NC gov's re-election decision could benefit Obama

[Judi Lynn]

NC gov's re-election decision could benefit Obama
By MICHAEL BIESECKER, Associated Press – 28 minutes ago

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The key battleground state of North Carolina is still within President Barack Obama's grasp, despite Democratic Gov. Beverly Perdue's surprise decision to drop her re-election campaign.

Obama has been running commercials in the state for months, and the Democrats have staked so much on repeating his 2008 success in North Carolina that their presidential nomination convention will be held in Charlotte.

"It's helpful news for Obama rather than problematic news," John Dinan, a political science professor at Wake Forest University, said of Perdue's announcement Thursday. "You'd expect the Obama campaign would rather run with a strong gubernatorial candidate on the ballot, and by all accounts, Perdue was not a strong candidate."

Perdue, the first woman elected governor in North Carolina history, said she worried a fight with Republicans over public education would become too political if she tried for a second term. But Perdue entered the election year with political baggage, including a campaign finance investigation, sagging poll numbers and a tough rematch campaign against an opponent she narrowly beat in 2008, when Obama's coattails helped Democrats across the state.

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[Firebrand Gary]

1. Governor Perdue should be applauded.

Her consistency on signing statements garner one BIG thumbs up from me.

[Tunkamerica]

2. I'm undecided on her choice

the Repubs are already saying it was the party that "forced" her not to run which seems flimsy but if it gets repeated enough may become the truth. Perdue was my second choice when she was running, but this decision actually makes me respect her more. She's got few consequences if she continues to veto ridiculous Repub. bills. The Repub. apparatus was focused on running aganst her and it may shake them up. But, it leaves little time to find a good replacement candidate and McCrory only lost by a little last time and he is poison.