The latest iteration of the gub-nor debatification tells us that Bev Perdue will beat Pat McCrory over the head with the “voucher” issue quite irrespective of the facts. And be clear what she is doing. One, Bev is telling the state educrat establishment that she stands with them, against any sort of change. And two, and this is important, she makes a sly conservative appeal to suburban voters who hear “voucher” and wonder which inner-city kid is going show up at the neighborhood school they’ve paid buckets of taxes to build. Never forget that. None of it is fair or correct, but that is the dynamic of the Hail Mary pass Perdue is now throwing. That and the belief that an Obama tide will carry her to victory.
Meanwhile, McCrory’s charmed life inside the Uptown bubble is showing. Instead of deflecting or even ignoring Perdue’s over-the-top “threat to the middle class” claim, Pat seems positively obsessed with it. His thin-skin demands that every criticism be not just countered, but proven empirically impossible. As a result, McCrory dwelled on and worried the meme to death, one most voters probably had already discounted, assuming they’d heard it.
In short, this is a weird race. McCrory has run a good, not great campaign, and Perdue has been very nearly a disaster. Yet the race remains close and will likely stay close through election day absent some huge gaffe.
Bonus Observation: At first glance it seems a fly-by appearance with Sarah Palin would be a no-brainer for the McCrory campaign. Reformer, outsider, mayor, cute. All clicks. But here is what I am wondering: Is Palin the anti-Southern woman? Is she a little too plain spoken, a little too blunt for our tastes? I’m still thinking on that one.
