Thursday, December 12, 2013

'Whining coming from losers'

Concern about North Carolina's dismal teacher pay, low per-pupil spending and the lack of Medicaid expansion? "Whining coming from losers," says House Speaker Thom Tillis.

Politico today runs a 2,200-word assessment of North Carolina's upcoming U.S. Senate race. Sen. Kay Hagan, a first-term Democrat, faces the winner from a field of at least five Republicans next November.

Tillis is considered the establishment favorite. And he's unapologetic about his record leading the state House.

"I think for the most part, what I see from the folks who are opposing our agenda is whining coming from losers," Tillis told Politico. "They lost, they don't like it, and they are going to try to do everything they can to, I think, cast doubt on things that I think are wise and that the average citizen when they know what we're doing, I think, like it."

Politico's Manu Raju correctly portrays the race as one that will pit frustration with President Obama and especially Obamacare's shortcomings against anger at the very conservative path the legislature has followed over the past two years. It's a theme I've written about a couple of times this year, most recently in this column from November. Hagan voted for Obamacare and says she would again, even as she has been delivering rhetoric about fixing it lately.

Polls show that Hagan's once-comfortable lead over the Republican field has vanished and the race is now dead even. Hagan's seat is one of the most competitive in the nation in 2014, and it's one of several in which Democrats in red or purple states are trying to distance themselves from Obama.

Hagan, though, hopes that any stain from Obama is outweighed by the unpopularity of the Tea Party and the policies of North Carolina's Republican legislature.

Legislative leaders and Gov. Pat McCrory have indicated that they will try to address teacher pay in the short legislative session that begins in May, in the middle of election season. That may be just one area where Republicans try to soften their image with middle-of-the-road voters. "I think we've learned from some of the policy decisions, and we'll make adjustments," Tillis told Politico.

Two new Gallup polls out today demonstrate why Hagan and her Republican challenger each have hope. On the Republicans' side: Congress's approval is an at all-time low. It hit 9 percent in November and averaged 14 percent for the full year. That's the lowest annual average in Gallup's history and doesn't help Hagan. On Hagan's side? Gallup finds that a majority of Americans now disapprove of the Tea Party. The all-important moderate voters disapprove 54-34. More than a third of conservatives, even, say they disapprove. That will help Hagan if a Tea Party candidate wins the primary, or if she successfully portrays Tillis as one.

-- Taylor Batten

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Im not sold on Tillis and look forward to hearing the others but I will vote for whoever ends up opposing Hagan.

Sen. Hagan didnt read the ObamaCare bill but voted in favor of it any way. She held no townhall meetings to defend/explain her decision. She gets to enjoy an exemption while she hangs us out to dry..and she says she would do it again.

She recently voted for Sen Reids "nuclear option".

She has not voiced any reservations to Obamas deal with Iran that would allow the worlds leading sponsor of terrorism to go nuclear. As the French said, "A suckers deal"

Unknown said...

What "French" are you refering to ? Surely not the ones that participate in the deal... As for the rest of your comment; heard it all before, straight from the Faux News talking points, I mean opinions, I mean "news", or whatever is they call it "fair and balanced"...

Garth Vader said...

When Batten calls Tillis "the establishment choice" that means he's the Observer's choice as well.

The linked article has at least as much coverage of Greg Brannon as it does about Tillis, but Batten ignores Brannon, the one candidate who's already LEADING Hagan in the polls.

Garth Vader said...

alwaystomorrow,

Warmongers and imbeciles have been braying lies about alleged "Iranian nukes" since 1984. That's 30 years. How stupid does one have to be to believe a lie that's been proven false for 30 years?

telamon said...

" More than a third of conservatives, even, say they disapprove."

Count me in that group. I didn’t like the direction the Republican Party was taking, in the State or Congress. The last straw for me was the totally unnecessary and wasteful government shutdown this Fall. I haven’t written to a Congresscritter in a long time, but sent a note to Howard Coble saying that if the immature actions of the Tea Party is going to be setting the agenda for them, I’m changing my registration to Unaffiliated. Don’t know if it had an effect, but he did vote to re-open the gubmint when it came to a vote. Of course, he’s retiring now, so there will be a clamoring of nutjob Tea Party folks to try to win that primary to fill his seat.

Tillis has a tough row to hoe. He has to present true Conservative values, while distancing himself from the looney fringe of the Tea Party. I am looking forward to doing my part to get shed of this know-nothing wing that has made this state a laughingstock. And return to the values of Jesse Helms, Alex McMillan and Jim Martin, who actually worked to make this state a better place, not run it into the ground. It’s time to stand up to the whining bullies, step away from the Tea Party kool-aid, put down the ALEC playbook, and go back to true conservatism that works.

samwise55freedom said...

Tillis is not a conservative... He is a beltway boy.. If it's him and Hagen..
stay home....