*Just what we need. In crunch-time. John Thune.*

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I shared this invite with a friend of mine who plays in campaign politics in DC and NC.  Here was their take:

“I don’t think Helen Keller was ever as tone-deaf as this.  The electorate, especially the GOP base, has a lack of enthusiasm that is off the charts. And they’re bringing in the guy who has done more to thwart the MAGA agenda than just about anyone in DC.  I’ve seen people flip out at the very sight of Thune on their TV screens.  And they’re bringing him in to help this near-death senate campaign?”

Of course, if you’re rolling with host Bill Belk and his friends, you’re not likely Joe Average. (You likely don’t even own a red MAGA hat.  Or know anyone who does.)

The event is in Charlotte.  And there is a lot of disposable income there ready to be dumped into campaign coffers.

This news comes as Catawba College releases a new poll showing Roy Cooper with a TWELVE POINT lead over Mike Whatley.

This is the fourth poll — out of the last SEVEN – showing Whatley down to Cooper by double-digits.  This race — according to RealClearPolitics — has been polled 34 times since July 2025. Roy Cooper has held a lead over Mike Whatley in 33 of those 34 surveys.  (The one outlier was a TIE – back in July 2025.)

Pollsters tend to sharpen their pencils and fine-tune their numbers in the last month or so before an election.  It’s a point of pride in that community to produce a final poll as close to the actual election results as possible. Pollsters – just like you and me – like to make money and get more work.

Early voting gets started in about two weeks.

If you’re going to change up, do it now. To us, it appears the mission is now DAMAGE CONTROL.  Close the gap. Something to fire up the MAGA folks.  Try to keep this godawful, sliding-down-the-hill disaster of a Senate campaign from damaging or taking down any of the down-ballot races.