Insiders at the Hickory Daily Record are telling people that Media General has sent out a mandate from Richmond, VA headquarters that its properties are to endorse only “conservative candidates.” Presumably this means Patrick McHenry instead of Daniel Johnson in the congressional race, and Mark Hollo instead of Ray Warren in the 88th N.C. House seat. It also means that Hickory no longer has a “local” newspaper, but a propaganda outlet for a national company. Not even William Randolph Hearst took away all local voices from his editorial boards.
Newspapers are concerned about the continued drop in readership and this may have a new message for Media General. The Charlotte Observer experienced a 2.9 percent decrease in circulation last year. In Atlanta, the drop was over 13 percent because daily delivery was dropped in some 30 outlying Georgia counties. Daniel Johnson’s candidacy has support among Hickory leaders. It will be interesting to see how many Bible Belt conservatives in the Unifour jump to subscribe to the HDR.
…BUT IN WINSTON-SALEM: The Winston-Salem Journal, also a Media General newspaper has endorse Kay Hagan for the U.S. Senate as have almost all major newspapers in North Carolina. The Journal also endorsed Pat McCrory, as have other metropolitan papers in the west and Piedmont. McCrory and Hagan have ads touting those newspaper endorsements. Hagan, a state senator, is considered more moderate than her opponent, incumbent U.S. Senator Elizabeth Dole. Knuckles may be rapped in the Journal newsroom.
POLLS: Here are the latest polls from Public Policy Polling, a non partisan organization. Hagan 48, Dole 45; Obama 49, McCain 48 (statistical tie); Perdue 47, McCrory 44.
Perdue has the “Mayberry Miracle” at work. Andy Griffith is doing robocalls and has a new television ad supporting Perdue. “I like to whistle on my way to the lake but this is no time for whistling,” he says, adding comments about Perdue’s priorities in education and fiscal management.
McCrory has convinced Charlotte voters that the city has been short-changed in highway monies. The Charlotte Observer, which endorsed McCrory, is whining that Perdue has “written off” Charlotte, i.e. columnist Jack Betts. Charlotte-Mecklenburg, with about 10 percent of the state’s population, would like to have 10 percent of the revenue from the highway department.
IT’S A WHOPPER: The latest figures from the Legislative Fiscal Offices point to a $2 billion shortfall in the state’s budget. That’s 10 percent of the $20 billion budget. Half the budget revenue goes to education. If education is left untouched, other agencies, i.e. Medicaid, would have to be sliced by 20 percent. “We’ll be in session until next November,” Rep. Ray Warren predicted this week. It is hard to believe the state lawmakers will approve new taxes to help with the shortfall in today’s environment. The state constitution requires lawmakers to adopt a state budget that must be balanced.
DO AS I SAY…Six years ago Elizabeth Dole reacted with alarm when Erskine Bowles loaned his campaign $3 million in his head-to-head race for the senate seat. “Look at this,” she intoned, claiming astonishment that he would attempt to “buy” his way to the Senate. And this year…Sen. Dole, one of the wealthiest members of the Senate, loaned her campaign….$3 million.
