The Daily Haymaker

Town of Southern Pines, NC finds celebrating America’s 250th to be TOO divisive

Posted on March 16, 2026March 16, 2026 by Brant Clifton

Congrats, gang. I didn’t think ANYONE could top the elected kooks in the Village of Pinehurst. But you guys now have a, um, *healthy* lead in that department. But when

Losing Patriotism and * Becoming Erratic* : Meet Moore County’s team in Raleigh

Posted on March 16, 2026 by Brant Clifton

Our reliably Republican county just went through some bruising primaries in 3 of the county’s FOUR (3 House, 1 Senate) seats in the North Carolina General Assembly. Only three of

Dust in the wind? (Ooof. And you wonder why you’re struggling to consolidate the party base.)

Posted on March 15, 2026 by Brant Clifton

It seems failure is a career-builder for GOP campaign consultants in North Carolina. At least it has been for one particular handle-bar mustachioed Mitt Romney fanboy™. Since coming off his

Turning Point: BUDD as big a DUD as Tillis

Posted on March 15, 2026 by Brant Clifton

THAT is muy disappointing. You might remember Turning Point as the organization founded by the late Charlie Kirk. It’s done amazing work bringing young people into the MAGA / conservative

Six Degrees of Separation: Phil Berger edition

Posted on March 12, 2026 by Brant Clifton

Okay. It’s been done for Kevin Bacon. Why NOT senator Phil Berger? “The don” is still locked in a close electoral competition with Rockingham County sheriff Sam Page. Page has

Shining some sunlight on all that dark $$$ in the Page-Berger clash

Posted on March 10, 2026March 10, 2026 by Brant Clifton

This “Committee,” and THAT “Committee.” “Citizens for” THIS and “Citizens for” THAT. Voters in the recently completed GOP primary for state senate district 26 likely got buried in more mailings

Report offers peek at NC Senate GOP’s lobbyist / Berger -flavored fundraising scheme

Posted on March 9, 2026March 9, 2026 by Brant Clifton

There was a lotta special interest cash floating around the recently-completed party primaries. A lot of it had connections to Phil Berger as well as interests with business before Berger’s

Whatley, Tillis, and Trump.

Posted on March 8, 2026 by Brant Clifton

Okay, let’s review. Unquestioning devotion to Donald Trump is the be-all, end-all for Republicans. (At least, that’s what we’ve been told.). Meanwhile, Trump-endorsed (2020) Thom Tillis has been raging against

Welcome to Whatley World: (Deja vu ALL OVER AGAIN?)

Posted on March 7, 2026March 10, 2026 by Brant Clifton

Well, the coronation of Michael Whatley is complete. There is still a long way to go for the unaccomplished schlub. (*Just ask Governor Mark Robinson about that.*) As a degreed

State election board’s bull-in-a-china-shop exits stage right

Posted on March 7, 2026 by Brant Clifton

Before the nation was captivated by Donald Trump’s blunt talk, North Carolina had state senator Bob Rucho. Rucho wasn’t exactly a doctrinaire conservative. He left us scratching our collective heads