education issues in the final debate

I wasn't aware that the 4-day work week was an issue, but apparently it is, and Perdue is against it. She doesn't think it will work in NC, but she wants to do as much business as possible online.

McCrory is also against it, but he wants to change the culture of arrogance where no one dares question the state government's decisions.

NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND

McCrory thinks that letting DC tell us how to run our local schools is wrong. Communities, principals, and teachers need to have more control over education, not bureaucrats.

SCHOOL VOUCHERS

McCrory -- on a limited basis, especially for special needs children, need a choice

Perdue -- "the only person on the platform standing between the people and vouchers". Is that supposed to be a good thing? This is why I don't want our health care to be socialized -- look at how powerless we are in the education system!

Energy, illegal immigrants, gas tax

Best part of the debate so far -- Perdue was telling us why she is qualified to handle water shortages in NC by saying that she has handled this most recent shortage. Munger just called her out by stating that she has been Lt. Gov. for 8 years and we have had many shortages, and he asked why she hasn't done anything earlier. The whole room just burst into applause.

THE GAS TAX

Bev Perdue states that the tax is so high, and that's why she supports "a freeze on gasoline". She wants us to come up with a different way of financing roads in NC instead of the gas tax, but she doesn't give an example.

McCrory says the gas tax is too high, but he would rather cut the income tax before cutting the gas tax, as that will affect many more people. He also thinks the Highway Trust Fund has been abused and wants to stop that in the state legislature.

SHOULD NC COLLEGE ADMIT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.

Perdue would rather discuss the gas tax.

McCrory doesn't want illegals to attend our universities, those slots should be left open for NC residents, especially since our university system has been strained (esp. during hard economic times).

Munger thinks we should admit them, because apparently illegals that don't go to college get into drugs. Ehhh....

ENERGY

McCrory believes in off-shore drilling and natural gas. The number one issue is jobs, and those should be created through our energy policy.

Perdue refuses to address off-shore drilling because Congress has repealed the moratorium, and therefore it doesn't matter what she thnks. McCrory rebuted and pointed out that the states will still have some control over whether this is drilling off the coast of NC -- Perdue just doesn't want to have to take a stance.

Health care -- illegal immigration

The current question is the affordability of health care. McCrory wants to institute as many incentives as possible for small businesses to give health care to employees. He wants to do this by offering tax credits for health care and also reducing the mandates in NC which make our health insurance some of the highest in the nation. He also wants tort reform to protect doctor's and nurses from lawsuits which raise the cost of health insurance.

Democrat Perdue wants to push prevention to lower cost. She believes that the mandates are critical to health insurance in NC. She wants to work together to make sure that "everyone gets a chance to see a doctor" -- but doesn't quite explain herself.

McCrory attempted to tell us that he doesn't know where she is getting her data, but said he's "used to it" :)

The question now is about illegal immigrants. Munger just wants to make it easier to be legal.

Perdue just accused McCrory of using "undocumented workers" in Charlotte, and urges that everyone needs to "play by the rules" when it comes to illegal immigration.

McCrory responds and states that the "net cost of illegal immigrants" is greater than any gain, and it is imperitive to stop illegal immigration.

Live blogging the LAST gubernatorial debate

I'm blogging the final gubernatorial debate at Dilworth Grille in Charlotte, NC. Thanks to a bad internet connection, I've missed the first 15 minutes, but hopefully not too much. For the first time in this election season, Pat McCrory, Bev Perdue, and Mike Munger are all debating each other on the same stage at the same time (Perdue has skipped the last two debates, while Munger was invited to and attended both).

While screaming at my internet connection, I've witnessed Bev Perdue flub over several lines while delivering her usual talking points. Pat McCrory, on the other hand, has successfully showed the audience that he has the experience to lead the state, as seen most recently by his meeting with the head of Wells Fargo, which has recently announced it's plan to buy Charlotte's own Wachovia.

They just asked a question about what should change in regards to the income tax and corporate taxes in NC, and Perdue is talking about how she handled Hurrican Floyd. I'm really not sure that was part of the question, but that was her answer.

McCrory basically addressed Perdue's answer and explained that she is part of the wasteful spending that has helped raise NC's taxes. When he becomes governor, he wants to get rid of the secretive wasteful spending in order to help lower all taxes, which as Munger pointed out, are some of the highest in America.

