Carolina Blues

The next big primary is North Carolina on May 6th (Indiana is the same day but has fewer delegates to offer).

And while Democrats and Republicans aren't facing each other directly until November...the back and forth in the Tar Heel State has begun in earnest.

The nastiness is over a television ad paid for by the state's Republican Party.

You can see the ad by linking here.  It replays the link between Barack Obama and his longtime pastor.  And it connects them to two Democrats who have both endorsed Obama and who are both running for governor.

The ad calls Barack Obama and his supporters too extreme for North Carolina.

Here's a transcript from the state's GOP website:

Transcript of “Extreme” Ad

“Narrator: For twenty years, Barack Obama sat in his pew listening to his pastor.

Jeremiah Wright: And then wants us to sing God Bless America.  No, no, no.  Not God Bless America, God (censored) America.

Narrator: Now Bev Perdue and Richard Moore endorse Barack Obama.  They should know better.  He’s just too extreme for North Carolina

Chairman Linda Daves: The North Carolina Republican Party sponsored this ad opposing Bev Perdue and Richard Moore for North Carolina Governor.”

The state's Democrats are not happy. 

They're calling for the GOP to pull the ad before it starts running on Monday.  I spoke the officials at the party's headquarters in Raleigh, and they're hopeful the issue will resolve itself.  They've issued a press release calling for the ad's removal.  And they're asking Vice President Dick Cheney to either denounce the ad himself or cancel a planned fund raising trip to NC scheduled for next week.

State Democratic Party Chair Jerry Meek is quoted:

“The vice president should demand that State Republican leaders withdraw this ad, or refuse to come to North Carolina on the very day this ad begins to run.”

That probably won't happen.

Though John McCain himself has asked the NCGOP to drop the ad, the party says the ad will start running Tuesday.

I spoke on the phone with the party's communication director, Brent Woodcox.  He told me that despite the outcry by some, the response to the ad's content and message has been 80 percent positive.

And he tells me that between Wednesday morning and Friday afternoon, the party raised $25,000 through a fundraising link that accompanies the ad on their homepage.

He says of the response, "It caught us a little off guard. We knew it would be a news story but can't believe the support."

I asked him why the GOP is choosing to run the ad now.  He says it's a judgment call.  He says the ad is more about the two Democrats running for Governor than it is about Obama.

And he added, "One unfortunate thing is that some have tried inject race into the ad.  It has nothing to do with that.  And if Hillary Clinton had a pastor like (Rev. Jeremiah) Wright and they (the two gubernatorial candidates) had endorsed her instead of Obama, we've have run the same ad."

So there you have it.  The story behind the ad, the reaction to it, and the effect it's already having before it's ever aired on television.

Thanks for reading.  TA

Comments

[Joe OH]

The ads is fair game. GOP and many citizen are afraid of those who promote anti-american messages (whether they are made up or speculated.) As far as I see, as some Republican pundits said, Hillary may be a democrat who GOP disagreed with, but at least, we know where she stands. With Obama on the other hand, we, GOP and many citizens, would rather see him AWAY FROM THE WHITE HOUSE as far as possible!!!!

[AFBlue]

Hi Tom,
I'm not particularly involved in N.C. politics, but I have to wonder why the the N.C. Republican party would want to air an ad bashing Barack Obama under the guise of supporting their gubernatorial candidate.

To my limited knowledge, Barack Obama isn't running for Gov of N.C., and the democratic Gov candidates in N.C. don't attend Rev. Wright's church, so I don't see the logic behind this ad.

Sen McCain is absolutely right to ask them not to air this ad as it does not reflect the kind of campaign he wants to run -- and the N.C. Republican Party should take his requests seriously.

[Gwen S.]

Although I don't agree with the ad's purpose or content, I wonder if the shoe were on the other foot would the NC Dem Party stop it from airing? Would the ad have gotten the same media coverage if it were attacking a Republican?

[Jake]

You know... The people of the Republican Party would like to have their voices heard. Their advertisement addresses their concerns and they want the message to be known. This is where they live.

We surly don't deserve to have the Republican party acting like the Democrats; where punishment was dished out on a cold plate for Michigan and Florida, denying their delegate count because of having their primaries early against party rules. Both of those states wanted to have their concerns addressed earlier because their people were hurting. If the Democratic Party doesn't want them, maybe they should embrace the Republican Party.

John McCain has risen his standard above the embattled Democratic Party and will not lower himself to compete at their level, especially on issues exploiting racial implications. He want everyone to be Americans first in this campaign. His message is simple, when barriers are removed... progress will begin.

[highserenity]

To anyone with any political savy, this is an ad pointed directly at superdelegates in the democratic party. Senator Obama and Rev. Wright are just "well planned" collateral damage.
This is a message to any future super-delegates that may be thinking of endorsing Obama, they better back off, or they will be vilified, and their constituants will be terrified due to your affiliation with a black church that hates america.
There is only two reasons for this that I can think of.
1. They want McCain to run against Hillary
2. They have been indoctrinated to be afraid of non-white people
oh, yea, I guess that is the same.

Because we are in a time that in 2000 we all watched George Bush do this to John McCain (with his illigitimate BLACK child), which got us the last 8 years of hell, fewer and fewer who are not really racist will buy it. More and more are turning away from this fear/hate vitrole in disgust and moving left.

[Susannah Lindsay]

Way to go Republicans..show us your disgusting brand of democracy. You deserve to be applauded for this travesty on the citizens of your state.

[Elle]

ABC, this is news? Why are you giving the NC Republican Party free distribution of this ad? At this point, they do not have to run the ad because you have already spread this misleading ad for them gratis (e.i. for free.)