Our choices for the 2016 vote
Here in yellow-dog Republican Moore County, people are flooding our ONE early voting station. Record turnout not seen since 2008, say local elections officials. 
Here at Haymaker HQ, we want to make sure that you early voters are making wise decisions. Please consider the following recommendations carefully when you’re marking your ballot:
President. DONALD J. TRUMP. Without apology. Without a doubt.
US Senate. No enthusiasm for ANY of the choices here. We’re leaving this one BLANK.
US House, District EIGHT. No enthusiasm for any of these candidates. Also leaving this one BLANK.
Governor. We’ve got a whole plethora of disappointing choices here. There are three candidates here who have disdain for conservative positions. The difference? Pat McCrory can be, um, “persuaded” to do the right thing. HB2 illustrates that point perfectly. McCrory has moaned about some of the conservative positions that have emerged from Jones Street, but — in most cases — he’s been a good soldier and gone along with them. Roy Cooper wants no guns and a lighter wallet for you, and men in the restroom with your wives and daughters. PAT MCCRORY is the best choice here.
Lieutenant Governor. We’re getting a rerun of 2012 in this race for an absolutely meaningless office
. Folks on Jones Street tell me Dan Forest has been a good soldier in the fight to move conservative legislation through the Senate. Dan talked a good street fighter game in 2012, but has been pretty quiet since.
He DID step out and endorse the ConnectNC scam, but has countered that with being a good soldier in defending HB2 and battling Common Core. The lieutenant governor DOES have a vote on the Council of State which makes some very important decisions for state government. If you watch Dan and his opponent, Linda Coleman, go head to head on the same stage, you’ll see that this race is really NO CONTEST.
Vote DAN FOREST in this race.
Council of State. We’ve got a number of very important, but low profile, races to consider here.
- Commissioner of Agriculture. The Republican incumbent here, Steve Troxler, was chairman of ‘Farmers for John Edwards’ in the 1998 US Senate race. There is not a whole lot of difference between him and his Democrat opponent Walter Smith. The only argument FOR Troxler I can see here is his Council of State vote.
- Commissioner of Labor. If you’ve ever been in an elevator, you’ve been exposed to Republican incumbent Cherie Berry. During her reign, her department has been reasonably restrained in carrying out this department’s built-in business-harassment mandate. Her Democrat opponent, Charles Meeker, is a sour-puss leftist lawyer who is excited about carrying out the AFL-CIO’s agenda in our state. Berry hasn’t been much of a conservative crusader, but she’s a hell of a lot better than her opponent. VOTE Cherie Berry.
- Commissioner of Insurance. Incumbent Wayne Goodwin first got this job through political shenanigans. He’s loaded up with special interest cash ever since to fend off election challengers. Florida-based political fixers have been keeping his campaign account well-stocked. Republican challenger Mike Causey, who has actually been a private businessman, wants to break up the special interest clique that limits choices for consumers and keeps rates artificially high. Folks who have been used to special treatment and favors from the Department of Insurance want NO CHANGES there. The rest of us NEED change there desperately. VOTE MIKE CAUSEY.
- Attorney General. VOTE BUCK NEWTON. Finally take this office away from the Charlotte, Raleigh and Durham bar associations and give it BACK to the people.
- Secretary of State. Elaine Marshall has cozied up to Occupy Wall Street, bashed HB2, and offered aid and comfort to illegal aliens. Back in 1994, Harnett County wised up to her and tossed her out of the state Senate. She’s remade herself since, and –thanks to the relative obscurity of the office — made herself quite a sweet nest. Mike LaPaglia, a businessman, is seeking to give ‘Occupy Elaine’ the Dan Page treatment. Finally, let’s get this woman off of the government payroll. VOTE MIKE LAPAGLIA.
- Department of Public Instruction. Again, we have a race with no real good choices. This race is really a squabble between two rival gangs of edu-crats. June Atkinson has been propped up in the Pink Palace for far too long like the title character in ‘Weekend at Bernie’s’ — also propping up a failed public education system. Republican Mark Johnson is an attorney and a school board member who has been praised and funded by Common Core fans like former NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg. If you’re looking for change in our screwed-up public education system, this race will not give it to you.
- State Treasurer. VOTE DALE FOLWELL. Folwell has a record as a strong fiscal conservative from his time in the NC House. He is credited with fixing the state’s unemployment insurance program and wiping out a multi-billion dollar debt to the Feds. Dan Blue III is eyeing this as a stepping-stone to his greater ambitions. Folwell is a numbers guy who has a passion for keeping things straight.
Judges. Recent news reports have demonstrated how important these judicial races are. Vote Bob Edmunds for NC Supreme Court.
For NC Court of Appeals: Phil Berger, Hunter Murphy, Bob Hunter, Richard Dietz and Valerie Zachary.
Moore County races. For NC District Court: Don “Skipper” Creed. For Moore County Board of Education: Libby Carter (At-Large), Billy Marts (District 1), Angela Davis (District 4), BJ Goodridge (District 5).
A couple of corrections and some enlightenment are needed here: Mike Causey has certainly been a private businessman, but so has Godwin. Godwin started several successful small businesses, including one still in operation. You conveniently left out that one of Mike Causey’s longtime private businesses was as a paid lobbyist, including years as a paid lobbyist for an insurance company and decades as an insurance agent/executive. Mike Causey’s longtime hobby has been running for office unsuccessfully — this is his 5th run for Insurance Commissioner and he’s also run and lost in Congressional and legislative races. He’s been running almost every election cycle since 1992. Governor McCrory appointed Causey to be the paid Adopt-a-Highway Coordinator at NCDOT, which conveniently allows Causey to travel the state on the state’s dime while running for Insurance Commissioner again. And you’re way, way, WAY off base with your allegation that Godwin has kept insurance rates “artificially high”: North Carolina has the lowest average auto insurance premiums in the country according to Forbes magazine and among the top five or six lowest in the whole country according to other surveys. With homeowner’s insurance North Carolina has the lowest average premiums in the whole South. Every news story I’ve read contains insurance companies complaining bitterly that the rates, if anything, are “artificially LOW.”
Nonsense. If you live in eastern North Carolina, you are well aware that Godwin is letting the insurance companies royally rip us off on wind insurance and homeowners, by charging A LOT more than real data would justify. Godwin lets them use bogus, subjective, and rigged computer models instead of real data so they can screw us to the wall on rates. Computer models can produce any result you want them to, depending on how you set up the model. Allowing their use is pure, unadulterated fraud.
Computer models have also allowed the leftist beaurocracy to carry out a Marxist like intent of control. Bogus and, at times, total lack of sound scientific input produces propaganda output. Free market capitalism such as N C’s, and this country’s entire commercial fishing industry, is a prime victim. Here in N C it is past time for that food commodity industry to be placed under the Dept of Agriculture where it belongs. That would serve wisdom well as wisdom is the compilation of correct reasoning.
Browny Douglas
Browny, we’ll said
Browny, we’ll said
Wayne Godwin approved a 32.5% increase in healthcare rates. No thanks! I will vote Mike Causey, Insurance Commissioner
What do you expect from a big time supporter of the rip off Obamacare like Godwin is?
We need an R in that Senate seat when Trump nominates 2-4 justices. Not crazy about Richard, but Ross is a wacko witch. Couldn’t stomach 6 years of her.
Also in Moore, specifically Carthage, High Falls, part of West Moore, and part of Robbins, Allen McNeill has an opponent. I voted McNeill of course. ( no relation that we know of, or will admit to)