Winston-Salem

Think young Democrats can't make a difference, or can't win? Think again.

On Tuesday, two young Democrats surprised the political establishment in Winston-Salem:

[Derwin] Montgomery got more than twice as many votes as Johnson -- 530 votes to her 228. Social networking through Facebook and early voting, in large part by WSSU students concerned about crime and economic development, sealed the surprise victory...

In the Southeast Ward Democratic primary, Councilwoman Evelyn Terry got 160 votes, enough to make her the top vote-getter among the three candidates in her ward but not enough to seal her bid for a second term, which requires 40 percent of the votes. So she'll have to face James Taylor, who got 150 votes, in an Oct. 6 runoff.

Winston Salem Journal, September 16, 2008.

Photos from the Winston-Salem Tax protests this afternoon.

I went to the drugstore today. Better living through chemistry, and all.

For the second time since I voted, I saw the man who helped me with my touch machine at election time. A big bear of a man, a white senior citizen, oozing friendliness and goodwill.

This time, in the drugstore, I decided to say hello. "Did you work at the polls?" I asked. "Yes," he said, "for early voting." "I thought you looked familiar," I said.

"Did you see me in the newspaper?"
"No, I saw you at the polls."
"You don't read the newspaper?"
"No. My husband does."

Winston-Salem Jaycees, who boost one of the state’s largest and most active chapters, have given the campaigns of gubernatorial candidates Bev Perdue and Pat McCrory something to think about. They have proposed a Town Hall meeting in Winston-Salem– the only major media market snubbed in the debate schedule.

I am happy to announce a special fundraising event in Winston-Salem on May 15 with Congressman Heath Shuler. We are honored to have his support and are looking forward to this exciting event. Details follow.

I hope that you will all attend, and if you can't attend, I hope that you will still make a donation. Coach Carter needs you now more than ever.

This is why.

Discuss strategies for reaching out to voters before the May 6 primary. This meeting will be held at the home of Carol Markey--252 Knollwood Street. RSVP to cmarkey1triad.rr.com. Send messages to the group at Forsyth-for-Hillary@googlegroups.com

I know there's a sort of do-no-harm sensibility in talking about some of our leaders. In fact, I don't post much here because of it. But I think there's a place and time for asking questions and ensuring that accurate information gets shared.

So there's an ad on television that says strange things about Bev Perdue's legislative record. And the topic of the ad is education, which is, candidly, Perdue's strongest suit. Her credentials, her professional career and her legislative work all point to a leader who's for education.

I read Gary Pearce's blog post on Thursday, and read James's post on Thursday night, that included a response note from Perdue or the people who work for her.