A Challenge to Coble
Another challenger enters the race for NC-06. Coble's got his hands full this time! Jay Ovittore plans on officially announcing his candidacy for the US Congress on Nov. 15th in Greensboro. If you're in the area, join him at noon at the Phill G. McDonald Plaza.
Jay is no stranger to the netroots, and plans on challenging Coble on issues of improving health care, jobs, education and the lives of tobacco farmers.
Here's the Inside Scoop from the News-Record on Nov. 6.
Jay Ovittore knows a thing or two about painting, blogging and playing the drums. But can he beat a seventy-something Republican who's been in Washington since The B-52s' "Love Shack" was a hit?
Ovittore thinks so. He wants to challenge Howard Coble, a well-known Republican from Guilford's Alamance Church community. Coble has represented us — we in the 6th Congressional District of central North Carolina, including parts of Guilford and six other counties — since 1989.
"People are always looking for different," Ovittore said Monday, "and I'm your different."
And how. Coble is 76; Ovittore, 34. Coble is comfortable in a straw pork-pie hat. Ovittore is comfortable with his Chinese dragon tattoo on his right forearm, one of more than a dozen tattoos he has.
Ovittore has never held an elected office. But he's the past president of the Young Democrats of Guilford County and serves on the Human Relations Commission in Greensboro.
We at Scoop know he's driven. Just read his blog, http://jovittore.blogspot.com. Or hear him play the drums, which he did last weekend playing Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" with The Radials during a house party in Greensboro's Aycock Historic District.
But Ovittore doesn't have the blues about his chances. He wants to go to Capitol Hill as a drum-playing, painting contractor with a mission of improving health care, jobs, education and the lives of tobacco farmers.
He'll announce his candidacy Nov. 15 at Greensboro's Phill G. McDonald Plaza.
And Anglico, I know you've been sitting on this for a while, but I'm so anxious to see Coble gone, that when Jay said go ahead and put this out, I went for it. As soon as I have info as to where to donate, I will let folks know. I've been saying it since last year: it's time for Howard Coble to retire. Let's make it happen.
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Good for Jay
We mentioned it before it was official because the news kinda got around at the Wilson event in Charlotte. Glad to see this happening.
I think Jay's campaign is on facebook for those interested.
Robin Hayes lied. Nobody died, but thousands of folks lost their jobs.
So how many cartwheels did you do?
I am glad that Coble has a challenger. If Ovittore has door-to-door and GOTV experience from his days as a YD, then he just might know how to take down Coble.
He's gotta be smart, and do everything right. Do you think the Dem leadership of the 6th will enthusiastically help him out?
You might want to get that bottle of champagne on ice. :-)
Person County Democrats
I will certainly encourage them to.
We'll see. :)
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
And why would they not? (6th Dems support Jay)
Such cynicism from such nice people. Yeah, I would bet we will
support Jay. Why might we not?
Glad to see these beans spilled!
This is fantastic. A real guy running for office against a professional Bushbot. I'm sure Coble's a nice old man to some people, but to me he's one of the lunatics responsible for driving this country off a damn cliff. If I had my way, he'd be in jail instead of Congress.
Go Jay O!
Coble -Nice-what you smoking
Coble is an unrepentent "ole boy" wretch who somehow has held onto this seat (6th) far too damned long. He has only constituent support to base his reputation on and that is like combing your hair, brushing your teeth and several other things everyone does.
I had the pleasure to talk with him a month ago, delivered him my latest polemic and asked him to resign for the good of the Country, NC and the 6th District since he had been such a failure and a toady to Bush. We have been going at this, like this, for about 15 years. Coble will return your letter, and say nothing except whatever his canned pitch is. I do not buy his repentance on the Iraq thing. As for his retirement, I once told him I wanted him to take his retirement so we might have some clue as to who was paying him.
An Alamance mill lord told someone 15 years ago, when asked why the powers kept Howard in DC - he said "Because we know he will do nothing".
And so he has. We got to rid ourselves of this weasel.
I'm glad to hear you say that Bill
Coble has outstayed his welcome for many years. We need a well organized, coordinated effort to get him out. The District officers and County Party officers have to coordinate massive, concrete GOTV efforts to educate the 6th district that kindly old Howdie Coble is not good representation. He lied when he signed the Contract on America, and he takes most of his money from PACS. We need to mobilize as one and get behind a candidate who can move us into the 21st century.
I realize we might actually be looking at a primary (aren't we?) but we've got to start efforts now to get Coble out.
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
Taking Howdie out turns all of Greensboro Blue in the US House
and that is a wonderful thing! It's going to be one hell of a busy election season. Isn't it so sweet that we have so many good candidates running in NC this cycle that it's going to be hard to split in enough directions to help everyone out that deserves assistance? We are going to have to draw straws or something to decide which neighborhood to walk and for who. WOOT!
North Carolina. Turning the South Blue!