VOTING IN NC - DIRTY DEMOCRAT POLITICS (ABSENTEE BALLOTS)

VOTING IN NC - DIRTY DEMOCRAT POLITICS (ABSENTEE BALLOTS):

GET OUT AND VOTE - NOV 8, 2016.


Sources: NCvoter.org, Youtube


For the 2016 General Election my husband and I faxed our Absentee Ballots from Hawaii to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Elections.

We voted for the REPUBLICAN Party because we are born again Christians.

However North Carolina DEMOCRATS are still using Dirty Politics to discount ballots cast for the GOP.


***** What if I can’t vote in person?

If you can’t make it to the polls on Election Day, you have the option to send your vote via mail using an absentee ballot.

To request an absentee ballot, you or a near relative must submit an Absentee Ballot request form to your county Board of Elections (be sure the request is signed).

This request can be made as early as 50 days before the election, but it must be received at the county Board’s office at least 7 days before Election Day, by 5 PM.

http://www.ncvoter.org/voting-in-nc/

RICHARD BURR CALLS OBAMA'S IDEA OF CONTAINING ISIL A JOKE

‪#‎ISIL‬

BURR SAYS ISIL NEEDS TO BE ELIMINATED NOT CONTAINED.

BURR SAYS AMERICA NEEDS TO LEAD THE WAY.

~ FOX NEWS SUNDAY SHOW TRANSCRIPT (11-29-15)

"Joining us from North Carolina, Richard Burr, chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Chairman, as the busiest travel weekend of the year wraps up, is there any specific, credible threats against Americans to the best of your knowledge, either in this country or around the world?"

SEN. RICHARD BURR, R-N.C., CHAIR, INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE:

"Well, Chris, credible, specific -- no. But for the past 12 months, there have been more threads of threats both here at home and around the world that we’ve seen since 9/11. So, the risk remains high, but clearly, in the United States, the FBI has wrapped up over 67 individuals that were incarcerated this year and are either prosecuted or in the process of being prosecuted. And that will continue.

WALLACE: How big an international footprint does ISIS have now? How serious a threat in the U.S. and in other countries outside the Middle East?

BURR: Well, Chris, it's proven that ISIS is in 30 different countries, they control eight provinces of countries. They've got a reach that goes throughout Europe and North America.

So, to talk about containment is really a joke. The reality is that ISIS may be geographically contained in Syria and Iraq, but their efforts around the world to project terrorism and to commit terrorism is as robust today as it's ever been.

WALLACE: Well, with that as a backdrop, Senator, at a news conference this week with French President Hollande, President Obama did not announce -- despite the attack in Mali, despite the attack in Paris -- did not announces in new steps in his war against ISIS, which raises the question: what’s your assessment of the president as current strategy, and how much do you think it can accomplish?

BURR: Well, we have no strategy. I don't think you can find anybody in the world outside of the administration that could attempt to state what America’s strategy is.
In the past three weeks, Chris, we've seen over 500 individuals killed around the world at the hands of ISIS. I don’t think there’s any question of that. And in Syria alone, we've had over 240,000 Syrians killed. That's both by Assad and ISIS, and over 4 million refugees in flight.
It's time for an international coalition to come in and arm groups like the Kurds to create a safe haven, a no-fly zone, where we can stop the refugee flight out of Syria. But only with American leadership will that happen.
And I hope that while the administration is in Paris, maybe they'll talk with President Hollande, who I think is committed to eliminate ISIS. We’ve got to stop talking about containment and we’ve got to talk about elimination of the terrorist threat.

WALLACE: Meanwhile, Hollande after meeting with President Obama in Washington then flew to Moscow to meet with Russian President Putin.
And here is what President Obama said about Putin:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: Russia right now is a coalition of two, Iran and Russia, supporting Assad.
(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: What's your best intelligence, Chairman Burr? Can we count on Putin at all? There's talk about a grand coalition. At first, it seemed when Putin met with Hollande, there was a possibility he would join the coalition, then the Russians seemed to walk away from that.
What's your sense of Putin's intentions?

BURR: Well, I think Putin’s intention is to prop up Assad. That's always been his stated goal. I don't think that we cannot remember that Putin invaded Crimea, currently prosecutes a border war in the Ukraine. I’m not sure that Putin can be trusted.
But, Chris, let me make this fact: ISIS has to be eliminated. I’m ready to put together whatever coalition is willing to attack ISIS and eliminate this terrorist threat. That means Gulf state partners, it means European partners, it may mean Russia.
But Russia sure complicates the options we have in Syria, with the amount of aircraft, with the amount of arms that they have there. If we can focus those on ISIS versus the moderate opposition forces that are trying to defeat Assad, we could make a real impact, but that's going to take a great deal of diplomacy that we have yet to see.

WALLACE: There's been some interesting developments on intelligence issues, really, in the last week. I want to talk to you about those, sir.
Today at midnight, the NSA's bulk data collection of America's phone records, that program expired as of last night, and now the NSA is going to need a court order from a judge to collect records on any American. And again, we're not talking about the content of the phone call, simply my phone number called your phone number, and we spoke, or people on those two lines spoke for X number of minutes.
What impact do you think that’s going to have on your counter-terrorism effort?