Live presidential debate

I'll be live-blogging tonight's presidential debate from downtown Greensboro, NC at the CityView apartments. I'm at a debate watch party where we will be playing drinking games such as drinking everytime McCain says "My friends" or Obama says "change", so please forgive any typos.

Can I just say, first reaction, I love this moderator. Anyone that's going to make the candidates ACTUALLY answer a question, I love.

Also, Obama has GOT to stop saying "Main Street". We get it. You're for the common man. Wooo...

New drinking game, drink everytime Obama says "uhhhh". We may be dead by the end of this debate.

Obama is talking about salaries for police officers. Why is that a federal problem? McCain says that we have a long way to go, and we need to look at the regulatory agencies that weren't doing there jobs... but he has faith in the American workers... "Our best days are ahead of us"? What does that mean?

Why Bev Perdue really doesn't want to debate

Did anyone catch the gubernatorial debate last night between Pat McCrory and Mike Munger (Libertarian) on UNC-TV? I think this is the first time I've ever witnessed a "debate" between a Republican and a Libertarian candidate with no Democratic candidate.

I say "debate" because McCrory and Munger tended to agree on many of the issues, with the major exception being the death penalty (and Munger seemed extremely excited to have found an issue on which they disagreed so strongly).

One of the major issues on which the two candidates agreed? Democrat Bev Perdue should have been there. She was invited, and she declined to attend. Why?

I personally think there are two answers to that. One is, of course, the obvious -- she's just not a good debater. I'm not being mean, I'm not attacking her -- but that woman can't debate. According to political consultant Gary Pearce, "letting Bev Perdue debate five times amounts to political malfeasance."

The other reason? Perdue is better off with the majority of North Carolina not knowing her views.

The national Democratic Party would like for most Americans believe that North Carolina is an all-around red state that is only recently turning blue with the advent of Obama and Hagan, but we here in North Carolina know that Democrats have had a hold on this state for over a hundred years, and Republicans are only recently beginning to take over many state offices. The driving force behind this monopoly are the numerous "Southern Democrats" that still vote Democrat, not yet realizing that today's Republicans are much more like the Southern Democrats they used to vote for than today's Democrats. As North Carolinians slowly but surely realize that they should be voting Republican in state elections as well as national, the Democrats are losing ground.

Beverly Perdue, like the rest of today's Democratic Party, thinks the government knows how to spend your money better than you do. There will undoubtedly be many people voting on November 4 that don't know that about her -- and she will be better off for everyone of those people that doesn't see her debate.

The last thing Bev Perdue wants -- and the rest of the North Carolina Democratic Party, for that matter -- is for the citizens of North Carolina to know what she really stands for. She says that she's for transparent government, but she's already hiding from the people of North Carolina, and she hasn't even been elected yet.

McCrory and Perdue clash on lottery -- and closing statements

Another question from a web-watcher -- Why do teachers always get a higher pay raise than other state employees?

Bev Perdue attributes that to the fact that we are short on teachers, and we have to work harder to keep good teachers. She's touting her endorsement by the teacher's UNION, for some reason.

Pat McCrory "want to say for the record that I have not been endorsed by the unions". He says that you can't base additional benefits and pay on how badly they are needed -- doesn't want to be selective and offer 20 year retirement to some employees and 15 years to others.

The candidates have been asked if there is anything they would change about the lottery. McCrory says that he would not pay the directors as much as they are making, they are making way more than any other state employee. He would completely re-vamp where the lottery dollars go since there is a huge discrepancy in where the money goes in the state. Apparently, Bev is for status quo :-X

Closing remarks:

Perdue says she has the experience and capacity to move NC forward, to help schools, help healthcare, will continue to work for NC -- one size does not fit all. Her work on military has been "fabulous".

McCrory says he is running for governor because he wants to change the culture of state government -- less corruption, wants to fix criminal justice system, create jobs, keep jobs here, let people trust state government and break the power elite. North Carolina government deserves a strong leader and he has the leadership skills and wants to take that leadership to the rest of the state.

McCrory and Perdue clash on attack ads

The moderator is now talking about third party ads. The first one they're watching is the ad by the Alliance for North Carolina (which I have posted in this blog) attacking Pat McCrory.

