Chuck Todd: "NC A Vote For The Future"

I delved back into the world of cable news yesterday afternoon after a weeks long self imposed ban on all things CNN and MSNBC. And I was pleasantly surprised by something I heard on Hardball. The lead in to the video below was, of course, the voting along racial divides. Then Bob Herbert says that  the division between Obama and "white working class voters"(I'm beginning to despise that phrase) is not so much about race, but about generational divisions. Which is very true, but the media thinks race is more explosive and easier to define. Then Chuck Todd says something that gave me a shiver....

He was referencing the Pennsylvania and North Carolina primaries and made the following distinction:

Pennsylvania was an election of people thinking about yesterday, North Carolina was sort of a future vote, that that is a vote for the future, you know a tomorrow type vote, a tomorrow type electorate.

That's exactly how I feel. To vote for Obama is a vote for the future of this country. And the fact that my state, North Carolina, the home of Jesse Helms no less, is willing to get past the history of racism, bigotry, and entrenched status quo politics makes me very proud to call North Carolina home. As a country, we need to let go of the past. It's very easy to look back at certain times and remember them wistfully. Especially compared to the last 7 years of the Bush Administration. But we can never recapture the past as it was. We have got to look forward to tomorrow. And hopefully in November, the country will vote to move this country forward.

And I want to close this with a quote from John Cole at Balloon Juice. In a post yesterday, he says what I've been feeling about Obama in a way I could never articulate.

And don’t get me wrong- I am not for Obama because of what I am against. I am for Obama because he is a decent man, a break from the past, and really a once in a lifetime opportunity. He has treated us like adults throughout this primary, and it is time to act like adults. There will be times we feel he lets us all down, but we are not electing a diety. We are electing a leader, and Obama is that leader. It is time to get past the bullshit of the last 20 years, the battles I am really tired of fighting, and time to turn our attention to the really important issues of the day- the economy, the budget, our international presence, our crumbling infrastructure, our military, medicare and medicaid and social security, and on and on and on.

•  Future Tips :-)

  by DJShay on Thu May 08, 2008 at 06:21:52 AM PDT

  •  Let's hear it for the Old North State!

    Sure we have our problems, but we have been progressive for quite some time.
    Also we are indeed "the goodliest land under the cope of heaven."

    by Ptown boy in NC on Thu May 08, 2008 at 06:27:40 AM PDT

    •  Here's to the land of the long leaf pine...

      The Summer Land where the sun doth shine.
      Where the weak grow strong, and the strong grow great!
      Here's to Down Home, The Old North State!

      by tmc on Thu May 08, 2008 at 06:35:02 AM PDT

      •  HOOP DREAMZ!!!

        I think that everyone has overlooked the REAL reason Barack did so well in both NC and Indiana--his basketball prowess!!!

        These are two of the most hoops-crazy states in the Union, and he played pickup games in both (NC twice!!), effectively demonstrating his genuine love for the game and that he knows what to do w/the roundball.  

        Bowling--Minus
        Hoops--HUGE PLUS!!!

        As for the Supers..??  Dribble, dribble, dribble!!!

        by serrano on Thu May 08, 2008 at 06:38:07 AM PDT

        •  Obama did pick UNC to win the NCAA bball

          championship. I feel like they let his campaign down by not winning it all! :-)

          by Ptown boy in NC on Thu May 08, 2008 at 06:40:17 AM PDT

          •  Agreed

            I knew I was with Obama when he showed his savvy analytical skills by picking UNC... then we had to go and blow it in the first half against Kansas... sigggghhhh...

            by MiklCraw4d on Thu May 08, 2008 at 07:27:26 AM PDT

        •  Definitely!

          I think it was also over at B-J where a commenter pointed out that while Easley was endorsing Hillary, Roy Williams was introducing Obama to the Tarheels.

          It's obvious which endorsement carried the most weight.

          by merrinc on Thu May 08, 2008 at 06:59:05 AM PDT

          •  Easley is now a loser...

