Welcome to Whatley World: (Deja vu ALL OVER AGAIN?)
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 political scientist and a longtime reporter and commentator and participant in campaign politics, I sure do enjoy looking at history. In fact, here’s some now:
The point? We have two different statewide GOP primaries occurring two years apart. Both feature a candidate that was prominently endorsed by Donald Trump. It appears that – in a statewide GOP primary – a Trump endorsement gets you roughly 65 percent of the vote. (Though, a lot more people showed up for Robinson in 2024.)
However, Mark Robinson at least had some speaking talent to help him out. Michael Whatley – a professionally-trained lawyer — appears to have zero speaking talent. Go over to our Rumble page to see a few videos of him campaigning for reelection as state GOP chairman.
A Me-Too problem.
Just as in 2024, the NCGOP has elevated an unaccomplished nominee into the spotlight against the Democrats. So, instead of bragging about OUR guy or gal’s accomplishments (because he HAS NONE), we’re forced to solely attack the other guy.
The problem with that? State GOP leaders have done a lot of the same stuff Cooper has done. Runaway state spending? *WHO was in charge of the pursestrings AND the General Assembly throughout Cooper’s reign in Raleigh?*
That’s right, the GOP.
Cooper won’t bar men from ladies restrooms or locker rooms? Well, the GOP-controlled legislature passed a ban and then repealed it altogether.
Cooper marched with Black Lives Matter in Raleigh? Well, it seems that – during Whatley’s first year as state GOP chairman – he allowed the Young Republicans to apply for a permit so a demonstration supporting the Black Lives Matter march could be held at state GOP headquarters. (We’re talking the same same same demonstration Cooper marched in for a few blocks, surrounded by bodyguards.)
Budget-busting Medicaid expansion? The NCGOP valiantly resisted the idea when first pushed by Obama. Supposedly, we were going to get rid of the fraud and waste before even considering it. Fraud and waste are still there. But the GOP turned right around – held hands with Roy Cooper — and saddled us with this unmanageable fiscal nightmare.
Crime. There have been attempts to criticize Cooper as weak on crime fighting. But, remember, the GOP controlled the purse strings throughout his eight year tenure in Raleigh.
In 2016 – during his first run for governor – attorney general Roy Cooper was vulnerable about the failures of the state crime lab. The lab was so backed up and inefficient that local governments were having to contract with private labs for their CSi work so evidence would be ready for trial in a timely manner. For some reason, the McCrory reelection campaign would not touch that issue. (Interestingly, Trump’s top political adviser THIS YEAR was running McCrory’s 2016 reelection campaign against Cooper.)
There have been a few attacks about Cooper letting people out of jail early. I worked within the state DOC for a few years during the McCrory administration.
Prison officials were doing back-flips then to find reasons to cut time off of sentences and get inmates out the door earlier and quicker. This has been a problem since well before Roy Cooper made it to the governor’s mansion.
Thom Tillis. Our departing senior senator has been going wild trashing and obstructing the Trump White House and its agenda. Tillis and his wife are responsible for elevating Michael Whatley into big-time politics. They are widely seen as responsible for his elevation to state party chairman. Tillis even gave a rousing endorsement speech for Whatley at a press conference announcing Whatley’s final run for state party chairman.
Yet, here we are with a Trump-blessed nominee to replace Tillis who happens to OWE his entire
political career to Thom Tillis. How does it make sense that people who passionately support the MAGA agenda should back a Thom Tillis acolyte for the US Senate?
Throughout Whatley’s tenure in Raleigh, he aggressively defended Tillis from activists seeking to censure the senator for his misbehavior.
DC and the RNC. The Republican National Committee has never been kind to actual conservatives. Never.
I’ve been intimately familiar with these people for nearly 40 years. They haven’t changed a bit.
This year reminds me of 2002 when the RNC last got this involved in a North Carolina US Senate race. Jesse Helms was retiring. The RNC found Elizabeth Dole – who had not lived in North Carolina since the early days of the LBJ administration – to run as his replacement. At the time, Liddy Dole was a beloved national treasure.
But she had no record of any involvement in state politics. But she got in – helping to kickstart the political careers of a number of GOPe stars like John Preyer and Michael Whatley — and the rest is history.
A mediocre performance in DC – and the Obama wave – caused Liddy to be tossed in favor of little-known state senator Kay Hagan. And the rest is history.
Whatley IS the best fundraiser and most likely to beat Cooper. We got beat over the head with that garbage ad nauseam during the primary-that-didn’t-exist. During his time in Raleigh as state party chairman, party accounts were regularly padded with parked, pass-through funds from the Republican National Committee. Those helped portray Whatley as a master fundraiser.
