Senate 2010

It was great to see over 500 supporters turn out for Cal’s hometown campaign kick-off event in Lexington last night. It felt like a big family gathering, and Cal even led folks in singing Happy Birthday to a member of his staff. He spoke directly with the community that helped to raise him and reiterated his commitment to work on their behalf in the U.S. Senate for a prosperous economy, better schools, and a restoration of American values abroad.

As Democrats flip-flop relentlessly and equivocate with abandon, DADT repeal slides backwards. The polling is conclusive -- even in NC. GOP figures like Dick Cheney give political cover for DADT repeal.

On Wednesday, November 18 at 7:00 p.m. we will have a live blog discussion with U.S. Senate candidate, Elaine Marshall. We are lucky that James was able to get this set up in the middle of all the frantic activity surrounding the healthcare debate and the on again, off again candidacies of others. Please mark your calendars and keep your eyes open for some background posts and a question thread.

Dear Friends,

After giving a serious and thorough look at a race for the U.S. Senate, I have decided not to seek office at this time. This has been a very difficult decision, but I’m sure there will be another day and there are many other ways to serve.

I am deeply committed to public service and have a passion for working on the serious issues facing our State and country. A campaign for the Senate is about winning and working to be a part of the answer. As a candidate, I have to look supporters in the eye and show them how we win – and what we do when we get there. After a very careful look, I’ve concluded that this is the wrong race at the wrong time for me and my family.

Shame Senator Burr, Sign the petition, Look at new 2010 polling and check out a brilliant Daily Show clip. What else could you want?

In his newest Focal Points blog post, Cal Cunningham draws upon his personal experiences and conversations across North Carolina to delve into the heart of our economic matters - by counseling with leaders across the energy and security spectrums and formulating a strong, comprehensive plan that will effectively generate the green jobs of our future. North Carolina has a lot riding on a greener economy.

“I went to Washington last week to meet with national security experts about the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act – legislation filed Wednesday in the U.S. Senate written to help create clean, green, sustainable jobs that can’t be outsourced overseas, to transition our economy to alternative and domestic energy sources and to check climate changing carbon emissions.”

Tom Jensen (esteemed pollster over at Public Policy Polling) had a quick, insightful blog post today about the youth vote in 2008 and what, if any, overlap may happen in the 2010 Senate race.

Jensen mentions potential United States Senate candidate Cal Cunningham as the one person who, theoretically, would have a major strength with turning out younger voters (he just turned 36). And, while I agree with Jensen that the youth vote may not be as high as the record level we saw under Obama, I don't think the 2004 level should be the standard either.

There’s something to be said for good ol’ fashioned talking to people about what’s happening in their lives. Though there’s lots of chit-chat about other things surrounding U.S. Senate 2010, Cal is spending a considerable amount of time actually listening to what people are concerned about. And, he has started capturing some of this dialogue on his blog: The Focal Points (“Friends of Cal”). Cal has traveled to almost half of North Carolina’s counties and posted a couple of poignant stories from the last few days. As he says, in politics, there’s the “game” and there’s what is “real”. Kind of refreshing.

When Nascar drivers, legends and fans are welcomed to the White House for a wonderful celebration of the sport and recognition of its history, could there be a bit more in play than just a toast to the winning teams? Politico has a fantastic story on the event (even noting that, of the current and former champions in attendance, they have contributed nearly $150k in political donations since the 1980s - all to Republicans!). However, that doesn't stop our President, or a potential future Senator, from recognizing both the significant achievements and passionate assistance the Nascar family has shown to North Carolina and the rest of the country. (Pictures can be found at Talking Points Memo).