            I've been so disappointed in his 2nd term. The whole
            mental health system debacle is very depressing...

            by Ptown boy in NC on Thu May 08, 2008 at 07:47:15 AM PDT

            •  What happened to him?

              His heart just didn't seem to be in the job. If only he'd been as excited about what was going on in NC as he was when Hillary came to town - if he'd gotten out front of issues like he did her ridiculous pandering campaign...

              by merrinc on Thu May 08, 2008 at 08:22:54 AM PDT

    •  Good old North Carolina.

      Back in the 1700s and 1800s, were were known as 'The vale of humility between two mountains of conceit' (The mountains being Virginia and South Carolina)

      by ScrewySquirrel on Thu May 08, 2008 at 07:15:57 AM PDT

•  You know it is really, really bad

  when the Clinton pundits are running out of reasons for her to stay in the race.

  by jalapeno on Thu May 08, 2008 at 06:22:35 AM PDT

  •  They're in shock, give them time

    they'll come back with something about how the people on Mars need to have their voices heard. And until the voices of the people are mars are heard there is no legitimate nominee.

    by Muzikal203 on Thu May 08, 2008 at 06:37:58 AM PDT

•  I was thinking the same thing yesterday

  I'm a native of PA and I mean no disrepect to the state, but to me PA does represent the past of our country and NC represents the future.  PA is losing population, NC is gaining population.  PA has lost many manufacturing businesses, NC is home to one of the major research & technology hubs in the nation.  PA is one of the oldest states in the country, NC has a relatively young population.  You could go on and on, but to me this analogy resonates.  

  by davidkc on Thu May 08, 2008 at 06:25:31 AM PDT

  •  So MANY of my family and friends

    are planning to move, or thinking about moving, to NC it's amazing. These are all new college graduates, professionals, a doctor, a couple that work in IT, and so on. These are people who grew up in the DC-Boston corridor and California.

    The state is far more advanced -- in terms of being a place from the future -- than the history of politicians it sends to DC would make you think.

    Good on NC.

    by MAORCA on Thu May 08, 2008 at 06:32:25 AM PDT

    •  Honestly, I thought about it

      I hear Charlotte is great, and I have a lot of friends in NC, so it's not like I'm going somewhere where I wouldn't have anyone.

      by Muzikal203 on Thu May 08, 2008 at 06:38:53 AM PDT

      •  The Charlotte area is awesome.

        It's wildly diverse - you can go from big city sophistication to country bumpkin small town and everything in the time it takes to drive 30 minutes.

        I live in northern Mecklenburg county (my precinct, like the county went 70-29 for Obama) and the only downside is the pace of development. There's a lot less green space than there used to be. But I guess that's a problem just about everywhere worth living.

        by merrinc on Thu May 08, 2008 at 06:46:11 AM PDT

        •  NC

          Well come up and visit us in Watauga County - only Watauga (Boone and ASU - thanks students!) and Buncombe (Asheville)came out for Obama in the Western part of the state.  We still have some open space and beautiful mountains, but don't tell anybody - the mountains are getting covered up with McMansions too.

          by Aly on Thu May 08, 2008 at 07:49:42 AM PDT

          •  I come up that way

            every chance I get; those mountains remind me of home (WV). My son is a sophomore in high school and has his eye on App State for college.

            I saw that Obama only got 18% in Graham county. Geesh!

            by merrinc on Thu May 08, 2008 at 08:29:14 AM PDT

      •  Many of my Hmong students in California

        have relatives in North Carolina and have visited there.  I have the impression that these refugees from Laos have settled in the countryside or the mountains, but as the children enter the professions there will be Hmong communities in NC cities too.

        by ybruti on Thu May 08, 2008 at 07:59:48 AM PDT

    •  Huh...