BURR: Chris, I don't think it's too troubling you would need a court order. I think what's troubling is that you'll have to go to multiple telecom companies, and at their pace search their records, which means it could take weeks.
What we saw in Paris once we got a cell phone was that we used that cell phone number to look at cell phones it had talked to -- and not only Paris investigators but Belgian investigators were able to expand the search net in a way that stopped a massive terrorist attack, an additional one in Paris, potentially has led to the apprehension of at least a dozen, if not more, ISIS operatives throughout Belgium, Germany, and parts of Europe.
I’m not sure that we know the full extent of what we’ve learned to this point, but any time you can take electronics and use those selectors, it's beneficial to the world's intelligence community. And the United States made a real mistake when they eliminated this program where we could search foreign known terrorist' cell phones.
But Congress took that away from the NSA, and, unfortunately, it's not going to be a timely tool to use in the future.

WALLACE: Well, let me pick up on that. You have signed on to legislation that’s now in the Senate that would revive the program, which is I say ran out as of midnight, but the Senate just voted to end the program in June. So, what are the chances that they're going to reverse that just a few months later?

BURR: Well, Chris, it's amazing what happens when people are reminded what terrorists can do. It hadn’t happened here at home, but I think the American response to the Paris attack was as significant outside of New York and New Jersey as 9/11 was. The American people recognize that the indiscriminate, brutal acts that ISIS carried out could happen in any community across this country and throughout the world.
And I think as Americans, we believe we should do everything we can to eliminate that. Knowing who the terrorists are and where operatives may be in the United States or something, Americans expect us to know, they expect us to investigate.
I want to make sure that the tools that law enforcement have are as robust as they possibly can be, and metadata is a big contributor to that.

WALLACE: I want to get into one last issue with you. There are several allegations into allegations that officers at the U.S. Central Command, the military operation that oversees the Middle East, were altering and doctoring the intelligence from their analysts to downplay the threat from ISIS. I know you’ve talked to whistle-blowers. I know there are several investigations going on in your committee, also the Pentagon inspector general.
How substantial is the evidence that intelligence was doctored, sir?

BURR: Well, it's very concerning. The whistle-blower that I’ve talked to was very compelling. And, clearly, some of the information that's come out in the last seven days supported what that whistle-blower claimed.
Any time we’ve got intelligence that may have been altered in some way, shape or form to fit a narrative that might be the narrative set by the White House is concerning to me. To think that it could come from one of our combatant commands, in this case CentCom, is extremely troubling, because that changes really the risk that our combat forces might perceive, that they're going to be faced with in that combat theater.

WALLACE: Let me, let me pick --

BURR: So, I want to make sure that our -- yes, sure.

WALLACE: Let me just pick up on that, if I can, sir, because this week, when faced with those allegations, President Obama denied that he had anything to do with that. Take a look at what the president had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: One of the things I insisted on the day I walked into the Oval Office was that I don't want intelligence shaded by politics. I don't want it shaded by the desire to tell a feel-good story.
(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: Briefly, Senator, do you have any evidence the White House was involved in cooking the intelligence?

BURR: Chris, I don't, but we're going to look at the timeline very carefully to figure out whether the narrative was there before the intelligence backed it up. We’ve got a case in Benghazi that’s currently under investigation, where we know that a narrative went out that was factually incorrect. When all the facts on the ground said it was terrorism, we were out talking about a video.

So, narrative has been something that this White House has run with before. It concerns me now because Americans' lives are at stakes. Our soldiers, our sailors, our airmen, our marines’ lives are at stake when we do this.

WALLACE: Chairman Burr, thank you. Thanks for you your time on this holiday weekend, sir.

BURR: Thank you, Chris."

Post Sources: Fox News Sunday, WXII, YouTube

RICHARD BURR & ROY COOPER, I ENDORSE YOU FOR 2016

In this video I express my Political endorsement of Incumbent US Senator RICHARD BURR
(R-NC) and current NC State Attorney General ROY COOPER for the 2016 general election.

I endorse Senator Burr's re-election and I endorse Roy Cooper to replace incumbent NC Governor Pat McCrory.

Richard Burr (REPUBLICAN) is very Strong on National Security.

Roy Cooper (DEMOCRAT) is very Strong on Criminal Justice Reform and National Security.

In 2016 I encourage BLACK Voters to Vote Intelligently based on the issues not just based on Political PARTY.

Source: YouTube

Mitt Romney Woos Charlotte Voters: "Its The Economy Stupid!"

Today Mitt Romney stumped in Charlotte, NC.
He's gaining ground in NC due to the passage of Amendment One.






Romney tries to shift focus back to economy

Republican Mitt Romney used an appearance at a Charlotte foundry on Friday afternoon to try to return the focus of his campaign to the sluggish economic recovery.

The presumptive GOP nominee for president has spent recent days restating his opposition to gay marriage and shrugging off a newspaper report that he bullied a gay classmate in prep school.

"We've had economic policies that haven't worked for this nation," Romney told a cheering crowd at Charlotte Pipe and Foundry Co.

He repeatedly attacked the "old-school liberal" policies of President Barack Obama, which he said have left the U.S. with a tepid recovery from the global recession.

"We've got a government that's gotten in the way of the American people," he said. "We're going to change that."

Romney said he would balance the budget and cut spending by eliminating some federal programs and shifting things like Medicaid and food stamps to the states, which he said could operate them more efficiently. He also called for an energy policy that promotes domestic drilling for oil and natural gas and trade policies that "crack down on cheaters like China."