McCrory tells us that the ad is right in that he is opposed to free college tuition -- passes the truth test "by about 1/3". McCrory has never run a negative ad, neither in the primary, nor in the general election. McCrory is quoting an ad by Perdue back during the primary calling for positive campaigning and pointing out that she attacks him -- calls him a "threat to the middle class".

Now they're showing the ad by the Republican Governor's Association against Bev Perdue (I'll have to post that later) calling her "Status Quo Bev". Perdue is ignoring the ad and telling McCrory that she is against "negative personal attacks", not the ones she is airing now, apparently (it's not personal to call someone "a real danger"). Perdue is now telling us that she has "broken every status quo" she knows by being a female and running for office.

When pressed to see if McCrory will ask the RGA to pull the "status quo" ad, he says the are forbidden from communicating with the RGA and called the ad "silly". He does ask that Perdue pull the ad calling him a "real danger to the middle class". She refuses to do so, because "that's not a negative ad". She now apparently has a new one that says McCrory is "too extreme" for North Carolina.

Moderator is asking Perdue what she would have done differently in the Easley adminitration -- she's pretty much just saying that she is not a part of the Easley administration. She wants to be more "hands on" than Easley is, and "there are things that I really, really would do differently". What does that mean, Bev?

McCrory and Perdue clash on education

If you have the chance to see this debate, I certainly hope you are. Perdue is fighting for her life over here -- interrupting McCrory every three seconds with her "EXCUSE ME.... EXCUSE ME!"

The moderator wants to know their education priorities. This is one of McCrory's strong points. He wants to get back to teaching the basics -- kids aren't learning basic math. Also wants to put a special emphasis on vocational training to train high school kids that don't want/need to go to college.

Perdue's answer is that we need to pay teachers more and "hold them accountable", and don't have a voucher system. She thinks we need to improve public schools, and letting people choose their schools do not do that. And she just said that adding vocational training "lowers expectations"! Wow... basically just dissed every plumber and mechanic in North Carolina.

Now she's saying that mechanics are "wonderful". WTF is this woman talking about?

McCrory responded that he stands by his voucher stance. Kids "ought to be given a choice". McCorry is pointing out that Perdue has supported vouchers for college students, and yet she's attacking him for it. He doesn't think vouchers should be given to EVERYONE, just a select few.

Perdue wants to give "free and public" education to everyone in NC, and the vouchers go against that. Apparently, being able to choose where your child is educated is too much like a free market system. The moderator is now asking "where the math comes from" that the state cannot afford to give vouchers to kids who want to go to private school. She says the figure that is quoted in her ads -- $900 million -- is based on what it would cost if EVERY student went to a private school. Because, you know, that would happen.

McCrory says she's just throwing things out that aren't true. He opposes vouchers for EVERY student, and he's calling her out for lying in her ads! He is for the concept but never said he would offer a voucher to everyone -- Perdue has made an assumption. He is now accusing her of being an elitist for thinking down on plumbers and others that learn a trade rather than get a four-year degree!

The moderator is asking McCrory how he wuold help the families of pour students in regards to education. He says that schools are not fulfilling the needs of everyone. He wants to offer selective scholarships to help kids get out of poverty and go to a school that is best for them. That is where the status quo needs to be changed.

Perdue says that "Smart Start" is a good way to help families struggling with poverty -- she wants to help parents understand how to help their kids. She going to create more government programs, basically.

McCrory and Perdue clash on off-shore drilling

Tonight, once again, I'll be blogging live from the NC gubernatorial debate on WRAL.

Bev Perdue began by telling everyone that he record as Lt. Gov. is a good example of what kind of governor she'll be. I guess she's just proving true that RGA commercial of her being "Status Quo Bev".

Pat McCrory opens by telling that he wants to focus on education -- it's amazing that there are people who are unable to find qualified workers even during such a bad economy. He says if he had a chance to reduce a tax, he would reduce the income and corporate taxes -- right now, businesses will move right over the border to South Carolina just to avoid NC's ridiculous taxes.

The first question aimed to Perdue is what really IS her position on off-shore drilling? She states that she has "always been for off-shore" drilling (although she fails to mention that she doesn't want it off HER shore). When asked what changed her mind, she claims that she has always been for it -- another lie. She also expects all oil drilled in the US to stay in the US. Oh, now she's flopping again and saying that if North Carolina has to put oil rigs on their shore, she wants it to be "fair" and have drilling off ALL states.

