#ncga: Jones Street GOPers just reelected Gov. Cooper
The Democrats were not so generous toward Govs. Holshouser or Martin.
Yet, here we are — 90 days into the Cooper era — with Roy Cooper achieving his numero uno campaign promise: Repeal of HB2. And he did it with the overwhelming help of the legislature’s veto-proof GOP majority.
We had reports earlier today about Lt. Gov. Dan Forest visiting the House Republican caucus to cheerlead against the repeal of HB2. Forest was reportedly followed by US senator Thom Tillis tooting his horn FOR repeal. 
The “compromise” — the kowtowing to the NCAA — was clearly a knife in the back of the lieutenant governor. Forest has done yeoman’s work defending the state against the hard left and driveby media’s savaging of North Carolina. He went to Texas to tout North Carolina’s leadership on HB2. And here come his fellow Republicans leading the fight to trash the whole thing.
How, in 2020, do you campaign against Roy Cooper as ineffective — needing to be 
replaced? He got his top 2016 campaign promise accomplished just three months into his term. He got something major done with a whole lot of help from the other side of the aisle. *He’s a uniter. He’s bipartisan.*
This was a big win for ol’ Roy. (He needs to be sure to thank Phil, Timmy, Dave from Dunn, and THOM for the assist.)
I disagree. What we at NCGOPe and our allies in the legislature did was to promote the nomination of Thom Tillis for governor in 2020 and to undercut his rival Dan Forest. That is what this was all about. Do you really believe we stay out of primaries? Guess again. Give us another two years in power and we will be sure that our boy Thom will be our nominee and not Forest.
The only thing is that the whackos in the demorat party hate the bill at least as much as we are disgusted with the caving in to them. I am sure they will forget their outrage…probably just like many on our side will forget how happened.
The only person who kowtowed to the NCAA was Cooper. I am convinced the reason Cooper surrendered on the bathroom/locker room issue and the cities cannot enact nondiscrimination ordinances was the looming NCAA deadline. I was floored when I first saw the governor’s offer on Tuesday! He conceded to us the very things we went to Raleigh last March 23 to achieve in HB2. So to simply call this a repeal of HB2 is flagrantly inaccurate and amounts to fake news. Furthermore, the clock was quickly ticking down to the May 10 hearing in which a liberal 4th Circuit panel was going to knock down the entire law. Yes, not passing the bill yesterday was going to be the real repeal of HB2 and a total loss. So Cooper enabled us to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. The bottom line is to not allow men to legally access ladies facilities. That goal was achieved. I am sorry that some want to posture and thump their chests about not giving in. If that attitude was the very thing that actually worked to allow men into ladies facilities that is not a smart play. Finally, if you want proof that i am accurate in claiming this as a victory for our common sense side, look no further than the fury of the gay and other leftist groups against Cooper and the Democrats for agreeing to this. Here is James Esseks, director of the ACLU LGBT Project: ” This is not a repeal of HB2. Instead, they are reinforcing the worst aspects of the law.”
And watch the NCAA still not come! Which would be funny if it was O’ Roy in such a hurry because of their silly deadline.
Giving liberal local governments power over setting up new protected classes in 2020 is a giveaway that will not be tolerated. Sorry, but you are off of my list of conservatives I trust. The dependable conservatives in the legislature voted against this excrement sandwich. You voted with the RINO’s on this major issue.
The 4th Circuit argument also does not flush, as we will have a conservative Supreme Court majority soon to overrule those liberal political hacks in Richmond
Just as I suspected, John. You seem to confirm that the rather strange language of Section 2 came from Cooper. Cooper may not be a slick lawyer himself but he has them around. I strongly suspect that an Attorney General’s opinion is in the works that will turn what you thought was accomplished in Section 2 on its head. Expect it shortly after the GA adjourns. They won’t wait for the courts, they will use their far left resource there at the NC DOJ and they will act like an AG opinion is like a court order, although it certainly is not.
Wasn’t that 4th Circuit argument one that David Lewis was peddling in his meetings with legislators? It looks like most conservatives did not fall for it. I don’t think the new SCOTUS would sink so low as to require government to force men into womens restrooms.
Are you dizzy yet from all the spinning. It’s certainly been entertaining, in a very sad sort of way.
If Napolean had employed Woodhouse, I can imagine all the spinning in Paris about the great victory at Waterloo over Wellington and the British. The NCGOPe does at least realize that they have to spin this disaster to try to put lipstick on the pig. They had a widespread conference call from NCGOPe headquarters the evening after the sellout, and some of the establishment types are sending mass emails trying to sell this as a victory. What a hoot!
Fortunately, Blust seems to be about the only conservative who has bought David Lewis’ excuses and is repeating them to others such as on these boards.
Fundamentally, it was Cooper, not the Republicans who wrote this bill, and it stinks to high heaven. The NCGOPe legislative leadership has boosted Cooper for governor, boosted Tillis for governor, and kicked Dan Forest in the gut. That is unforgivable.
Of course, co-conspirator Phil Berger has been sending out lots of colorful oversized postcards promoting himself for something. Maybe governor himself? That might explain his stabbing Forest in the back. After this betrayal, I would not vote for Phil Berger for dogcatcher..
It kills me how people abandoning their professed principles call it the smart thing to do. This was capitulation at its worst, and the timing was not necessary to beat the May 10 anticipated ruling of the fourth circuit. But it was necessary to beat the NCAA deadline. Spin it all you want, but conservatives know when they have been betrayed and by whom.
I have gleaned much about Representative Blust from his widespread commentary since the vote.
Richard Carter Jr
All Blust is doing is putting his name on David Lewis’ excuses for selling out the GOP voters of the state.
The “announcement ” that Roy Cooper’s re-election
Has been assured IS A BIT PREMATURE. Oh ye of little faith.