RALEIGH—Both Democrat candidates for Governor, Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue and State Treasurer Richard Moore, have separately proposed plans to create an endowment to fund gubernatorial campaigns. 

Under Moore’s proposal, candidates would be forced “to agree to twice-monthly debates in the first two months and weekly from March to the primary, be available to meet with reporters weekly and give public speeches twice a month.  A bipartisan board would structure the debates, choose a moderator and approve funding.”  (“Moore proposes campaign reform” The News & Observer: Under the Dome, March 5, 2008 http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/moore_proposes_campaign_reform)

Under Perdue’s proposal, a $50 million trust fund “would pay for campaigns that avoid negative ads, address ‘major issues’ and agree to a series of debates . . . A bipartisan board of 12 individuals appointed by legislative leaders would run the endowment, select the major issues and determine whether candidates had qualified with signatures and small donations.”  (“Endow campaigns for governor, Perdue says” The News & Observer, March 5, 2008 http://www.newsobserver.com/politics/story/982603.html)

Chairman Linda Daves, North Carolina Republican Party, made the following statement:

“This is a truly terrible idea.  The Democrat candidates for Governor think that the solution to voter apathy is to limit free speech.  The real solution to voter apathy is fielding a candidate able to articulate a vision for North Carolina that excites and inspires the people of our state.  Richard Moore has been frequenting the powerful corridors of Democrat leadership in Raleigh since 1992 and Beverly Perdue has been in Raleigh since 1986.  After 38 years of combined years of experience in the Democrat leadership at fault for the disillusionment of the people of our state, Perdue and Moore are fresh out of ideas. 

Republicans don’t want to talk about the ‘major issues’ as decided by another board of Democrat cronies put in place to protect the power of entrenched Democrat incumbents.  Republicans will address the issues that matter to voters in North Carolina because elections are not about candidates.  Elections are about voters.  Candidates should inspire the people of North Carolina to believe in a stronger, more prosperous future.  If Democrats want to try to create a political environment like that envisioned in George Orwell’s 1984 and like that currently in place in Communist China, then that is their choice.  However, I think they might be wise to take a second glance at the text of the First Amendment.”

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