The more things change the more they remain the same in North Carolina politics

 I was as impressed as anyone by the gigantic haul Roy Cooper reported in his first-quarter fundraising filing. If you missed it, the presumptive Democratic Senate nominee raised $14.5 million. I know about compound inflation, but it’s still astonishing that Cooper raised that much money when the total cost of the 1984 North Carolina Senate race was “only” $28 million—and that figure set an all-time record. I had thought that Cooper’s protege, Governor Stein, was the most prodigious fundraiser in modern North Carolina politics. Now the master is teaching the student. 

What I take away from Cooper’s fundraising coup is that he hasn’t lost any momentum since leaving office. It was a legitimate concern that Cooper’s star might have faded a little bit, even though he had only been out of office for about a year. See: Thom Tillis. Tillis, by far NC’s most prominent senator since Elizabeth Dole if not John Edwards, is now an afterthought. But Cooper continues to drive forward with momentum and force. Republicans hoping that Cooper would enter this race weaker than he had been in his many victories should be take heed. 

Cooper’s opponent, Michael Whatley, did post an impressive number. Whatley raised $6 million in the first quarter. By comparison, Cal Cunningham, in his 2020 challenge to Tillis, raised less than $1 million in the first quarter. I expected Whatley to be a proficient fundraiser based upon his national connections and experience as a party chair. (The primary job of the party chair is to raise money). And he delivered—but still fell a full $8.5 million short of former Governor Roy Cooper. This is another data point supporting my view that Cooper should be favored, if only very slightly, in this race. 

Turning to another titan of Tar Heel Politics. Phil Berger continues to campaign aggressively against Sheriff Sam Page as he seeks to hold his post as our state’s Strongman Caudillo. The right-wing blog Daily Haymaker, which generally has good information, flagged an attack on Page that seemed to come from an NCGOP insider. It’s as clear as ever that Berger has an iron grip on Raleigh Republican politics, and intends to use that authority to crush Page. Or so he hopes. 

I’m struck by the violent iconography of Berger’s campaign. I drove through the lovely wooded lands of central North Carolina on my way to Charlotte last weekend, and Berger’s campaign was well represented. But I’ve noticed that Berger’s billboards all feature him engaged in some kind of violent, masculine activity. Berger shaking hands with a cop, Berger aiming a gun (though that one has been taken down at the request of the NRA). I do not consider Berger a fascist in the Trump mold. I think Berger is an unreconstructed Southern reactionary in the mold of Sen. Jesse Helms, with a dash of 21st-century authoritarianism. But Berger’s campaign, and his party, glorify violence in their rhetoric and imagery. It’s a symptom of our deeply sick political culture. 

Le plus ca change, le plus c’est la meme chose. The more things change, the more they stay the same. The NCGOP could hardly help itself but dive into the mad dash to gerrymander Trump’s enemies out of existence. Republicans in our state are addicted to gerrymandering. It’s their twinkie, their soda, their most beloved vice. Quelle surprise (if you’ll tolerate more French) that they want to target Rep. Don Davis’s district for destruction. Berger and Destin Hall are not fascists. But they’re paying tribute to one