I got the red blues
One of the legacies of the George W. Bush era was the codification of the red-blue color scheme for American politics. Newspapers and TV networks used the results of the 2000 and 2004 presidential... Read More
NC Spin Articles
Proposing an agenda for state's new leaders
It’s one of the great conundrums of modern society: All around us, images of wealth, comfort, individual freedom and swiftly advancing technology tell a story of promise and progress. For millions... Read More
Democrats searching
Why did Democrats have a disappointing midterm election? Ask the Democrats. They’ve been thinking about this a lot and offer many explanations. Let’s explore their various legends of the fall... Read More
McAdoo case asks: What are student athletes owed?
Michael McAdoo lost his NCAA eligibility to play football for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill after a student honor court found him guilty of receiving impermissible help from a tutor... Read More
Time for UNC leaders to speak truth to power on legislative cuts
Recently, a new dean attended a faculty meeting with the best of intentions and honestly said matters would get worse before getting better regarding budget cuts to higher education in North Carolina... Read More
The NRA and Kay Hagan
The recently concluded North Carolina Senate race provides a vivid example of why it is difficult to have an intelligent conversation about gun ownership in America. The National Rifle Association and... Read More
Three wise men
Some two-score years ago, I started going to the National Governors Association winter meetings in Washington. These were at the time great bipartisan policy wonk-fests, three days of earnest... Read More
The new culture of corruption in Raleigh
Governor Pat McCrory’s new private nonprofit shadow Commerce Department announced its full roster of board members this week and the news was dutifully reported by the media across the state—but... Read More
Left or right
Carter and I spoke Wednesday at a post-election panel sponsored by the Public School Forum, a group of education advocates. I suggested they have nothing to worry about in the coming legislature... Read More
The looming teacher shortage that the General Assembly made worse
t might not be a surprise given the decisions made by the General Assembly in the four years, but North Carolina faces a teacher shortage in the not too distant future and lawmakers keep doing things... Read More
