Of Sushi and Cold Wet Fish

Ah Sushi, one of my favorite foods and here a metaphor for things liked ...

I spent a few hours Saturday down at NCDP hq in Raleigh attending the Fall Teen Dem rally. One of the local teen dems wanted to go so we went. Speakers at the event included Jerry Meek, Larry Kissell, Ed Ridpath, Tricia Cotham and Pat Smathers. The assembled teens also heard from Melissa Price, YDNC VP, and a representative from the Hampton Dellinger campaign. The really cool thing was the fact that dozens of teen democrats from various counties gathered and were enthusiastic about making a change in their communities and participating in the democratic process. They had a breakout session in which they shared ideas for increasing their local club's membership, events to sponsor and which candidates they would like to support.
I would like to comment on state Rep. Cotham's remarks, which were very interesting. Apparently the good ole boys haven't taken too well to having a single, young, female collegue. She reported that snide, sexist and even demeaning comments are made to her with some frequency. So rather than a group of "grandfatherly" elders, some of the older males in our esteemed General Assembly act more like adolescent jerks when out of the spotlight. Rep. Cotham also took some heat for sponsoring anti- bullying legislation that included clauses pertaining to sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation. Some republican GA members thought that it should be open season on gay students as they roam the halls of our schools.

I had good time, got to chat with some of the aforementioned political types and had my hope in the future somewhat restored. Varied and very satisfying, just like a good sushi dinner.


But then there is the Cold Wet Fish of Reality ... which will be things not liked, perhaps by you, the reader.

To be blunt, Jim Neal will not play well in Person Co. or in most rural/suburban counties of NC. I am sure you can surmise the reasons - Chapel Hill liberal, gay, Larry Craig guilt by association, Clinton at the top of the ticket (hey, that is the way it looks now) and Mr. Neal's association with "losers" Kerry and Bowles. Some of these "negatives" (notice quotes) can be overcome if Mr. Neal will make a point of visiting (nearly) every county twice, once in early 2008 and once later in 2008 to become 3-D, to show that he is a caring family man, intelligent with good positions on the issues facing society today. The best way to do that is meeting people face to face and creating positive word of mouth. Bowles was just a face on tv to most North Carolinians who live away from the interstate corridors, and he did not fare well as a result. Mr. Neal must create his own labels, his own political identity, before it is done for him by the attack dogs gathering on the right. I noticed that one of the major political prognosticating websites (Cooks?) just yesterday moved NC to solid rep from leans rep.

Please notice that this is not meant as an attack on Mr. Neal, but is simply a dose of reality. The attacks are coming, the better to prepare strategies in advance to cope with and deflect those attacks so as to lessen the damage and possibly gain some advantage.

Thanks for reading.