      It kinda sounds like Colorado.  Colorado has the highest (or one of the highest) percentage of college grads of any state (I think only DC is higher).  And it is a young vibrant health-obsessed population.

      by RichM on Thu May 08, 2008 at 06:46:41 AM PDT

  •  It's unbelievable how it's changed

    in the last 25 years.  We moved to Greensboro in 1981 and there was still rigid segregation and relatively little ethnic diversity.  Greensboro was dominated by Burlington Industries and a handful of other textile manufacturers.

    Those textile manufacturers are all gone.  Most significantly, they ripped down the Burlington Industries HQ several years ago and expanded an adjacent shopping center.  Ditto for a Cone Mills plant.  On the other hand, G'boro is about to get a FedEx hub, which is going to supply hundreds of jobs.

    The city is much more ethnically diverse.  The AA population has definitively moved out of the southeastern part of the city and now, happily, middle class AA families live anywhere they desire.  There is an enormous Mexican population as well as Vietnamese.  

    When I lived there as a teenager, there was absolutely nothing to do.  Now, there are hip cafés and good restaurants, and downtown Greensboro has something of a nightlife on the weekends (so I'm told).

    Greensboro is definitely not as "advanced" as RTP and the Triangle as a whole, but it's made huge leaps forward.  I think it really is the future.

    by SneakySnu on Thu May 08, 2008 at 06:49:04 AM PDT

    •  This entire state has taken great leaps

      forward. While I don't know that I like all the new developments that are going up around me, the culture is really changing. NC is no longer considered the "hick" state. Charlotte is getting compared to Atlanta more and more. Ideas and ways of thinking are changing too.

      by DJShay on Thu May 08, 2008 at 06:55:29 AM PDT

    •  Remember when

      we couldn't get Mozarella cheese in Greensboro? And the first night we were here we took you kids out for pizza
      (I'm Sneaky's mom) and they put breakfast sausage on it?  Times have sure changed.  In 1981 you could have rolled a bowling ball down Elm Street (the main drag) and not hit a living soul.  Now you can barely find room on the sidewalk to walk on a weekend evening. Greensboro also has a growing creative class.  And yes, ideas are changing too, more progressives visible on the local scene.

      by historys mysteries on Thu May 08, 2008 at 09:59:29 AM PDT

  •  NC and the Future

    sadly, it greatly depends on what part of NC you are in.

    If you stick with the I-40 and I-85 corridors, in a line from Charlotte to the Triad to the Triangle, its probably among the 10 most advanced regions in the WORLD, never mind the country.  

    but outside that area?  Its a truly different world.  Between I-95 and the coast, Its a lot more like rural Pennsylvania than the Triangle.

    by ScrewySquirrel on Thu May 08, 2008 at 07:20:52 AM PDT

  •  An excellent point

    While I hadn't thought of it in such clear and concise terms, I had sensed a difference in mindset in the two races. I'm very proud of North Carolina and its efforts to turn itself around in the last half of the 20th century - much like Pennsylvania, NC watched the factories close and jobs go away. Instead of just giving up, or waiting for the jobs to come back, or retreating into a delusion of "the good old days", NC looked to the future and tried to embrace new industries and ways of life.

    There are still hard-hit areas, of course, and these benefits still need to extend to the western and eastern parts of the state, but we're making great progress.

    Our state government is almost entirely blue, and those Democrats are, cycle by cycle, becoming better and more progressive Democrats. Soon we'll be blue on a national level, if the party gives us the time and attention we deserve. That's why I was full-bore for Howard Dean; I knew that if the party quit ignoring NC and actually started to reach out, there could be change.

    by MiklCraw4d on Thu May 08, 2008 at 07:34:22 AM PDT

•  Chris Matthews also pointed out that NC

  and the several colleges or universities he named had moved that state into the future.  Do you know what he was talking about?  Just curious as to what he meant.

  by psdunc on Thu May 08, 2008 at 06:40:22 AM PDT

  •  From where I was sitting, he was talking

    about how those college students were leading the way. He went to school down there, so, I believe he was, in his own mind, thinking about what it was like when HE went there, comparing it to now, and he liked what he saw. He saw the future.

