world history, and federal tax revenues incresed sharply with that growth. Sorry to prick your little Marxist bubble.
Thanks Archiguy. I couldn't have said it better myself.
This response to the first post: all you are doing is confirming what I have always believed, that the Democratic Party has little to offer to people who want to achieve something in their lifespan by working toward a goal
Wow, that was embarrassing. Was that written by and adult or an angry child in detention?
anon10:34 (think that on-line handle is anonymously secure enough? - maybe you need a few more digits):
Thanks for making my point about conservatives living in an alternate reality bubble. The largest economic boom in world history actually occurred at the end of WWII and into the 50's when the marginal tax rates were much, much higher, especially the top rate. There's scant evidence that Reagan's demolition of the federal revenue stream, designed to "starve the beast" as he put it, had any positive effect on growth. What it DID do is lead to the largest federal budget deficit in history. Maybe that's what you meant.
Besides, if what you say is true, then we should be SWIMMING in jobs due to the top-rate tax cuts instituted by Dubya Bush in '01 and '03, right? How'd that work out?
Instead, we got real-estate and "complex financial instrument" speculation bubbles that led directly to the crash of '07, something many "delusional liberals" saw coming - and tried to warn people like you about - years earlier. Actual, demonstrable facts can be so darn inconvenient sometimes, can't they?
What an absolute embarrassment. Claude and Art are ruining the Pope family name.
Archiguy, was that world renowned university system better with the fake job for Easley's wife and friends?
Exactly where do you think the fed gets its money?
The Democrats ruled for over 00 years, its going to take some time to fix all that stupid. Did you complain when Bev stole money from the education lottery to repair her daddy's pier? I doubt it, no you only complain when its not your team. The Rebublicans could cure cancer and you would complain about it.
While Mr Pope was hoping for a satirical laughs to distinguish the differences between NYC and NC, it comes off as arrogance, just as the NYTimes article. Mr Pope should have more eloquently responded that North Carolinians embrace their way of life, and it is not necessary for our citizens to live or think like the people in NYC to find success. NC has citizens from all walks of life living in various socioeconomic groups, education levels, political views, and nationalities just as the people in NYC. We are not backwards. We’re not ignorant. We’re not unsophisticated. We do have a true fear and reverence for the things of God Almighty, and we’re not going to allow others to bully us and dictate how we live.
While there are great efforts being made in NYC to help its citizens curb obesity by limiting sugar consumption, offering bike sharing kiosks, and adding bike lanes on many of its city streets, (something all other US cities should implement as well), this should not be a point to mock. I believe Americans have lost their humanity. We pay millions of dollars to air anti-bullying ads on television for children, yet adults are the biggest violators of this reform. When we don’t agree with the way some people are doing things or it goes against how we think it should be implemented, we get on our podium and stump that others are wrong. What happened to allowing others to make decisions their constituents favor? What happened to allowing people to have the right to their own opinion and not being subjected to insults and bickering for standing for what we believe?
I see Archie said nothing about the former Democrat Chicken Lady who was governor when she raided the Education Lottery - TWICE to the tune of $110 MILLION...
Democrats, only spew their "facts".
Also, what about people leaving places like NY in droves - especially Blacks, to come South?
NYT hasn't endorsed a Republican for President since Eisenhower. Think about that: Carter, Carter for re-election, Mondale, Dukakis.
At least their Democrats aren't as overtly racist as the ones who founded the N&O.
Thank you Mr. Pope for standing up to the NYT. It is a liberally biased rag that distorts the truth to further its own agenda.
Stay focused and keep up the good work of lowering taxes, balancing budgets, and making the state job friendly for local businesses to expand as well as attract relocations.
And pay no mind to the Moral Monday aka Media Monday protestors. They walk around the poor and jobless Monday mornings to get to their marks for lights camera action and then condemn others for not caring about the poor.
The following 4 people are all thats needed to describe the cesspoll of the NYT and New York politics:
Anthony Wiener (pornographer), Elliott Spitzer(hypocritic john), Charles Rangel(racist, tax-evader), Hillary Clinton(hypocrite, responsible for murder of Americans).
I will make anyone a bet. The migration from North Carolina to New York over the last 50 years for the purpose of jobs and economic opportunity is at least five times as the migration from there to here for the same reasons. And the only way that I can win that bet is if the flow of tax dollars from New York to here has remained a positive for every one of those fifty years.
Pope is a loudmouth in the old Southern tradition, playing on the ignorance and prejudices of other self delusionists.
If anyone can prove me wrong, go at it. I have no love for New York but to not understand its centrality in the financial success of this nation and the democratic success of the same is pure self delusion.
A very sad response by the head of the Republican Party. A reasoned rebuttal, if he could make one, would have been great.
Anyone who was on the fence in deciding whether or not NCs ruling party is a bunch of ignorant crackers need only read that imbecile's letter.
Thank you, Mr. Pope. The NYT is a laughing stock. Wonder which one they will endorse for mayor - Weiner or Schwitzer? How can a newspaper fault another state when that paper is in a place that "stops and frisks" citizens? NY City is a hoot. Perhaps you should take care of your backyard.
Archguy, you can always move to NYC. Do not let the door hit you on your way out. As your god, Obama said, "We won." Get over it.
Before Chairman Pope toots republicans horn too much he should consider that the democrats didn't ruin all NC laws allowing stinking chicken houses on every street corner. Republicans have removed the only defense people had to prevent these chicken houses (producing unbearable smells) from moving into our neighborhoods!!
The fact that we even care what the NYT publishes about us is troubling. The Times even considers itself far-left, and proud of it. It's social and political views are not mainstream, or middle American. What is troubling though is that the Observer agrees with most of the Times' observation, thus putting itself outside the mindset of most North Carolina citizens.
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