"The right policies are going to put America back to work and make us the economic powerhouse we've always been," he said.

The crowd gave Romney his biggest cheers when he vowed to repeal the national health care reform law, dubbed "Obamacare" by many, and when he attacked programs that benefit labor unions.

"Some people feel that the future's bleak. I don't," he said. "This is a great time in America. It's a great opportunity time."

Romney's visit came three days after he handily won the North Carolina primary, and many political observers expect a tight race in the state in November.

"I think he spoke to what people wanted to hear – what I wanted to hear – and I think that's the way we're going," said Eric Nelson of Raleigh, who went to Charlotte to hear Romney.

Cheryn Rowell said she brought her 9-year-old son, Jordan, to see a presidential candidate up close.

"I think he spoke to us. He spoke to everyone in this building," Rowell said.

Obama's unexpected embrace of gay marriage on Wednesday – the day after North Carolina approved a constitutional amendment defining heterosexual marriage as the only union recognized in the state – continued to overwhelm the presidential campaign as liberals and conservatives debated the political merits of his endorsement of an issue over which a president has little practical impact.

For Romney, the discussion of gay rights turned personal when The Washington Post published a story recounting how he and several schoolmates held down classmate John Lauber and cut off his bleached blond hair after seeking him out in his dorm room at their boarding school in the wealthy Detroit suburb of Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

The Post said Lauber was "perpetually teased for his nonconformity and presumed homosexuality" and that he screamed for help as Romney held him down and forcibly hacked off his hair. The paper recounted another incident in which Romney shouted "atta girl" to a different student at the all-boys' school who, years later, came out as gay.

At no point on Thursday did Romney volunteer comments about the report or about Obama's views on gay rights. But he did apologize for what he characterized as tomfoolery when asked by reporters.

"I participated in a lot of hijinks and pranks during high school and some may have gone too far. And for that I apologize," Romney told Fox News during a hastily arranged radio interview.

Romney said he didn't remember the Lauber incident, but also didn't dispute that it happened. He stressed that he didn't know either student was gay and moved quickly to counter any suggestion he had targeted students because they were.

"That was the furthest thing from our minds back in the 1960s, so that was not the case," he said, adding that the students involved "didn't come out of the closet until years later."

On Saturday, Romney will use a commencement speech at Liberty University, a conservative Christian school founded by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell, to cast strong families as central to a strong economy.

"Although opportunities seem scarce in this economy, it is not for nothing that you have spent this time preparing. America needs your talent and your energy, all the more now that our country's in a tough spot," he will say in his prepared remarks. "In the most practical, everyday terms, the best cultural assets are values as basic as personal responsibility, the dignity of hard work, and, above all, the commitments of family."


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Sources: WRAL, Google Maps

Richard Burr Keeps U.S. Senate Seat! Wins 55-43!

Richard Burr Declared Winner In U.S. Senate Race

North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr vanquished Democratic challenger Elaine Marshall on Tuesday, retaining his seat in Congress with a renewed promise to rein in government spending and debt.

With 20 percent of precincts reporting Tuesday night, Burr held 55 percent of the vote compared with 43 percent for Marshall. Libertarian candidate Michael Beitler had 2 percent.

Burr, who has served one term in the Senate after a decade in the House, had portrayed himself as an agent of change after two years of Democratic control of federal government. His message particularly focused on fiscal discipline, acknowledging past Republican mistakes of intense government spending but blaming Democrats for escalating the excess with President Barack Obama in charge.

"The result of this election shows that North Carolinians expect Congress to find reasonable and rational solutions to build a better future," Burr said after The Associated Press declared him the winner. "I am ready to lead in the effort to make sure the next generation has every opportunity possible to be successful."

Marshall, a veteran politician in Raleigh, had cast herself as an outsider in the race. She blamed Burr for contributing to problems with Washington politics and questioned his ties to interest groups. Marshall vowed to be a champion for average North Carolina residents, touting her work fighting Wall Street firms during her tenure as secretary of state.

Jacque Lewis, of Raleigh, said she is concerned that Burr is too cozy with his party, that Republicans are blocking financial regulation and that the GOP might privatize even part of Social Security. But she said her main worry was government spending — such as Obama's health care overhaul — leading her to vote for Republicans like Burr.

"Save money," said Lewis, 71. "Save money in some way. Save money in any way."

Laurie Fillion, 56, of Raleigh, said she voted a straight Democratic ticket in hopes the party could keep control of the House and Senate.

Fillion and her husband are living on her disability pay and his work as a custodian — totaling $29,000 a year. They begin to run out of food around the end of the third week each month, at which point they start living on hot dogs, spaghetti and ketchup.

"It's scary if the Republicans take Congress," Fillion said. "I know the middle and the low class will be forgotten about."

Unlike two years ago, when Democratic state Sen. Kay Hagan emerged from obscurity in North Carolina to oust widely known Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole, the Democratic establishment in Washington did little to aid Marshall, instead investing in other races around the country where incumbents were at risk of losing their seats. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spent millions on Hagan, but they have aired no ads for Marshall and supported her opponent in the party's primary.

Burr, meanwhile, carried a wide fundraising advantage throughout the race, having brought in more than $8 million for his re-election bid compared to just over $2 million for Marshall.