    by rikyrah on Thu May 08, 2008 at 06:47:59 AM PDT

  •  I think he meant that

    the votes coming from the Triangle, which is where all the Universities are, Duke, NC State, Carolina, etc is what put Obama over the top. But who knows with Tweety?

    by DJShay on Thu May 08, 2008 at 06:52:05 AM PDT

  •  NC Research campus in Kannapolis

    The NC Research Campus, based in Kannapolis, is a stunning joint venture between Dole Foods, Duke University and the University of North Carolina system. Built on the site of a former textile mill, this campus-like redevelopment forges a bold new path for the City.

    Source

    And of course, there's Research Triangle Park.

    There's more to North Carolina than hog farms and NASCAR racing. :)

    by merrinc on Thu May 08, 2008 at 06:53:43 AM PDT

  •  Basically

    Higher education is an option for most folks in NC. There are 16 state universities and 59 community colleges in NC. While tuition rates have gone up, it is still relatively cheap compared to other state systems.

    Basically I think Tweety was referring to how public education can galvanize a state to move past being solely reliant on certain industries.

    by platypus on Thu May 08, 2008 at 07:11:39 AM PDT

    •  Matthews was disingenuous...

      by jumping on Chuck Todd's observation as though he believed this all along. He reminds me of the SNL character, "Yeah! That's the ticket!"

      He said (to paraphrase) 'we should all talk about this when all this (campaigning) is over!'

      As if a well educated electorate, as exists in NC because of the plethora of colleges and universities, isn't an example of a key political issue -- the commitment to education.

      by DorothyT on Thu May 08, 2008 at 07:47:40 AM PDT

•  Tipped and recommended...

  John Cole's quote was awesome.

  by RichM on Thu May 08, 2008 at 06:43:50 AM PDT

  •  Yeah, it was perfect!

    by DJShay on Thu May 08, 2008 at 06:56:31 AM PDT

•  Good post

  I loved that comment, and Tweety's comment about those universities dragging North Carolina into the future.

  by rikyrah on Thu May 08, 2008 at 06:44:07 AM PDT

•  I have to say this whole primary race has

  given me a different perspective on NC.  I am from Northern VA and am a member of a mixed marriage (I'm white, husband black) and to be honest we rarely have thought about taking vacations and the like further south.  Southern VA still has some intolerance so we both just assumed the further south you go the further backwards in time.

  I think our trip to the Outer Banks several years ago was our only trip to NC.  We were treated fine, but I think my husband felt mildly uncomfortable because he was the only black person we saw the whole time.  Seemed rather a segregated vacation spot (unintentionally I'm sure).  Had a good time, though.

  However, I'm getting the vibe that the more urban areas are a lot more progressive than I probably gave them credit for and that's exciting.  We will have to give that area a try soon.

  by choochmac on Thu May 08, 2008 at 06:45:09 AM PDT

  •  You should try Wilmington

    Wrightsville Beach, Ocean Isle, any number of spots further south.  Wilmington is a very hip, open-minded place.  

    Sadly, much segregation remains as far as vacation spots are concerned.  Historically, AA families were relegated to Carolina Beach.  I'm hoping that people vacation wherever they want without feeling uncomfortable.

    by SneakySnu on Thu May 08, 2008 at 06:52:11 AM PDT

    •  Thanks for the tip.

      by choochmac on Thu May 08, 2008 at 07:04:23 AM PDT

  •  Give it another shot...

    The Outer Banks are an anomaly, anyway. I wouldn't think of them as segregated, though, just sparsely populated. They're essentially a rural area that happens to be on beachfront, and their distance from major population centers makes them less friendly for "day-trippers". They're also a tad more posh, and due to the lack of development they cater towards those who want to "get away" rather than those looking for a more family/excitement centered atmosphere. As the other poster said, the beaches on the mainland are more "populist" - due to their easier geographical access and ability to develop amenities.

