While the party was rocking at the Pat McCrory campaign hotel in Charlotte Tuesday, things were a bit more subdued at the Fred Smith party at the Hedingham Golf Club in Raleigh. At one point, over 11 microwave and satellite trucks were there to record the event, live.
The crowd was upbeat, though sensing that the campaign was over. Smith, known for feeding a crowd, didn't disappoint with hot dogs, hamburgers, potato salad, and the like. Meanwhile, the several hundred onlookers watched on numerous big screen televisions.
At 9:36, Smith campaign consultant, Ted Brown, a friend of your bloggers from our Jim Gardner days, let KCC know that Senator Smith was on his way down to concede. Smith and his family were poised and proud of the race they'd won, even though they had been beaten.
The mainstream, uneducated media, asked the usual silly questions, such as "what went wrong" to which Smith replied he was simply "beaten by a stronger candidate."
Smith immediately pledged to do "whatever Pat needs me to do" in his concession speech to the Charlotte Mayor. He told the crowd that he'd already called Mayor McCrory and wished him well.
On Wednesday at noon, the four former GOP gubernatorial candidates will appear together at NC Republican Party Headquarters in a show of party unity.
Meanwhile, Democrat nominee Beverly Perdue, told WRAL that "we know what (dirt) the Republicans are capable of and I'll be deciding our strategy in the coming days". Heck, KCC wishes to warn the McCrory team what Perdue and her team are "capable of". Your blogger hopes that the McCrory campaign will be ready for the dirt and nastiness that Perdue's folks will spread around throughout the campaign.
Expect her to return to her "positive campaign" the minute she feels something hurtful is about to be revealed. Purdue, like most of us, is no saint, but she's tough as nails and will now bow under pressure.
The problem for McCrory will be how to go after a woman respectably. This is still North Carolina, once known as the Rip Van Winkle state. Many old south-style male voters don't like a gentleman calling a "lady" on the carpet or making life unpleasant for her. It was a problem for Erskine Bowles when he faced off against Elizabeth Dole six years ago, and it will be a problem for McCrory this time.
McCrory has Jack Hawke on his team, and Jack is an experienced professional, one who this blogger has long admired. KCC looks forward to helping McCrory going forward, but provides a look back with photos taken at the Fred Smith party on Tuesday evening.
Elizabeth Dole's female advantage was neutralized on Tuesday when Kay Hagan defeated Jim Neal for the Democrat nomination for US Senate.
Later this week, we will post the entire Smith concession speech, along with his pledge for party unity. Smith later added that "on the campaign trail, we all became friends."
More photos below:
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