Burr Maintains Significant, But Smaller Lead


Democratic Senate candidate Elaine Marshall has narrowed the gap with Richard Burr, but the Republican incumbent still maintains a comfortable lead according to two new polls.

A survey by Public Policy Polling shows Burr leading Marshall by a 48 to 40 margin, down from a 13 point gap three weeks ago. Libertarian candidate Michael Beitler was at 3 percent. She has closed the gap because some of the Democratic voters have begun to come home.

A WRAL News Poll also shows a narrowing gap, although it shows Burr with 53 percent and Marshall at 38 percent, with Beitler at 5 percent.

The PPP survey found that while Marshall is picking up support among Democrats, Burr's backing remains steady. It also found that Burr holds a commanding 52-24 advantage lead among independents suggesting his soft-edged ideological campaign is working.

Marshall has made gains at a time when she has raised her profile by finally going on TV with her advertising campaign and appearing in three TV debates.

The PPP survey of 597 likely North Carolina voters was taken from Oct. 15 to 17th and had a margin error of plus or minus four percent.

The WRAL poll was conducted by SurveyUSA polled 857 likely voters Friday through Monday. The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.


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Sources: McClatchy Newspapers, WCNC, WRAL, Youtube, Google Maps

Richard Burr Slated To Win (Again) In 2010 (Voter Referendum)

Burr Maintains Significant, But Smaller Lead


Democratic Senate candidate Elaine Marshall has narrowed the gap with Richard Burr, but the Republican incumbent still maintains a comfortable lead according to two new polls.

A survey by Public Policy Polling shows Burr leading Marshall by a 48 to 40 margin, down from a 13 point gap three weeks ago. Libertarian candidate Michael Beitler was at 3 percent. She has closed the gap because some of the Democratic voters have begun to come home.

A WRAL News Poll also shows a narrowing gap, although it shows Burr with 53 percent and Marshall at 38 percent, with Beitler at 5 percent.

The PPP survey found that while Marshall is picking up support among Democrats, Burr's backing remains steady. It also found that Burr holds a commanding 52-24 advantage lead among independents suggesting his soft-edged ideological campaign is working.

Marshall has made gains at a time when she has raised her profile by finally going on TV with her advertising campaign and appearing in three TV debates.

The PPP survey of 597 likely North Carolina voters was taken from Oct. 15 to 17th and had a margin error of plus or minus four percent.

The WRAL poll was conducted by SurveyUSA polled 857 likely voters Friday through Monday. The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.


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Sources: McClatchy Newspapers, Youtube, Google Maps

Vote GOP In 2010! Here's Why: Jobs, Taxes, Health Care Law

Why You Should Vote For Republicans In Nov. 2010


By John Boehner

Where are the jobs?

It's the question Americans are still asking more than 20 months after President Obama signed the "Stimulus" amid promises it would create jobs "immediately" and keep unemployment below 8%. Instead, millions more have lost their jobs, and unemployment has topped 9.5% for 14 months in a row, the longest such stretch since the Great Depression.

Now, after adding more than $3 trillion to our national debt — often in the name of job creation that has failed to materialize, President Obama and Democrats in Washington want to raise taxes on families and small businesses. Between burdensome mandates, permanent bailouts and government takeovers, hasn't Washington already done enough to make it harder for employers and entrepreneurs to create jobs?

Americans are speaking out and demanding a new way forward in Washington.

Republicans have listened and outlined a new governing agenda in the form of a Pledge to America focused on creating jobs, cutting spending and changing the way Washington does business.


A Smaller Government




At the core of the Pledge is an idea Washington just hasn't tried before — that the path to recovery lies in making government smaller instead of making it bigger. To jump-start job creation, the economic uncertainty gripping small businesses has to be eliminated, and the spending binge in Washington has to be stopped.

The Pledge puts forth a clear plan to end the current uncertainty, starting with stopping all looming tax hikes so that small businesses can get back to creating jobs. This is followed by a blueprint for fiscal sanity that begins with cutting spending to pre-"stimulus," pre-bailout levels, a move that will save taxpayers $100 billion in the first year alone.

This won't be easy, and if we are truly serious about delivering a smaller, less costly, and more accountable government, Washington will have to change how it thinks and how it does business. That's why the Pledge puts forth a plan to reform Congress and restore public trust. It starts with requiring lawmakers to do their jobs, read the bills, and ensure that all legislation contains clear citations of constitutional authority.

Obama Stays The Course

For his part, President Obama shows no signs of listening to the people and recognizing the need to change course. In recent months, he has proposed more "stimulus" spending, told union audiences he would "keep fighting" for the controversial "card check" bill that would eliminate workers' right to a secret ballot, and signaled he would launch a new push for a job-killing cap-and-trade national energy tax.

The White House is also plotting ways to use the president's "ample regulatory powers" to protect the most unpopular and unaffordable parts of his agenda, including the government takeover of health care that has failed to lower costs as promised. In fact, the Obama administration's own chief actuary for Medicare and Medicaid says the new health care law will raise costs. And millions of Americans are about to be forced out of their health care plans. That's why Republicans' Pledge to America includes a plan to repeal the job-killing health care law and replace it with common-sense reforms focused on lowering costs and protecting American jobs.

Our nation is facing immense challenges. Nearly one in 10 Americans is out of work. We are borrowing 37 cents of every dollar we spend from our kids and grandkids. Americans have record-low confidence in their Congress.