    This doesn't even take into account the mountains and piedmont - if you're looking to go to the mountains, Asheville is a liberal hotbed. And I would imagine that in the piedmont cities no one would think twice about your husband. Give it a shot!

    by MiklCraw4d on Thu May 08, 2008 at 07:47:01 AM PDT

•  Chris Mathews

  was refering to PA. He said people there were about hanging on to the past.  He said NC was about the future and that people there were moving foward.

  by TNforkerry on Thu May 08, 2008 at 06:47:00 AM PDT

  •  I tell you I can't figure Matthews out these days

    One day he is praising the "lunch bucket" crowds like they are the only "real Democrats" and the next he is praising the next generation for pushing the party forward.  I really have a hard time reading him.  He is in his early '60's I think and I honestly think he kind of representative of his generation.  When in doubt he defaults to his pre-programmed upbringing (during Wright week) but does find he can his pushed outside his own framework when moved.  I think he shows that some of Clinton's older supporters might be reachable in time for the GE.

    by choochmac on Thu May 08, 2008 at 07:03:08 AM PDT

    •  In another diary

      someone said they heard him speak and he told the crowd that the managers of GE were unspoken Hillary supporters because of her ties to New York City. He implied they were  told to push Hillary but then how does Keith Olbermann get away with his show.  He said Obama wanted to take the country ahead while Hillary was about the same old tired politics.

      He was raised in PA and went to school in NC.

      But I agree with you I never know which Mathews is
      going to be hosting Hardball.

      by TNforkerry on Thu May 08, 2008 at 07:31:24 AM PDT

•  I heard Chuck T. make that comment

  and was sort of surprised that he actually said it.  I agree with him, but some Pennsylvanians might have taken umbrage.

  It's so rare to hear a pundit actually say something that's meaningful (exceptions: Keith O. and Rachel M.)

   

  by GreenMtnState on Thu May 08, 2008 at 06:55:43 AM PDT

  •  Yeh Chuckie T is on the money

    I have to say, I'm impressed with him even when I don't agree with him. It was obvious early on that he wasn't too keen on Obama but it was also interesting to watch Todd over the journey of this campaign become impressed with the march to victory and the near perfect execution of the Obama campaign.

    by chipoliwog on Thu May 08, 2008 at 07:01:09 AM PDT

  •  Well, if they weren't biased towards Clinton

    or at least towards the idea of keeping the primary campaign alive as long as possible, they might have noted the fact that NC is a bigger state than IN and that it had more delegates, and hence, more important.  Yet they kept harping--and keep harping--on the importance of white working class voters, particularly the midwestern variety.  

    I don't want to dismiss or undermine any voter's importance, but let's face it:  NC represents the dynamic quality of the present and future economy and has a population that reflects it.  PA and IN do not.  They have to change.

    Enough with these antiquated stereotypes of factory workers drinking coffee in family-run diners!  If you need to provide a stereotype, how about a low-wage data processing worker snarfing down an egg McMuffin and a large coffee in her car?  How did she vote?

    by SneakySnu on Thu May 08, 2008 at 07:02:07 AM PDT

•  More from N.C.

  I'm from N.C. - born in New Bern, raised in Asheville, Undergrad and Masters degrees from NC State in Raleigh (I can't tell you how many basketball games I watched in Reynolds Coliseum where Obama gave his victory speech), and now back in Asheville.

  I'm fortunate to travel alot - and when I'm on the road, Wisconsin and Colorado feel the most similar to North Carolina.

  It's a good environment - and has really progressed over the years (remember, it wasn't that long ago we were known for Jesse Helms!). Hard to point a finger at exactly why. Surely, as Chris Matthews points out - the UNC system as a whole (16 schools) is a model University system (and I think that's also what works in Wisconsin and Colorado).

