Jamestown

I don't talk about politics much on this blog. I may have to start since I'll be covering a ton of politics for the rest of the year. Mark Smith and I hit the road Tuesday morning for Jamestown where Charlotte USA Mayor Pat McCrory grew up. Mark drove on the way up. I'm not really a great passenger in a live truck. I'm so used to driving it feels weird sitting in the passenger seat. Luckily Mark's somewhat of a geeky driver like myself. And by geeky I mean he and I are the only people I know after buying a new vehicle, the first trip we make in our new vehicles is to an auto parts store for blind spot mirrors. So, since Mark's a good driver, I felt fine in the passenger seat. Anyway, Mayor Pat was there to announce he's running for governor after winning his seventh term as Mayor a few months ago. There's been a ton of speculation the last few years that McCrory would run for a higher office so this wasn't a huge surprise, but I'm really glad to see it. An extreme fiscal conservative I don't often agree with the very moderate Republican Mayor Pat, but dude as many things done for Charlotte as Peyton Manning has for television commercials. Mayor Pat is a political machine. A good looking, likable dude who doesn't seem like the high powered politician he is when you talk to him.
North Carolina hasn't had a governor from the western part of the state since Jim Martin in the 80's, thus any place west of Raleigh tends to get shat on when it comes to many state funded issues. Hopefully Mayor Pat or whoever wins can change that. The campaign made the right decision holding the announcement in the central part of the state. Damn near every station form the state's three largest markets were there for the festivities. Luckily our Greensboro station did most of the work for the live stuff leaving me to the always important cutaway duty. Shawn Flynn and I turned a package for 4:00 and were back in Charlotte shortly after 6.

Pete Kaliner and his news gathering Ford Taurus joined made it a convoy back down I-85. Flynn did a fine job snapping pics from a live truck moving at 75 miles per hour. They should give Pete his own show. It would get me to tune away from satellite radio for three hours every day.