We just can't afford another two years like the past two. With the Pledge to America, Republicans are offering better solutions and a new approach to getting our economy, our government and our country back on track.

John Boehner, R-Ohio, is the House Republican leader.


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Sources: ABC News, USA Today, Youtube, Google Maps

Richard Burr Accuses Incumbent Elaine Marshall Of "Gutter Politics"

Burr, Marshall Clash In Final NC Senate Debate

The two major-party candidates for U.S. Senate on Thursday accused each other of lying in competing television ads and on the campaign trail and tackled the touchy issue of whether gays and lesbians are born or choose to be that way.

During their final debate before the election, Incumbent Democratic challenger Elaine Marshall accused Republican Richard Burr of having views on homosexuality that are "wrongheaded and discriminatory" when discussing whether they agreed with the policy barring gays from serving openly in the military. But Burr said she didn't listen to him and was trying to inject race into a discussion of gay rights.

Burr said the "don't ask, don't tell policy" has worked. When asked by moderator Judy Woodruff how he viewed gay behavior, Burr said he wasn't "sure that any of us know whether it's genetic or by choice. And I'm not sure that's even relevant that somebody chooses that lifestyle and how it might then impact our policies."

Marshall, who said earlier that being gay isn't a matter of choice and wants the policy repealed, said "there is ample evidence that it is biological and Sen. Burr obviously believes it's by choice."

"We shouldn't be judging people by the color of their hair, the color of their eyes, the color of their skin or other factors that they have no control over," she added. "That's wrong in America and what he's talking about is governmental discrimination."

Burr shot back: "I made it very clear what my position was, but don't bring race into this."

Although both candidates said Congress, not courts, should decide the policy's future, the sharp exchange capped a testy one-hour debate at the University of North Carolina studios less than two weeks before the Nov. 2 election and one week into the early voting period.


Each candidate harped on what they're saying about the other in television commercials.

Burr accused Marshall, North Carolina's secretary of state since 1997, of telling untruths on the campaign trail by accusing him of voting for bad trade deals and focusing upon his 2008 vote on the bank bailout. Burr, who defended his bailout vote and said he voted later against expanding it to invest in automobile and insurance companies, argued it was Marshall who has changed her mind during the campaign on whether she would have voted for it.

Burr tried to set the tone early by saying his 2004 Senate race with outgoing University of North Carolina System President Erskine Bowles was congenial and "we never made up things." He suggested Marshall was.

"The tactic may be to go in the gutter, secretary, but I'm not going there," Burr said.

Marshall said Burr approved financial deregulation while in Congress that led to the mess in financial industries the nation found itself in two years ago. She also countered that Burr's TV commercial saying she was for a cap-and-trade plan to reduce greenhouse emissions was just not true.

Marshall said after the debate that the "gutter" comment was designed to scare her but it didn't work. Her campaign said later Burr was mischaracterizing his race with Bowles.

Seeking to draw in undecided voters struggling in the sputtering economy, Marshall tried to cement herself as the outsider candidate in the race and that Burr, who was first elected to the U.S. House in 1994, listens more to special interests.

Burr "has been there for 16 years as he's just part of that club," Marshall said. "I'm not."

Burr said it's government who has stood in the way of improving the economy. Until Washington brings predictability on taxes and policies to people seeking the American dream, he said, "I'm not sure we can hope that our neighbor will find a job."

The debate, the second hosted by the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters Educational Foundation at the University of North Carolina Television studios in 10 days, didn't include Libertarian Mike Beitler because surveys failed to show him with at least 10 percent support. About a dozen Beitler supporters holding placards getting debate attendees. Beitler participated in a League of Women Voters debate Oct. 13.


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Sources: WCNC, Google Maps

Richard Burr Is 8 Points Ahead Of Elaine Marshall: Decision 2010

Burr 48, Marshall 40



The North Carolina U.S. Senate race has tightened a bit, according to a new poll.

Democratic Senate candidate Elaine Marshall has begun to close the gap against Republican Sen. Richard Burr, who leads by eight points, according to a new survey by Public Policy Polling, a Democratic firm.

She trails 48-40, after a 13-point deficit against Burr three weeks ago.

PPP reports Marshall's standing has improved in her party. She has the support of 73 percent of Democrats, compared to 65 percent in the firm's last poll.

Burr's support remains steady at 48 percent, and he holds a 52-24 advantage with independents. If that continues, PPP suggested, it's difficult to imagine a scenario in which Marshall wins.

PPP surveyed 597 likely North Carolina voters Oct. 15-17. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.


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Sources: McClatchy Newspapers, Public Policy Polling, WRAL, Youtube, Google Maps

Obama Supporters From 2008 Now Voting GOP: No Jobs!!

Poll: Many Obama 2008 Supporters Defecting To GOP


President Barack Obama's winning coalition from 2008 has crumbled and his core backers are dispirited. It's now Republicans who stand to benefit from an electorate that's again craving change.

Nearly two years after putting Obama in the White House, one-quarter of those who voted for the Democrat are defecting to the GOP or considering voting against the party in power this fall. Just half of them say they definitely will show up Nov. 2, according to an Associated Press-Knowledge Networks Poll released two weeks before Obama's first midterm elections.

Yet in a reflection of broad dissatisfaction with politics, just as many people who backed Republican presidential nominee John McCain are either supporting Democrats now or still considering how to vote.

