JLF president John Hood ponders whether or not Greensboro native Erskine Bowles will throw his hat in the ring. The question is not so much if Bowles can win the general election, but if he would even make it out of the primary, especially if Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx jumps in:
I wonder if Bowles, who has already run and lost two statewide campaigns in the past, really wants to have to sprint through a competitive three-month primary followed by a tough general-election marathon against McCrory.
….If Foxx runs, he starts out with strong name ID in a major metro and money left over from his easy 2011 reelection. It is also possible that the marriage amendment on the May ballot will increase African-American turnout, a positive for Foxx. In a crowded primary, these factors could conspire to deny Bowles the nomination, regardless of what the general-election polls or campaign-spending figures show.
He knows this. He is a smart man. As much as he might like to cap off his career with a term as governor of the state, Bowles also does not want to end his career with an embarrassing primary loss. Does he strike you as a gambling man?
Bowles does not strike me as a gambling man.
