I understand the need to get people to write big checks by letting them say they went to an event with the POTUS, but Jack Hawke is playing with fire bringing George W. Bush in for Pat McCrory.
As we noted over the past few months, McCrory needs to be seen as an outsider — yes, a change agent — coming to Raleigh to clean up the Easley-Perdue mess. As such McCrory has more in common thematically with Barack Obama than Bush or John McCain.
In fact, McCrory is in many ways a GOP Obama — very good on TV, attuned to hot button issues, but relatively inexperienced in the issues of the office he aspires to and lacking depth. With these traits you minimize weaknesses by always moving forward, never pausing too long to give the other team a clean shot at you.
A fundraiser in Raleigh with a wildly unpopular sitting president makes for a pretty big target. Let’s see if the McCrory camp issues any stills or video of the event — or Bev Perdue operatives in the field have to create their own on the fly.
Bonus Observation: Doubt that Obama’s imagery is driving US politics right now? Take a look at the new-new McCain campaign slogan and logo. It is a direct cop of the Obama “believe” spiel, complete with sun rays. If even McCain is moving in this direction, McCrory needs to as well.