The Hood reign of terror claims a scalp
The tap-dancing, twinkletoed gruppenfuhrer of the Pope Foundation has leveled some huge disrespect toward one of the best-liked, most-respected conservatives in state politics.
We’ve been keeping our eyes peeled, and our ears to the ground regarding the on-goings at the John Locke Foundation, Civitas, and the J.W. Pope Foundation. We’ve heard for some time that sugar-daddy Art Pope has issued a decree that anything he funds will now walk the GOPe line. And he’s elevated John Hood to ensure his diktat is enacted.
Content produced by all Pope-subsidized entities has been censored and sanitized to ensure Gov. McCrory and his crew come out smelling like roses. The censorship and crackdown at The Carolina Plotthound first brought our attention to this. We noticed our stuff was getting linked to less and less. Then, we started getting omitted completely. Word got to us that little man Hood — on orders from his sugar daddy — had ordered our banishment from the site (which, by the way, is owned, operated, and funded by Civitas). 
Paul Chesser was the brains behind the launch and success of The Plotthound. He was the biggest reason it plowed its way to the top of the Carolinas conservative blogosphere. But Paul, like me, was never a “team player.” He’s a conservative first. Like me, he’s ready and willing to hit Republicans when they forget where they came from.
That mindset has not set well with Uncle Art and his young majordomo. Inside sources tell me Hood had Chesser train some other Civitas employees on how to operate the Plotthound website, and then sent him packing.
Well, rest assured, the Plotthound will soon sink to the levels of mediocrity, tedium, and unreadability where so much of the other existing Locke and Civitas publications now reside.
Meanwhile, Locke and Civitas are lagging in the cash department. An awful lot of folks in both shops are eyeing either retirement or a jump to a much better, more stable, more 
democratic ship.
Art Pope and John Hood have decided to worship at the feet of Pat McCrory and the NCGOPe. While so many of us persevere to carry on the fight for honest and limited government.
It is well past the time to stop supporting anything that has to do with Art Pope. They were good for years but now they are just sadly out of step.
Yes I am also one of thoose conservitives First and Republican Second. Seems we are a dying breed. Remember Trump said it was the Republican party not the conservitive one
The writing has been on the wall in many ways for a year now. It’s still very sad. Principle, honor and integrity, a remnant of bygone days?
One refrains from hitting his head against a wall when he realizes how good it feels when he stops. Likewise, conservative republicans, thinking they can make a discernible difference in the GOP, will feel much better when they stop this suicidal banging of their heads against the DOPe wall.. “unaffiliated’s are growing, come join us.
And just how many Unaffiliateds do you have on the ballot in NC challenging the RINOs / Obama Republicans? None? How does that accomplish anything at all? In contrast, we had quite a few conservative Republicans carrying the flag in GOP primaries and many of them won. There is now a new statewide PAC to support conservatives in legislative and other state races. Where is your Unaffiliated PAC to support conservatives? Don’t have one? I didn’t think so.
Nationally, grassroots conservative Darryl Glenn, a black retired Air Force officer just won the GOP nomination for US Senate in Colorado while Mitch McConnell’s establishment candidate ran fourth. Every conservative Congressman that the establishment has challenged in primaries this cycle has soundly defeated their establishment challengers, including Walter Jones in North Carolina and Mark Sanford in South Carolina. In the GOP, conservatives are not winning everything, but we are showing progress. Please tell me what progress Unaffiliateds have made for the conservative cause (I will grant you that State Senate race in Pennsylvania a couple of years ago where a Tea Party conservative running as an independent trounced both official party candidates in a special election, but that is the only one I am aware of, and certainly none in NC)
Going Unaffiliated in the present situation is a bridge to nowhere.
Art Pope’s machine has always been about protecting Art Pope’s business interests and promoting his personal, quirky take on libertarian politics.
In the long term, he’s done more harm than good for the GOP brand and messaging, despite the eyeballs his money buys.
I am the host of “What Matters in North Carolina” and I have not once, not ever been told what to say or what not to say on my show. I’m unsure of this accusation against Civitas. I also write for Civitas and have yet to have any of my work edited for content in any way. My show is one of the true conservative radio programs left in NC. If Art Pope or John Hood is telling anyone what to say or do, it is not me.
Mark — Try discussing ON AIR something that got posted on this site. See what happens. Just mention this site’s name on air, and see what happens.
The GOPe is well established in NC and as I said when Hassan was impeached and they couldn’t wait a frigging WEEK to elect a chairman that doesn’t lie (didn’t know it was going to happen, but read from a prepared speech). The GOPe will lose the TEA part, libertarian and conservative vote in 2016, time will tell exactly what offices ….