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Countdown To A Carolina Showdown; NC Senate Race Most Competitive
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| Contributor | Gerald Farinas |
| Last Edited | Gerald Farinas Apr 14, 2004 03:46pm |
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| Category | News |
| Media | TV News - Columbia Broadcasting System CBS News |
| News Date | Wednesday, April 14, 2004 06:00:00 AM UTC0:0 |
| Description | Countdown To A Carolina Showdown; NC Senate Race Most Competitive
CBS News
To the surprise of some political observers from Chapel Hill to Capitol Hill, this year's North Carolina Senate race is shaping up as one of the tightest, most competitive of the 34 contests in November. The race pits GOP Rep. Richard Burr, the handpicked White House candidate, against the 2002 Democratic nominee, Clinton White House chief of staff and multi-millionaire investment banker Erskine Bowles. While there are no recent public polls in the race, Democrats point to the last survey, taken back in January, that shows Bowles leading Burr 45 percent to 40 percent. Democratic Party officials says private polls show Bowles leading by anywhere between five and ten points.
North Carolina's economy has continued to struggle, especially in the textile, agricultural and manufacturing sectors, which have lost thousands of jobs to low-wage countries. And President Bush's coattails, while still long in North Carolina, might not have the kind of power they had in 2002 for Elizabeth Dole. Political observers say Bowles – not known for his skills as a retail politician – has improved dramatically as a candidate since losing to Dole. Bowles also should benefit from being spared a bruising nomination fight like 2002, which allowed Dole to woo voters statewide while Bowles spent time and money running for the Democratic nomination. In addition, despite losing in 2002, Bowles did a good job establishing himself with North Carolina voters, says John Aldrich, a professor of political science at Duke University. The beating Bowles took in 2002, Aldrich says, was not as bad as it looked on paper. "It was a choice between two credible alternatives," Aldrich said. "It was not like he hurt himself. Most people just liked Dole more."
Five-term congressman Burr was the pick of White House political adviser Karl Rove. |
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