This looks like an opportunity for us to regain a foothold in the South. The
Charlotte Observer is reporting that voters are beginning to walk away from the Republican Party and creating chances to make gains.
Troubles for President Bush and the GOP have raised the hopes of the state's Democrats, who have watched Republicans dominate recent federal elections. Even the presence of native son John Edwards on the Democratic ticket in 2004 wasn't enough to break his party's long losing streak in presidential elections.
But heading into 2006, Democrats are looking for a "perfect storm" to rival the 1994 sweep that gave Republicans control of both houses of Congress. A telephone poll last month by Elon University offered some basis for optimism, finding a substantial gap between the percentage of people in North Carolina who said they voted Republican for president in 2004 -- 45.8 percent -- and those who intend to vote Republican for Congress in 2006 -- 26.2 percent.
"I think it's a lightning bolt in the sky that you may have a storm coming at you, when you get polls like this showing people are moving away from your party," said Thad Beyle, a political science professor at UNC-Chapel Hill.
Most importantly, we have at least three good shots for takever.
The GOP holds both of North Carolina's Senate seats and 7 of its 13 House seats. With no Senate election slated for 2006, the Democrats' focus is on trying to win seats held by two GOP veterans, Charles Taylor of Brevard and Robin Hayes of Concord.
The Democratic mayor of Winston-Salem, Allen Joines, is also reportedly contemplating a challenge of first-term GOP Rep. Virginia Foxx. In any other year, Foxx would be considered all but invulnerable after easily winning her seat with 59 percent of the vote last year.
"We want to be in a position where we're building a case with voters over a long period of time," said Sarah Feinberg of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
The party has recruited a candidate with an established name -- former NFL quarterback and University of Tennessee star Heath Shuler -- to take on Taylor, a Republican now in his eighth term representing a group of rugged, conservative counties in the state's western mountains.
It is true that every year, we seem to pin our hopes on North Carolina and get disappointed. But it is also true that North Carolina is a state that, in the right year, CAN flip to blue. Gov. Easly proved that a Democrat can win here, and hopefully, so can will House candidates in 2006.