Still Talking About the Election

It’s been more than a week since the election, but JLF staffers continue to be called on to discuss results. John Hood told Mark Johnson of the Charlotte Observer that having two Republican senators from North Carolina would help President Bush. “In previous years, the Carolinas’ votes likely would have been split. They likely now will all be in favor of Bush’s agenda. All of those issues have more of an effect on everyday lives of Carolinians than the potential to get a little bit of federal pork (that seniority can bring),” Hood said. This week he also shared his views with the Rocky Mount Rotary Club and the Rocky Mount Kiwanis Club. WHIG-TV and the Rocky Mount Telegram covered the remarks. Some reporters have turned their attention to the 2008 race. In an Associated Press story, Hood discussed how Gov. Mike Easley’s winning approach might help the national Democratic Party. “His use of language, his use of cultural symbols, his aggressiveness, are all traits that Democratic candidates will need to master if they are to reconnect with Southerners.” Meantime, the Winston-Salem Journal asked Hood to speculate on the 2008 gubernatorial field. “Democrats have a crowded field, and the Republicans have an open field,” he explained.