Still, McCain voters — to borrow Obama's campaign rallying cry — are far more "fired up, ready to go." Two-thirds say they are certain to vote next month.

It's a wide enthusiasm gap that's buoying Republicans, who are poised for big electoral gains, and worrying Democrats, who are seeking to hang onto majorities in Congress as well among governors. Obama's party hopes its superior get-out-the-vote operation, updated from his groundbreaking campaign, can overcome Republicans' energized supporters to mitigate expected losses across the board.

While no president can be expected to fully rally his supporters when he's not on the ballot, the survey illustrates the wide scope of Obama voters' disappointment with the president and his policies almost halfway through his first term — and two years before he's likely to seek their backing again.



To find out how the electorate's political views have changed since the 2008 election, the AP and Knowledge Networks re-interviewed the same 1,254 people who were part of a random sample of Americans surveyed up to 11 times throughout the 2008 campaign by the two organizations and Yahoo News. The recent interviews occurred Sept. 17 to Oct. 7. The survey has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.


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Sources: AP, Real Clear Politics, WJAC-TV, Yahoo News, Youtube, Google Maps

Richard Burr Wins 2nd Debate Too: Pulls Democrats Voters (Videos)

Burr Says Second Senate Bid Is Part Of His Congressional Solution For North Carolina


When Richard Burr tells North Carolina voters he’s offered conservative leadership and effective service during his first U.S. Senate term, his supporters murmur agreement and offer anecdotes.

A veteran at a campaign rally event in Hendersonville thanks Burr for helping him get benefits. Another candidate explains Burr’s office cut red tape to help fly World War II veterans to Washington.

But as he seeks a second six-year term, Burr’s getting another message from an electorate restless even with his fellow Republicans: You’re on a short leash.

“If they don’t make the changes, then we’re going to vote them out like we’re voting the Democrats out this time,” says Tony Riffice, a 49-year-old unemployed carpenter from Forest City who spoke with Burr at a campaign stop in Rutherfordton.

Burr acknowledges Republicans fell short on carrying out the their fiscal principles when George W. Bush was president and they controlled Congress. And he agrees the criticism is fair game for Democratic challenger Elaine Marshall. But he contends he voted against bloated spending plans even before President Barack Obama was elected in 2008 or the Democrats took control of Congress in 2006.

“I don’t run from the blame when we had the White House and had the majority,” Burr, 54, said in an interview.

He believes he is still the best choice to help get the economy back on track. As he said during a recent debate, “If in fact you believe this country is headed in the right direction, if you’re supportive of a government that costs too much and that’s too large, then I’m not your candidate.”

Voter support is something Burr’s longtime friends believed he’d never need. After graduating from hometown Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, Burr took a job at an appliance wholesaler, where he rose to national sales manager. Friends were floored when Burr said he would run for Congress in the early 1990s after increased frustration with tax increases.

Back in college, “Richard was not very interested in politics in those days,” said state Republican Party Chairman Tom Fetzer, who went to Wake Forest with Burr and considers him one of his closest friends. But “when he sets his mind on something, he gets real serious about it. “

He lost to incumbent Democrat Steve Neal in 1992, but Neal retired and Burr rode the Republican wave to victory two years later. In the House, he shepherded laws to modernize the Food and Drug Administration and a long-awaited buyout of the federal tobacco quota system.

The buyout helped with his 2004 Senate victory over former White House chief of staff Erskine Bowles. He’s shifted now to veterans and education issues and sits on the powerful Armed Services Committee. While mentioned briefly as a vice-presidential candidate in 2008, Burr is rarely in the national spotlight and has cultivated the persona of a policy wonk.

Democratic critics say he continues to value corporate interests who give him campaign money.

The nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics said Burr’s campaign committee has collected more than $2 million from political action committees during the 2010 election cycle — ranking him seventh highest among Senate colleagues.

The American Conservative Union gave Burr a top 100 rating for his voting record in 2009. He scored only a 74 in 2008, in part for voting for the $700 billion bailout of the nation’s financial industry.

“I still believe today that if we had not done that, we would have had a financial meltdown,” he said. He voted for a resolution in 2009 that would have prevented the use of the funds to buy shares in banks, insurance companies and automobile makers.

Burr has changed little since 2004 except for a little more gray in his hair. He keeps to a campaign uniform of a navy blue jacket with a handkerchief in the front pocket, dress shirt, khakis and loafers with no socks. He’s apt to indulge in a pinch of smokeless tobacco between campaign stops.

Burr said he’s the same person compared to 2004 except that “over the six years I’ve learned to value much more the input of people.”

“I believe I’ve been a consistent voice for North Carolina, not just in the six years in the Senate, but in the 10 years in the House,” he said. “I come home every weekend. I work as hard as anybody in the state.”

At a rally in Hendersonville, tea party supporter and retiree Donna Massaria of Fletcher, stood and asked Burr whether he would pledge to end special spending earmarks in the federal budget. She voted for Democrats in 2008 but plans to vote Republican in 2010.

“Yes ma’am,” Burr replied.

“OK, we’re going to hold you to it,” warned Massaria, 63.


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Sources: WRAL, Youtube, Google Maps

Richard Burr & Elaine Marshall Debate Again Tonight: Burr Won 1st

NC Candidates For US Senate To Meet Again For Debate


North Carolina’s candidates for U.S. Senate are meeting for another televised debate, and this time it will include the state’s third-party candidate.

