Is being afraid the same thing as being a coward?

In the case of Thom Tillis, the answer is yes.

Like a lot of political leaders who ascend to power rapidly and without much experience, Tillis, Senate leader Phil Berger and their teams simply don’t have the kind of experience, wisdom or confidence necessary to govern effectively. Lacking much real experience in state government (and, indeed, possessed of an ideological opposition to government generally), they also lack the capacity to assess their opposition, to listen to its spokespeople or to debate and engage with it effectively. Like a petrified monarch afraid of his own illegitimacy, they are fearful, ignorant of history and their critics and prone to overreact to challenges.

Don't expect any epiphanies or introspection on the part of Tillis and Berger. They're drunk on power, loving every second of brief time in the "bad boy" spotlight. Exactly the kind of thing you'd expect from 14-year-old punks whose brains haven't yet developed.

Required reading from NC Policy Watch.