  N.C. is a State Obama can put in play in November if he can get out that college vote. There's obviously a significant black vote, and many educated whites. So if he can get out the youth...........he can pull it off!

  by VoodooCadillac on Thu May 08, 2008 at 07:05:01 AM PDT

  •  It's true about the UNC system

    There's not a bad school in the bunch these days.  I'm always astounded by the number of out-of-state plates I see on cars near the UNCG campus.  20 years ago, there wasn't even much of a campus, but I think they've almost doubled their space and have given the grounds a more campus-y feel (gates marking the entrance to campus, brick walkways, kind of like Chapel Hill).

    I went to UNC-Chapel Hill for undergrad and have always been so glad that I did.  Going back to CH always feels like a homecoming.

    by SneakySnu on Thu May 08, 2008 at 07:09:44 AM PDT

•  I would like to go on record....

  And say offically I would like to have Chuck Todds smart and funny babies  :)

  I love me some Chuck!!!

  by Moxie Gurl on Thu May 08, 2008 at 07:13:07 AM PDT

  •  Men with brains are sexy!

    by DJShay on Thu May 08, 2008 at 07:41:59 AM PDT

•  Actually

  If you listen to Chuck that isn't a quote from him. He is quoting a friend of his.

  Also as a Pennsylvanian I object to people saying the PA vote is a vote from the past.
  That is a common mistake- people who don't vote the way that you like are somehow in error.
  I don't agree with that philosophy.
  You have your opinion and then the voters issue their opinion.
  You must listen to the voters rather than tell them they are idiots.

  by mattinjersey on Thu May 08, 2008 at 07:14:16 AM PDT

  •  Agree, but I do think that part of the

    dynamic of the PA primary was the age of the voters.  Outside FL, PA has the oldest population of any state.  They have every right to vote the way they think is best, but studies show that the older you are the less likely you are to think outside your comfort zone.

    by choochmac on Thu May 08, 2008 at 07:21:18 AM PDT

    •  Could be

      Sure I agree that older voters can vote differently.
      There are plenty of older voters and we have to get them to vote for Barack and understand why they didn't.
      And older voters can be wiser, they could know something younger voters dont!

      by mattinjersey on Thu May 08, 2008 at 08:13:02 AM PDT

•  I'll keep this diary in mind . . .

  . . . when (if?) Pennsy goes Obama in the fall and when (undoubtedly) North Carolina, once again, turns crimson red.

  Just another "F___ Ohio" diary.

  by raatzie on Thu May 08, 2008 at 07:16:47 AM PDT

•  I'm for the future because the past sucked

  BIG TIME for women and people of color--no wistful nostalgia here, my friend. I do NOT pine for a return of the "good old days" because they were only good for the "good old boys" -- white males with money.

  by heiderose1 on Thu May 08, 2008 at 07:35:20 AM PDT

•  In Indiana, the great thing is that Obama carried

  EVERY age group except Seniors.  I think Bob Herbert is actually a little off when he suggest it might be people over the age of 45 that might have a hard time voting for Obama - I really think it's more like the 60 and over group or even higher.

  by ObamaManiac2008 on Thu May 08, 2008 at 08:21:42 AM PDT

  •  Well, not really ...

    I noticed during our caucuses in Texas that in our rural district (mostly "white") the energy and the votes for Obama were very strong and most notably among retired professionals.  Some were downright elderly -- mid-70's and up.  There were a few disabled older folks who had to be helped to get into the (unexpectedly crowded and difficult of access) area where the local caucuses were held.  

    The scene was repeated during the Democratic county convention (maybe 100 -- 125? -- people total) where, with one notable college-age exception, the people ranged in age from about 55 to very elderly. Women one might have expected to be of a generation that would support Hillary were mostly (but not all) pro-Obama.  At least in this area, the higher the education level, the more apt to vote for Obama.  As for older women, those who had married and also worked outside the home seemed to be more likely to support Obama. All of this may vary from region to region, but in the "heartland" (which is much more diverse than those not living here would expect!) there is big support for and excitement about Obama's candidacy.

    by Frijol on Thu May 08, 2008 at 01:56:58 PM PDT