Meanwhile, in this cycle, reports indicate Whatley is being outraised by Roy Cooper anywhere from 2-1 to 3-1. As far as being the best-suited to beat Cooper, there is no credible poll out there showing Whatley beating, or even competitive with, Roy Cooper. (Mark Robinson at least had a few good polls against Josh Stein.)
Robinson, if you remember, lost by 14 points. Whatley is averaging a nearly ten-point deficit against Cooper. And 2026 is just getting started.
Believe me, I am the last guy who wants to see Roy Cooper back in government. But thanks to some bad actors on the GOP side who see MAGA-style conservatives as a bigger threat than Roy’s friends, the Trump White House has gotten some bad advice that really puts us and the country in a bind.
I’m sad to say, we need to prepare for the worst – the inevitable. (Say it with me: Sen-a-tor Cooper. Sen-a-tor Coop …*SIGH*)
You are 100% correct! Whatley loses by 8% – 10%. The other questions — How will he impact the down ballot races, when the base stays home? NC11 and NC1 are both at HIGH risk. DCCC is targeting NC11 as top Red to Blue national target. Don Davis will just wash-rinse-repeat and add in the “pervert picnic.”
Most true conservatives I speak with have locked in they will skip with Senate race.
Don Brown couldn’t beat Whatley and he proved that to be true. Don Brown can’t raise money either….he proved that to be true. We don’t have to like it, but it takes money to win those races and Cooper will have a ton of it. Frankly, NO REPUBLICAN can beat Cooper unless there is a change in the national political environment between now and November….most of that rests on our President, and some on Congress.
I am curious, Mrs. Woodhouse, how do you see this trend working for the Republican Party long term? We are pretty fractured. Serious, honest question – not an attack. I know your name and know you have been active for a long time. This is what I see:
Republicans are about 30% of voters in NC and Democrats are the same and Unaffiliated voters are 40%. If parties vote on parity, how do you MATHEMATICALLY believe the “far right” (I am assuming that is what you are calling “true conservatives” ) can win statewide? Also, help me understand, do you want someone who will go up to congress and fight for North Carolina, even if it is in disagreement with Trump, or do you want them to rubber stamp all of his wishes? I have seen some folks trying to get cute and say things like “I and 100% behind the president, he just got fooled on this one.” You know, if you served congress and disagreed with him on “this one thing” folks would want you censured…and President Trump would probably call for you to have a primary.
We have about 2.3mm registered Republicans in the state. Do you think it is fair to say some of them do not agree with me, or you, 100% of the time? I think it is very fair. I’m also OK with it. If they have to agree with me, or you, on every issue we lose 80-90% of them. We have 2.3mm registered republicans and less than .0008 of the registered republicans attend a state convention, where the “platform” is established. Those people are not chosen at random, so it is statistically impossible for their views to represent the majority of registered Republican voters. We never attempt to find out what the MAJORITY of Republicans want…just the loudest ones. Don’t we need to know what the 99.991% of Republicans think if we want to be cohesive? Maybe my ideas are in the .0008%? If so, how can I expect my ideas to lead the day? That is tyranny of the minority.
As an example, I am right of Ghengis Khan on second amendment issues. I am fiscally conservative…but I TRULY believe in Freedom and Liberty. I have lived on this earth for over 60 years. I served my country and worked hard my whole like. If I want to go gamble or drink a beer with the money I make every week, that is MY business, not yours, not the churches, or my neighbors….some folks who call themselves “true conservatives” do not believe in individual liberty and freedom. God gave me free will. He did not give me free will for some two bit lawmaker to take it from me. Should I call to kick folks out the party for not believing in Freedom? Do they want a Nanny state? Do they want a Theocracy? The premier example of a Theocracy today is….IRAN. I will pass. No one in the party can grant me absolution for my sins and no one in the party can deny my entrance into the gates. I am a small government Republican. I want protection from other people and the GOVERNMENT… I don’t need my neighbor or government to protect me from myself and my personal decisions.
I don’t have any answers…but I sure see lots of problems.
With the housing market being priced to out-of-reach levels, gas prices shooting upwards and utility bills going into the stratosphere, the affordability debate is being won by the Dems, and the so-called conservatives in Raleigh and DC seem uninterested in all of the above, it’ll be hard, if not impossible, to convince voters to trust the party in power in November.
Tillis is an albatross around Whatley’s neck with his refusal to back the highly popular SAVE Act. We would have been much better off if we had a nominee with no ties to Tillis. Whatley could increase his standing with the base if he were seen successfully pushing Tillis to come on board with the SAVE Act. The GOP base cares about the SAVE Act, and so do the American people. This is Whatley’s chance to get some green stamps with the GOP base, and he needs them. Will he be smart enough to do that?