Whatley is like the guy at the back of a large crowd, waving his arms, yelling, “Look at me!” open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Just flailing
Whatley is trying to change the conversation. It won't work.
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Thomas Mills
@tmillsnc.bsky.social
Editor and publisher of PoliticsNC. Erstwhile Democratic political consultant with 30 years on the campaign battlefield. Now offering insight into North Carolina and national politics. Father, grandfather, dogfather. Tar Heel. https://politicsnc.com
Cooper holds a steady lead over Whatley who is still largely undefined. Dems lead in legislative generic ballot, but there are warning signs for Democrats as well.
Heading toward the final stretch, the NC GOP is still struggling
Cooper leads Whatley and Democrats lead generic legislative ballot.
politicsnc.com
The GOP forced Edwards out after sexual harassment scandal. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
They chucked him
Republicans force Edwards out in NC-11
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Todd Blanche is still the guy who will bend over for Trump before standing up for the country. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
He pulled a Tillis again
Tillis will vote to recommend Todd Blanche despite no evidence that he would put the country before the president.
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Anderson Clayton, Travis Fain, and Thomas Mills are back after a five-month hiatus to give you an update on North Carolina politics. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Restless Natives NC returns!
We're back with updates on the Senate race, budget, board of elections, and a brief update on Congressional races.
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What infected the White House has spread to North Carolina. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Rotting from the head down
Corruption is becoming another Republican Party core value.
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In America, big changes take big majorities. Nobody has one yet. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
If this is centrism, I'll own it
The American people want stability more than transformation
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North Carolina is always going to be close. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Yeah, that poll is probably about right
North Carolina is swing state for a reason.
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"What’s happening in North Carolina...is the culmination of a twelve-year experiment in stress testing democracy’s guardrails. And what Republicans learned in Raleigh, they’re now applying in Washington and in states across the country." open.substack.com/pub/politics...
North Carolina was the dress rehearsal for MAGA
The state offers lessons for the country.
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Tillis already regrets his votes for other cabinet members. Todd Blanche will be another. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Don't do it, Thom!
Tillis will regret his vote for Todd Blanche like he regrets his votes for Pete Hegseth and other unqualified cabinet members.
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State Auditor Dave Boliek is the GOP’s latest blunt instrument to pummel democracy. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
They aren't even pretending anymore
Boliek appointed people everybody knows are partisan to oversee our elections.
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Woodhouse was pressuring county boards of election to make voting more difficult. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
They just got caught
The board of elections didn't discipline Dallas Woodhouse for pressuring election officials. They just reassigned him.
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Boss Hogg is a parody of 20th century Southern political bosses. Brenden Jones is a parody of Boss Hogg. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Boss Hoggs
While Boss Hogg chased bootleggers, Brenden Jones is chasing the ABC commission.
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Platner illustrates the mistakes of both the activists and the establishment. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Face Plant
Graham Platner is a failure of both the activist left and the establishment.
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Budd is holding out for Helene money. The move is pretty revealing. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Budd balks
North Carolina's junior Senator breaks with Trump, showing both the president's weakness and that Budd's thinking about re-election.
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Democrats might win big, but that doesn’t mean voters want a hard left turn. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Don't mistake a wave for a mandate
The election is going to be about Trump, not Democrats.
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Democrats might win big, but that doesn’t mean voters want a hard left turn. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Don't mistake a wave for a mandate
The election is going to be about Trump, not Democrats.
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Cooper is now consistently leading Whatley by double digits. The race may tighten, but the GOP SuperPACs are going to take a hard look before spending money in NC. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
For the GOP, things just keep getting worse
Polls are now consistently showing Whatley down by double digits.
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Republicans have been crying voter fraud to undermine faith in our elections when they are the ones trying to gain partisan advantage over elections. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Undermining elections
Republicans have been trying to rig elections in North Carolina for 15 years so why should we think the current election bill would do anything different.
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Republicans have been trying to undermine elections in North Carolina ever since they took control of the legislature in 2011. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
The relentless assault on democracy
Ever since they took control of the legislature, Republicans have been stacking the deck in elections.
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For most of my life the GOP proudly referred to itself as the Party of Lincoln. Not anymore. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
From Party of Lincoln to the Party of Trump, the decline of the GOP
Lincoln is a defining president and Destin Hall's qualifying of Abe shows what's happened to the Republican Party.
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Democrats have a superior candidate in a year that will be difficult for Republicans. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Lean Democrat
Republicans face a difficult political environment with a weak candidate for US Senate.
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The Spirit of ‘76 seems to be flagging this year. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
From Bicentennial to Sestercentennial
The Spirit of '76 is not as alive in 2026.
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Micheal Whatley’s unforced error defines his struggling campaign. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Canesgate
Whatley's self-inflicted wound illustrates the difference in the two campaigns.
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State Auditor Dave Boliek is weaponizing the State Board of Elections to make voting more difficult for young people. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
The corruption of the State Board of Elections
State Auditor Dave Boliek is weaponizing the State Board of Elections to make voting more difficult for young people.
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Cooper is going after the voters that used to vote reliably for Democrats. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Cooper's first ad is back to the future
Roy Cooper's first ad is straight out of the 1990s and, yet, not out of date.
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Since Republicans have been in power in NC, the wealthy have seen their taxes decrease while the poorest have seen theirs increase. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Taxing the poor to pay for the rich
Caps on the income tax and restricting local governments from raising property taxes will cost those who can least afford it.
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Republicans convinced themselves that Americans wanted something dramatically different when in fact they wanted stability. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Believing their own spin
Republicans convinced themselves that the country wanted Trump's America when most people don't even know what that is.
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Cooper cavorts with Canes fans, Whately wallows in Trump world. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Canes won, slush fund zero.
Cooper is cavorting with Canes fans while Whatley is wallowing in Trump world.
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