McCrory responds that he STILL doesn't know where she stands on off-shore drilling in NC.... we're running for NC governor, not governor of Texas or another state in the Gulf. His answer is "100% yes" to off-shore drilling in NC, but Bev said a few weeks ago that she is "100% against" drilling. He wants to use drilling to create jobs in NC.

Bev is trying to argue with Pat, and the moderators are trying to force her to answer the question! McCrory just called her out on it too -- "That's what you said 3 weeks ago, and the technology has not changed in 3 weeks". GO GET HER!

This is getting to be hilarious!

WRAL debate

Don't forget, Mayor Pat McCrory and Lt. Gov. Bev Perdue go head to head tomorrow night (September 9) on WRAL at 7:00PM!

You can go to WRAL.com and submit questions before and during the debate (keyword: DEBATE).

You can watch the debate LIVE Tuesday night in the following venues:

RALEIGH
WRAL-TV
WRAL Newschannel
WRAL.com
WUNC-FM radio

CHARLOTTE
WMYT-TV
wsoctv.com

GREENSBORO/HIGH POINT
WFMY-TV
myfoxwghp.com


I'll be blogging live from the Wake County Debate Watch tomorrow night, so fire up that laptop and keep checking Bloggers for McCrory and The Political Nerd for updates!

An overview of the debate

Wow, it's already over -- time flies when you're watching Bev Perdue get smeared by Pat McCrory! McCrory won that debate hands down. It was so obvious that Perdue was reciting memorized talking points. Even her laughs seemed choreographed.

One watcher commented to me that she smiles at such inappropriate times. Like I mentioned in one of the posts, she was grinning wildly while talking about gangs in NC. The only thing I can figure is that she smiles when she knows she is touching on a point that she has studied very well (and not having to ad-lib too much), but it's a bit creepy. At least Pat exhibits human emotions while answering questions!

I got a few text messages during that debate on how poorly Perdue was doing -- and they weren't all from McCrory supporters. Hopefully, the rest of North Carolina will realize how clueless she is!

McCrory and Perdue on death penalty and taxes

McCrory thinks we need to lift the moratorium on the death penalty. He wants to know WHY we even have a moratorium. He doesn't think people who have lost loved ones should have to wait this long for justice to be served (and I agree!).

Perdue is distancing herself from the moratorium, and saying that she wants the death penalty reinstated... but also that she thinks the courts of North Carolina that put the moratorium in place should be trusted. WTF. Someone wants it both ways.

They just asked what the candidates would do about the gas tax! Perdue is trying to say that she "fussed" against the state legislature this year about the high gas tax. Yes, that's right, "fussed". Andy Griffith, who is supporting this silly little lady, would be proud. Aaaaand she failed to give an actual answer.

McCrory states if he had a chance to remove a tax, he would remove the income tax which punishes working people! God, the Libertarian in me is so in love right now. McCrory is very worried about how gas prices are going to affect North Carolinians, especially this winter.

McCrory and Perdue on crime

Moderator: Governor Easley just signed a measure to crack down on gangs, but what role would you play as governor?

Perdue: She's grinning from ear to ear! She thinks we should be tough on gangs (though she doesn't tell us HOW), and she thinks we should "remind" kids that organized crime participants go to jail "for a long time". She also wants after school programs so apparently they won't have time for gangs.

My summary of the Perdue gang legislation: Gangs are bad, mmmkay?

McCrory: He's reminding everyone that he has made several trips to Raleigh asking the governor and legislature to do SOMETHING about gangs, and the current administration is refusing to address the issues, and the meetings are being canceled. He stated a while back that there are gangs even in Kinston and Chapel Hill, and no one believed him until Eve Carson's tragic murder. Gangs are a priority to McCrory.

McCrory and Perdue on education

I would just like to take this moment to say that Perdue looks HAGGARD. I know she's only ten years older than Pat (I think) but HD television does not look good on her, as my fellow blogger Katy has pointed out. She's right here next to me, live blogging as well.

Perdue was just asked what should be done on the early-dropout rate in high schools. She thinks we need to focus on Smart Start, as well as raise the salaries for teachers (regardless of how they're doing, I suspect), and of course, offer free "higher education". Basically, if they graduate from high school, they get free college. We're going to turn the community college system into high school part 2.

Pat McCrory thinks calling it "free" is misleading, because someone has to pay for it. "We don't need anther new governor's program that rhymes." The room LOVED that one! "we need to help these kids as opposed to creating more government programs."

