rob christensen

• Talk about Stockholm Syndrome
• Like the Great Depression, only worse
• Simple-minded isn't always wrong
• When equivocation doesn't cut it

John Frank, Lynn Bonner, Rob Christensen. Come on, guys. The flap over Governor Perdue's joke about neverending political campaigns is beneath you. Kudos to Chris Mackey for calling you out.

Previously.

It's entirely possible that my criticisms of the N&O's Rob Christensen over the past few years have been the result of my own delusions. I have found him overly reliant on Art Pope's "experts" as sources, and too timid in challenging the radical agenda of our very own Tarheel Taliban. Lately, though, Christensen seems to have regained some of his old spark. I especially appreciate comments this week about the long-term destruction that will result from the Republican assault on city and regional planning. I'd welcome much, much more of this kind of insight.

But there is also a good chance that from this point on, we will see a gradual decline of North Carolina cities - one that may not even be noticeable for 20 years, when today's policymakers are long gone from the scene.

It is a practice so commonplace, so entirely unremarkable in our imperial government, that no one bats an eyelash. Not even the most well-connected political reporter in the state. A culture of privilege.

When state Sen. Neal Hunt, a Republican from Raleigh, introduced a resolution last month, he thought it was "a no-brainer." He was doing it as a favor for a friend, attorney Arch Allen, a former Wake County Republican chairman, whose late wife was a descendant of Holden.

He was doing a favor for a friend. A rich, white Republican friend.

How many friends do you think Neal Hunt has who are poor, black, Hispanic, or homeless? How many of those friends do you think Neal Hunt is doing favors for in the legislature?

He is not doing any favors for me. I'm not one of Neal Hunt's friends. And like all the other people in North Carolina who are not his friends, I don't matter.

I emailed the Racist hit piece on Chris Heagarty to Rob Christensen on Friday Saturday night.

Called him this morning. He just got the email 10 minutes ago. So, three days before a midterm election, North Carolina's most prominent political reporter doesn't check his emails.

Here's what he had to say about it.

"Mewly mouth. Blah blah. Mewly mouth.

We're understaffed. Blah Blah.

Barrage of those kind of ads and we cant cover them. Blah blah blah.

Not all one side blah blah."

Call him. 919-829-4532

Today I'm not writing about Richard Burr, although the three adjectives certainly apply to him. No, in this case, I'm writing about a post from Under the Dome. I confess that my expectations for political reporting in North Carolina can hardly get much lower, but when I read stuff like this, even that low bar drops a few notches.

The Republican spin machine was working overtime after Tuesday night's Senate debate. “Tonight, Richard Burr proved once again that he is the right person to lead North Carolina,” declared state Republican Party chairman Tom Fetzer in a release from the state GOP.

Chimed in the National Republican Senatorial Committee: “Tonight's debate served as yet another reminder that Marshall's liberal views are out of touch with mainstream North Carolinians and the Tar Heel State cannot afford her rubber stamp support for President Obama's reckless economic agenda in Washington.”

And from the Democratic spin machine? Nada.

One gets the impression of a helpless cowbird chick in a nest, mouth wide open waiting for any passing bird to drop a pre-digested worm into its mouth.

It's an exciting day in the Old North State when one of North Carolina's leading political reporters does a hit job on a major piece of public policy with sources that are all controlled and funded by Art Pope. In fact, this kind of serious journalism calls for a celebration! Welcome to the Show, Mr. Christensen. Congratulations.

When I was in J-school back in the 70's, every student knew you'd get an automatic F for any typographical or factual error in your assignment. I imagine that's the grade Rob Christensen would get for his non-story today about the US Senate runoff. It's an article about the appeal of different candidates to different factions within the Democratic party, written without even a hint of input from voters, bloggers, or party activists.