Republican Sen. Richard Burr, Democratic hopeful Elaine Marshall and Libertarian candidate Mike Beitler will face off Wednesday night in Raleigh. The event is hosted by WNCN-TV and the League of Women Voters of North Carolina.

Burr and Marshall debated on Monday, laying out competing visions for how to rebuild the nation’s economy. Beitler was not invited to that event because surveys failed to show him with at least 10 percent support.

The debate will include questions directly from voters.


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Sources: WRAL, Youtube, Google Maps

Richard Burr & Elaine Marshall Debate For U.S. Senate: Jobs & Homes

U.S. Senate Candidates Don't See Eye To Eye, But Remain Civil


North Carolina's U.S. Senate candidates met for their first televised debate Monday night, sharply disagreeing on the new health care law, on drilling off the state's coast and on which party was responsible for the national debt.

In a one-hour debate, Democrat Elaine Marshall most often played the role of the aggressor, portraying Republican Sen. Richard Burr as a political insider, attempting to tie him to public discontent with Washington.

"Washington is not responding to the needs of ordinary Americans," Marshall said. "Senator Burr has been in Washington for 16years and is part of that club."

Burr - hoping to capitalize on the unpopularity of Democratic President Barack Obama and the Democratic-majority Congress - said the Senate race would help decide the direction of the country.

"If you believe that our government has to be downsized and we need to figure out how to get more bang for our buck of our tax dollars," Burr said, "then I'm asking for your support."

This was the first of three televised debates scheduled between Burr and Marshall this fall. It was moderated by Carl Kasell, the former NPR newscaster. Michael Beitler, the Libertarian candidate did not participate. The debate was sponsored by the N.C. Broadcasters Association Foundation.

The debate occurred at a crucial moment in the campaign for Marshall, with all the polls showing Burr enjoying a double-digit lead just before early voting begins Thursday. Election Day is three weeks away.

The debate was civil in tone, although both candidates got in jabs. At other times, the debate seemed flat. There were no moments of high drama, and there appeared to be no major mistakes.

Marshall called Burr "a poster boy for obstructionism" and noted that he had voted for several unpopular trade agreements. But her criticisms were made almost in passing, rather than as part of any sustained argument as to why voters should fire their senator.

One of the sharpest contrasts came on the landmark health care legislation that passed Congress this year.

Burr voiced strong opposition to the health care law, saying he would seek to overturn it and start over.

"I would vote to repeal it," Burr said. "I would vote to defund it. I would vote to replace it with something that helps the American people."

He said the health care law would add needless burden to businesses, would not reduce health care costs, would cut benefits for certain Medicare beneficiaries and would stymie innovation.

Marshall said that the process of passing the health care bill was "ugly" and that there need to be adjustments, but she said the law offered broader access to health care.

"We've got to lower costs on families," Marshall said. "The elimination of pre-existing conditions. The elimination of gender discrimination."

"I get it," she said. "I've had a very sick husband. We paid $5,000 a month for one medication he needed to live. It's not a happy place to be. But I had good insurance." Her husband died of cancer in December.

The candidates disagreed on other issues:

Offshore Drilling:

Marshall said she opposed exploration, saying the type of spill that occurred in the Gulf could devastate North Carolina's tourism and fishing economy. But Burr said it should be up to each state whether to allow drilling. He said that if the U.S. was ever to become energy independent it had to explore for oil and gas in this country.

National Debt:

Burr blamed the national debt on the policies of the Obama administration, but Marshall countered that the debt had skyrocketed under the Bush administration with Burr's backing. "There is one of us on this stage who has been on a spending spree," Marshall said.

War in Afghanistan:

Although Marshall and Burr disagreed on the need for a surge in Afghanistan, the two candidates did not seem far apart in the debate. Marshall said she would leave it up to the military commanders on when troops should be withdrawn, while Burr said time was needed to determine whether the surge would be successful.

Social Security:

Marshall said she opposed any form of privatization saying, "We need to make sure that Wall Street doesn't get its hands on this money." She also said she has seen the devastation of seniors who have lost their savings through bad investments. Burr said he offered legislation to provide a $250 stipend to seniors to make up for a lack of a cost-of-living increase in Social Security to be paid for from unspent stimulus money. But Burr also said Social Security is unsustainable in its current form. Burr, who has previously supported allowing younger people to invest part of their Social Security funds in the stock market, said he looked forward to the recommendations of a debt commission being co-chaired by UNC-system President Erskine Bowles before deciding a course of action.

Stimulus:

Marshall said the federal stimulus package "kept us from going into the second Great Depression." But the country hasn't yet seen the entire effect, Marshall said, adding "the jury is still a little bit still out."

Burr was far more skeptical, saying the stimulus created a lot of temporary jobs and noting that those who attended a debate traveled on an interstate that was being paved mainly because the money needed to be spent quickly rather than because it was needed. He said, "The millions of Americans out of work right now, whohaven't felt the effects of this stimulus package, it's hard to convince them that this prevented them from going off the cliff."


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Sources: McClatchy Newspapers, WRAL, Google Maps

Richard Burr Remains Comfortably Ahead Of Elaine Marshall: Rasmussen Poll

Election 2010: North Carolina Senate


Incumbent Republican Senator Richard Burr remains comfortably ahead of Democratic challenger Elaine Marshall in his bid for reelection in North Carolina.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely North Carolina Voters shows Burr enjoying his best showing to date, with 54% support to Marshall's 38% when leaners are included. One percent (1%) favor some other candidate in the race, and seven percent (7%) are undecided.

