Lying, cheating, and stealing

The News & Observer lede read, “When U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders held rallies in Greensboro and Asheville earlier this month, the North Carolina Republican Party saw an opportunity. The party falsely claimed in a post on X that Sanders was coming to campaign for former Gov. Roy Cooper, who is running for U.S. Senate in 2026.”

It’s a telling story because that’s what we’re going to see for the next fourteen months—Republicans lying about Roy Cooper. The lies won’t be confined to X. They’ll be splashed across TV screens, the internet, and radio, wherever gullible eyes and ears can be found.

These lies weren’t perpetrated by some nefarious third-party group. They were the product of the North Carolina Republican Party. They don’t care anymore. They’re introducing alternative facts backed up by imaginary images produced by AI to hoodwink an often gullible public. That’s not campaigning. It’s just lying.

As the article points out, “Republicans apparently don’t have enough real ammunition against Cooper, so they’ve invented some out of thin air.”

More significantly, though, Republicans need to find a reason to make voters dislike Cooper. A Catawba College poll released yesterday shows people like the former governor. According the survey, 55% of all North Carolinians approve of Cooper and only 38% disapprove. His approval among independent voters is 54% to 38%. Only 6% of the respondents say they’ve never heard of him. He starts this race in about as strong a position as possible in today’s polarized environment.

In contrast, Michael Whatley, the likely Republican nominee, is largely unknown and not well liked by those who know him. Only 30% of the people approve of him while 35% disapprove and 35% have never heard of him. He’s net negative with independents by 21% and a plurality have never heard of him. Democrats should never let his approval rating get positive.

The 2026 election will almost certainly be a referendum on the president and that makes Whatley’s path even more difficult. Donald Trump is underwater in North Carolina by nine points with 54% disapproving of him and only 45% approving. More than 60% of independents hold an unfavorable view of him. Trump’s numbers essentially reflect the political environment and, right now, it’s not good for Republicans.

The numbers will tighten as the election draws closer, but Republicans likely will need to lie, cheat, and steal to win the seat. Expect them to do all three. With the help of AI, they’ll manufacture disinformation to deceived voters. The Rigg-Griffin race revealed the disdain for democracy on the state Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. With control of the board of elections, they will do all they can to disenfranchise Democratic voters and rig the election. The federal courts, not the ballot box, may ultimately determine the outcome of this election.