Yesterday was election day, and it was about as lively an election day for local races as Chapel Hill has seen in some time.
But primary season for statewide offices is coming up, and next year’s elections should serve as a referendum on the nightmarish tenure of the current governor and North Carolina General Assembly. Orange County liberals are right to bemoan the disaster that has been Republican rule, but with that criticism comes a responsibility.
The Democratic Party, as a rule, is a mess in this state, and they have failed to mount a credible opposition to Republicans again and again. This state needs a formidable opposition party. Democrats can no longer settle for mediocrity or worse.
The key to ensuring strong candidates is a campaign that doesn’t wait until after the primaries to gear up. So far, there has been very little notice of Roy Cooper’s challenger Ken Spaulding, a Durham lawyer with a legitimate platform. He is particularly strong challenging Cooper’s actions as Attorney General, where Cooper has defended the anti-Democratic Voter ID law in court.
It’s true this is part of Cooper’s job as Attorney General, but his higher duty is to uphold the constitution, and he has so far refused to acknowledge the formidable possibility the law is unconstitutional. Spaulding has a strong point on principle there.
Also, Cooper is also known for leading the State Bureau of Investigation during an era of mass incompetence and malfeasance under his watch.
These are just a couple issues Democratic primary voters should have a chance to hear from Cooper on, but Cooper, comfortable in his frontrunner status, is hesitant to debate, and the state Democratic Party has disappointingly abdicated any responsibility, claiming it is not its responsibility to hold debates.
What the Democratic party does have a responsibility to do is put forward strong candidates, and holding debates could help.
Democrats have a responsibility to offer alternatives, not just rely on general dissatisfaction. It’s not as if the Democrats have never put forward an awful executive in North Carolina (see Easley, Mike). Cooper has been around long enough to accumulate some stink, and he needs to prove he can ably defend his record as well as articulate a strong challenge to McCrory. Avoiding scrutiny is a bad start.
