Dallas and his imagination

Jim Womack is looking like quite the prophet. He told us time and again during his recent run for NCGOP state chairman that Republicans would fall into third place in terms of statewide voter registration by October.

Drive by media reports indicate they met that benchmark in September.  

Grandpa must have been napping, but the drivebys DID manage to find Dallas Woodhouse:

[…] N.C. Republican Party Executive Director Dallas Woodhouse says the numbers aren’t bad news for the GOP. “Republicans have dramatically closed the gap on Democrats and continue to do so, even this year,” he said in an email Wednesday. “The Republican Party is growing in North Carolina. The Democrat Party is not.”[…] 

Let’s take a look at the numbers compiled by the state board of elections to see how Dallas’s analysis stands up.

Year Democrat Republican Unaffiliated
2017 2640726 2055758 2056294
2016 2736124 2099551 2076361
2015 2631150 1960045 1814684
2014 2761350 2014951 1828942
2013 2759920 1991334 1709851

According to the state, Democrats AND Republicans are sporting their lowest registration totals since December 2015.  Both parties are down significantly from the end of 2016. 

If I were executive director of the “Unaffiliated” Party, I would be doing cartwheels and dancing with joy.  While Democrats have lost 119,194 registered voters since 2013 and Republicans have gained only 64,424 — Unaffiliateds have gained 346,343 new voters.

A pox on both houses? You would expect to see bigger registration gains from a party that currently owns DC and most of Raleigh.  Perhaps many voters are seeing both parties as we do — two groups that differ little in actual practice and belief fighting over control of our wallets.

We learned earlier that Democrats are spanking the NCGOP in current fundraising.  Now we’re learning that the state party is showing its lowest registration numbers since the end of 2015.  

By surrendering on family values (HB2, marriage amendment), ObamaCare, illegal immigration (Thilli$$$), taxes and spending, NCGOP is showing that it means very little to put an ‘R’ next to your name.  You’re simply getting a slightly different flavor of what the Ds are offering. 

But the beat goes on.  Certain consultants and power brokers keep their hands on that party cash.  Certain elites in the Raleigh area get to keep beating their breasts and calling themselves Mr. or Ms. ‘GOP-Go-To.’

The environment is certainly ripe for a new party and bold new political leadership.