Giuliani

It's not quite what you're thinking. This one's for Anglico, wherever he is. Because it's all about restoring dignity to the White House.

After Rudy Giuliani's performance at the Puppetshow Palace in Raleigh today, it's hard to say who's more pathetic - the crowd of Republicans drooling over the hapless ex-mayor or the pandering clown himself. Either way, it's a damn sad commentary on how far the North Carolina Grand Old Party Party of Greed has fallen.

Under the iron-fisted leadership of Art Pope, the NCPOG has apparently sold out whatever little soul it once had, as it now finds itself sucking up to a guy whose conservative credentials are no more credible than my own, which is to say they are non-existent.

Ryan Beckwith, recently installed as the Under the Dome blogger, has the story.

From Public Policy Polling here are the latest 2008 primary polling numbers for North Carolina. You can find complete results including crosstabs and some analysis at www.publicpolicypolling.com

Democrats

President
Edwards 34%
Clinton 31%
Obama 18%
someone else 11%
Undecided 6%

Governor
Perdue 38%
Moore 23%
Faison 7%
Undecided 33%

More below...

Remember the new conservative coalition that was to provide a "permanent Republican majority?" Today that pipe dream is mostly associated with Karl Rove, but originally it was envisioned by Richard Nixon as the fruit of his Southern Strategy. This strategy was supposed to retain the party's traditional Northeastern and Midwestern conservative base while reaching out to Southerners disaffected by civil rights and the role of Democrats in the demise of Jim Crow. It was designed to meld the Puritan tradition of small government and individual responsibility with the historical sense of loss and grievance that infected the South.