These new findings move the race from Leans GOP to Solid GOP in the Rasmussen Reports Election 2010 Senate Balance of Power rankings.

Leaners are those who initially indicate no preference for either of the candidates but answer a follow-up question and say they are leaning towards a particular candidate. From this point forward, Rasmussen Reports considers results with leaners the primary indicator of the race.

If leaners are not included, Burr holds a 51% to 36% lead over Marshall, North Carolina's longtime secretary of state. Last month, the Republican who is seeking a second six-year term in the Senate posted a 49% to 40% lead.

Burr has been ahead most of the year. Marshall pulled even temporarily in June, enjoying a bounce from her victory in a Democratic Primary runoff. But with the exception of the post-runoff poll, Burr's support has ranged from 48% to 52% all year, while Marshall has earned 32% to 40% of the vote in those same surveys.

However, just 59% of Burr supporters say they are already certain how they will vote in November, compared to 71% of Marshall voters.

While Burr had long been viewed as one of the most vulnerable GOP senators in this election cycle, Democratic leaders clearly are moving away from that point of view. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, in fact, is now shifting its hopes for pickups to the races in Kentucky and Missouri where Republicans are retiring from the Senate.

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

The survey of 500 Likely Voters in North Carolina was conducted on September 8, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Burr draws 85% support from Republican voters in North Carolina, while just 66% of the state's Democrats currently back Marshall. The Republican leads among voters not affiliated with either party by more than 30 points.

Barack Obama edged John McCain 50% to 49% in the 2008 election to carry North Carolina, but just 44% of the state's voters now approve of the job he is doing as president. Fifty-five percent (55%) disapprove. This is in line with the job approval ratings Obama earns nationally in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll.

Fifty-seven percent (57%) of North Carolina voters favor repeal of the new national health care law, while 35% oppose repeal. This includes 43% who Strongly Favor repeal and 24% who are Strongly Opposed. These findings are comparable to voter attitudes nationwide.

But 52% of the state's voters say repeal of the health care law will be good for the economy.

As in other states around the country, voters in the Tar Heel State put economic issues far ahead on their list of concerns this election season. Seven percent (7%) of the state's voters rate the U.S. economy as good or excellent, but 59% describe it as poor. Twenty-two percent (22%) say the economy is getting better; 51% believe it is getting worse.

Seventy-one percent (71%) say the country is in a recession.

Eighty-five percent (85%) know someone who is out of work and looking for a job. While 13% think the job market is getting better, 44% say it's worsening.

Burr is viewed favorably by 56% of North Carolina voters and unfavorably by 33%. This includes 22% with a Very Favorable opinion and 13% with a Very Unfavorable one.

Forty-six percent (46%) regard Marshall favorably, with 19% Very Favorable. Thirty-six percent (36%) hold an unfavorable opinion of her, including 14% Very Unfavorable.

Forty-four percent (44%) approve of the job Democratic Governor Beverly Perdue is doing, while 54% disapprove. These findings are unchanged from last month.

See toplines for other data from this survey. Full demographic data is available to Platinum Members only.

In 2008, Rasmussen Reports projected nationally that Obama would defeat McCain by a 52% to 46% margin. Obama won 53% to 46%. Four years earlier, Rasmussen Reports projected the national vote totals for both George W. Bush and John Kerry within half-a-percentage-point.

In North Carolina, Rasmussen Reports polled on three races during the 2008 campaign. In the race for president, Rasmussen polling showed McCain over Obama by a point, 50% to 49%. Obama ended up edging out McCain 50% to 49%. In the 2008 North Carolina Senate race, Rasmussen polling showed Kay Hagan defeating Elizabeth Dole 52% to 46%, and Hagan won 53% to 44%. Rasmussen Reports was the first to show Hagan leading Dole. In the governor's race, the final Rasmussen poll showed Pat McCrory leading Perdue 51%-47%. Perdue won 50% to 47%.

In the 2004 presidential race, Rasmussen polling in North Carolina showed Bush defeating Kerry 53% to 43%. Bush won the state 56% to 44%.

See all Rasmussen Reports 2008 state results for president, Senate and governor. See 2006 results for Senate and governor. See 2004 state results for president.

Rasmussen Reports has recently surveyed Senate races in Arizona, Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.


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Sources: Carolina Politics Online, McClatchy Newspapers, Youtube, Google Maps

Richard Burr Maintains Double-Digit Lead Over Elaine Marshall

Another Poll, Same Result: Richard Burr With Big Lead Over Elaine Marshall


Republican Sen. Richard Burr has a 13 point lead over Democratic challenger Elaine Marshall, according to a new survey.

Burr is leading with 49 percent followed by Marshall with 36 percent, and Libertarian candidate Michael Beitler at 4 percent, according to a new survey by Public Policy Polling, a Democratic-leaning firm based in Raleigh.

The poll found that Burr has solidified his support among Republicans and is doing well among independent voters. Marshall, who has not yet been able to advertise on television, is still not very well known.

The survey of 681 likely voters was taken Sept. 23-26 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percent.


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Sources: McClatchy Newspapers, Google Maps, Youtube