Perdue just interrupted to tell us that if we want to see her whole plan we can go to her website (again, she doesn't have it quite memorized). One watcher just yelled, "She's worse than Hillary Clinton!" And Pat is trying not to laugh, LOL.

McCrory and Perdue on illegal immigration and mental health

McCrory is talking about his 287G program which catches illegal immigrants who are committing other crimes and gets them out of here. He says one of his first duties as governor will be to get an illegal immigrant detention center in NC -- the closest one now is in Atlanta, and it's a joke to try to get illegals in NC over there.

Perdue states "The immigration system is broken." REALLY, Bev? Ya think? She thinks the feds need to fix it, "like, yesterday". She also states that she's going to focus her power in NC on getting undocumented workers out of here. And now she's repeating herself over and over. Zzzzzzz....

Now they have a question on the mental health care system in NC. She's talking about how all aspects of the mental health system need work -- which, as McCrory pointed out earlier, is thanks to her administration's incompetence. And she wants to model the mental health care system after Medicaid, because THAT works to well.

McCrory is rightly pointing out that the current administration is who has ruined the mental health system. He thinks we need to encourage the school to graduate more mental health care workers. The few resources that we have are not well-staffed.

McCrory and Perdue on offshore drilling

Bev Perdue supports off-shore drilling IMMEDIATELY now! Wow, this woman is all over the place. She thinks all coasts in America should be open to drilling IF CONGRESS DEEMS IT SO (key words there) and she thinks each state should have the OPTION to drill off their own coast.

Pat McCrory says he STILL doesn't know where she stands on the off-shore drilling issue. He has never changed his position on the issue, he is still a strong advocate FOR off-shore drilling, and he feels it will also improve out national security. We shouldn't be dependent on the Middle East. He just pointed out that Perdue only wants to drill in Gulf of Mexico (which she has alluded to) and she CACKLED at him. It was very classy. Perdue has said she is 100% opposed to offshore drilling, and that is probably still her position, but we really can't be sure.

McCrory, (who has worked for Duke Power), just told the audience that you ALWAYS have someone make sure a building project is safe before going through with it, and this will be true with offshore drilling. However, it has been successful along Gulf of Mexico, and it can be successful here.

Perdue is AGAIN saying she supports offshore drilling -- however, she doesn't think it's safe to drill until a team of engineers tells her it's okay to do so.

Isn't that what Pat just said?

McCrory and Perdue on health care

A viewer question just came in on how people are expected to pay for healthcare and prescriptions. McCrory thinks that we have a lot of mandates in NC regarding health care, and therefore younger people are not signing up for health care. There's also the fear of lawsuits from trial attorneys which is raising the COST of health care. McCrory thinks it would help to give tax breaks to small businesses so they can help pay for health care for workers.

Perdue apparently thinks she has solved the prescription drug problem, we're supposed to go to her website to check it out (apparently she doesn't remember it right now). She just accused McCrory of not wanting children to be insured. She wants to insure health care for children. It's the "bottom line" to having a working economy in NC. The moderator just asked what the differences are in their health care policies. Perdue says that her no-smoking and anti-obesity campaigns in NC are a huge step forward, and she again is accusing McCrory of not wanting health care for children. This woman is like a one-act pony.

McCrory gets a rebuttal, and he just informed everyone that Perdue took his quote out of context, AS USUAL. He just pointed out, and rightly so, that Perdue comes from the administration that has destroyed NC's health care system. People are waiting 70 hours to get a mental health care bed, Dorthea Dix is going to have to close, the Easley administration is not taking responsibility for the mistakes they've made in healthcare

McCrory on Energy

Well, thanks to the technical geniuses at Lounge 101, I've already missed the opening statements. Not that we really missed too much on Bev Perdue.

We've had some trouble with the TV signal, but the debate is back on and McCrory is talking about creating jobs. Surprise, surprise, he wants us to get into the energy business and do some off-shore drilling... and the whole room just burst into applause! That's what I'm talking about :)

Debate blogging

Alright guys, here's the deal -- unless you live in the Raleigh/Durham area, you're probably not seeing the NC gubernatorial debate tonight. That's why I'm here.

I'm blogging live from Lounge 101 in downtown Raleigh, and I'm here to tell you all you need to know about the debate. Go Pat!