Phil Berger, Once Bitten Is Twice Shy

 

The headline on Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi's story yesterday pretty well captured a new, somewhat chastened Phil Berger: "Once a champion of casino legalization, NC Senate leader ‘not intent’ on it for 2024."

"Not intent." Understatement.

Berger took a beating over legalized gambling from the most precious of the GOP consistency, rural Republicans (otherwise guaranteed to applaud Republican talking points) not so enamored with Berger's weird idea of rural development -- make the local economy blossom with for-profit legalized gambling.

There was such an outcry in Rockingham County -- Berger's own constituency -- that the local sheriff got talked up as a potential challenger for Berger's Senate seat, and by all appearances, came close to running. Some (reliable?) polling suggested he could have beaten Berger in a primary, and that might chasten any bull elephant in his 24th year as a North Carolina Senator and his 14th year as undisputed bossman.