At the Historic Thousands on Jones Street rally, some N.C. Democratic leaders attended to try and turn the energy of the Moral Monday into electoral victory.
But Democrats may find difficulty translating the momentum into electoral victory at the polls for a few reasons.
- The appearance of nonpartisanship – Throughout his closing speech, Rev. William Barber II emphasized the nonpartisanship of his message. He said the Moral Monday movement was not about left versus right but “right versus wrong.” Barber had also told elected officials attending not to march in the front. Without the explicit support of the leaders of Moral Monday, it be difficult for candidates to tie themselves to the energy of the movement.
- National Democrats could be a drag – While most state Democrats have little to do with national issues, disapproval of President Barack Obama could hurt them. A study by Public Policy Polling released Thursday shows Obama having his lowest approval rating in his presidency.
- Instability of state Democrats-This week, the N.C. Democratic Party fired its executive director and appointed Casey Mann as interim director. For some time, the Democratic Party has been plagued- by scandal and the recent dust-up could shake people’s confidence in the party.
- Politics could lose the appeal – In December, Public Policy Polling found that 54 percent of voters thought charges against Moral Monday protesters should be dropped, including 50 percent of independents. But if the movement is co-opted by Democrats, it could lose the support by moderate and independent voters.
It is perhaps for these reasons that Barber is insistent on his protests being nonpartisan.
View from the Hill is a political blog by Daily Tar Heel staff writers. Any opinion expressed in it does not represent the Daily Tar Heel. Email the blog coordinator at dthviewfromthehill@gmail.com.
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