Last Day of Candidate Filing

Expect the lines to form at the Board of Elections between now and noon, the last possible minute to file to run for office in Watauga County. For one thing, the Republicans have so far filed zero candidates to run for any of the three County Commission seats.

Filing yesterday for school board was David Albert Ward, who is quite well known in the Bethel community for advocating aggressively for prayer in schools. A David Blust recruit?

Filing this morning for the seat on the County Commission being vacated by Mary Moretz is Tim Futrelle, 33, the Democratic vice chair of the Boone 1 precinct. Doug McGuinn filed yesterday for the same seat, so there will be a Democratic primary for that slot on May 6th.

Stay tuned for further updates on the electoral landscape in Watauga County.

Foxx Hunt

Another of Madam Foxx's constituents bites back. So, ya see, we ain't the only rude voters in the Fifth District.

The Low Road, Meet Mayor McCrory

We've been wondering how Jack Hawke would remake Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory as a conservative extreme enough to satisfy N.C. Republicans in the upcoming primary, and now we have some evidence that it's going to be illegal immigrants -- dirty, filty, criminal, baby-boiling, sex-crazed -- immigrants, ALL THE TIME, who are going to supply the character make-over.

When he first filed, we said we were surprised that we didn't see anything about Mexicans.

That was then.

Now McCrocy is all about "security" and targeting "gang members" and building enough prison space in NC to house the approximate population of Chihuahua and driving immigrants into the Atlantic surf.

We got it.

Like, Wow

There ought to be a joke in here somewhere ("How can you tell when you've got enough lawyers?"), but the Pope Center for Higher Education Policies, another of those subsidiaries of The Pope Kingdom, says that North Carolina is "under-lawyered." Translation: we ain't got enough!

Uh-huh.

Under the Dome made the first catch.

Everything That Rises Must Converge?

First we see, on BlueNC, that Elizabeth Dole is in trouble -- and it IS trouble when your approval rating is dipping this far below 50% -- and then we see that Dole's supposed leading Democratic opponent, state Sen. Kay Hagan, currently polling in the low zeroes, hires a campaign manager who instantly manages to piss off the press.

Is this what you call "confluence"?

The now quite dotty U.S. Senator vs. the Bush-lite state senator who sees some good in domestic spying. At least Hagan's new campaign manager brings comic timing to the event!

For other Democrats running in the May 6th primary, consult the complete list here.

"Undisciplined Messaging"

News leaks this a.m. at Politico.com that big-wig Republicans are hurriedly trying to figure out how to run against Obama and/or Clinton without falling into racist and/or sexist language/jokes/prejudices ... since, you know, the national Republican party has something of an image problem in those particular areas. "GOP operatives have already coined a term for clumsy rhetoric: 'undisciplined messaging.' "

So the party is circulating a PowerPoint presentation to its party leaders and operatives, urging them to exercise caution in the way they go after the likely Democratic nominee this year.

Too late ... as it turns out, for the leading Republican voice in Watauga County, where messaging like this about Obama (get a load of that picture, meant to represent exactly WHAT about Obama?) and this about Clinton (or about that portion of the human race "afflicted by estrogen").

Winning hearts and minds on the local level!

Extreme Make-Over

Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory denies he's a "moderate."

We hear ya. Guess Jack Hawke really has taken control of your campaign.

But it remains to be seen whether you can chew nails, spit lead, and walk on water.

Cullie Tarleton Gets a Challenger

Daniel Soucek, a David Blust recruit, has filed to challenge Cullie Tarleton in the 93rd NC House Dist. He's 38, lives in the New River 1 precinct of Boone.

Oh, Brother

This man will be on "Meet the Press" this Sunday with Tim Russert, probably to announce that he's decided to help elect John McCain president of the United States.