RSVP Now for 2013 Candidates Reception

All politics is local. And local elections are more important than many people realize or give attention to. No, there isn't a presidential or state governor's race on next month's election ballot (or a plethora of political ads bombarding you during TV commercial breaks). But there are several candidates vying for public offices whose decisions, if elected, will affect your every day life. And you have the chance to meet many of them in person in one evening.

As they've done for the last several years on the eve of elections, the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Charlotte Hospitality and Tourism Alliance (HTA) are partnering to present the 2013 Candidates Reception on Thursday, October 17, at 5:30 p.m. at the Belk Action Center inside the Charlotte Chamber (330 S. Tryon St.). The free event will feature numerous local candidates for elected offices, including mayors for Charlotte and towns in Mecklenburg County (Huntersville, Matthews, Pineville, etc.), Charlotte City Council at-large and district seats, town council seats, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board.

Scene at the 2011 Candidates Reception. Photo by Jon Strayhorn/Media Arts Collective.

This will also be a great opportunity to network, since there will be a packed house of business and civic leaders and young professionals. Plus, the event will feature complimentary food and drinks from local restaurants.

The Candidates Reception is free and open to the public, but registration is required. If you plan to attend, be sure to register ASAP before it reaches capacity.

And as always, visit meckboe.org if you have any questions about the November 5th General Election in Mecklenburg County, including the list of candidates, voting locations, and more. The deadline to register to vote is this Friday, October 11, by the way.

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Potential North Carolina Bumper Stickers, Inspired by State Legislature, Courtesy of Comedian TV Hosts

North Carolina has become the butt of jokes, thanks to extreme policies and laws either recently proposed or passed by the state legislature (North Carolina General Assembly). While many of these measures are no laughing matter--new gun, abortion, and voter ID laws to name a few--they have become great fodder for late-night TV show hosts.

Below are a few clips from segments that have aired over the past week. I pulled a quote from each one that, if it would happen to appear on a bumper sticker, wouldn't look too fondly for N.C.

Last night on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, fill-in host John Oliver said: "North Carolina's voter ID law is just the tip of a true sh*tberg of the legislative session."

Friday night on Real Time with Bill Maher, Bill said: "North Carolina, right now, is going ape sh*t in a way no state ever has."



Last Monday on The Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert said: "Who makes barbecue sauce with vinegar? That's what you use to clean a toilet, and when I say toilet I mean Charlotte." (Commentary on N.C. begins at 4:07 mark.)

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'I Want to Take a Look One More Time. I'm Not Going to See this Again.' Neither Will I...

"Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber," it is believed to have been said by Greek philosopher Plato more than 2000 years ago. He truly was a genius to have foreseen the world of politics we live in today. I write a lot, as my profession requires, and I have strong views on things, which my blogs afford me the opportunity to express. And while I cover politics among the many different topics I write about, I don't engage in political rhetoric, nor do I challenge others on their political views (I'm not FOX News or MSNBC). Yet, I'm more intrigued by politics today than ever.

I've long been a news junkie, since I became engrossed in my courses at the J-School at the University of South Carolina more than a decade ago. But it was when I began covering the 2012 Democratic National Convention that my interest in politics reached new heights. As you might have seen me reference before, I wrote "The DNC In The CLT" blog for Charlotte magazine for an entire year, from September 2011 to September 2012. It was a tremendous experience for the city of Charlotte to host the DNC, as well as for us local journalists who jumped at every press release and announcement from the Democratic National Convention Committee, which was comprised of  a couple hundred staffers, many of whom had relocated to Charlotte from other parts of the country and lived here for more than a year, and from the Charlotte in 2012 Convention Host Committee, which were the mostly-local officials. All things considered, they put on a great convention (my recap), regardless of whether you supported their renomination of President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.

President Obama being sworn in Monday at the inauguration. Credit: facebook.com/barackobama

Over the last few weeks, I received daily emailed press releases from the press office of the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Committee, just as I had for months from the DNCC and Charlotte in 2012. It made me miss those days of Charlotte being a pivotal part of the national political landscape. Reading the PIC announcements of committee co-chairs, guest speakers and performers, special events, parties, and galas, and high-profile politician and celebrity attendance (including many who came to Charlotte for the DNC), only reminded me how special an opportunity it was for Charlotte to have played a central role in the presidential election process.

The way I see it, there were three key components of the 2012 election, in terms of milestone events: the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte in September (and Republican National Convention in Tampa in August), the presidential election in November, and this week's 57th Presidential Inauguration in Washington, D.C.

I feel about the entire 2012 election cycle the way President Obama felt about the inauguration:

"I want to take a look one more time. I'm not going to see this again."—The President pausing at the Capitol yesterday twitter.com/BarackObama/st…
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 22, 2013

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Early Voting Is Underway in North Carolina, What You Should Know, Respect My Vote!

Early voting has begun in North Carolina, kicking off today (October 18) and running through November 3. So you don't have to wait until Election Day (Tuesday, November 6) to vote. If you have already decided which candidates/political parties you're voting for, then hop to it. If you're still undecided (I hope you're not waiting on the final presidential debate next week), then educate yourself.

Earn this sticker.

Whether it's through my work as a journalist or blogger, or my involvement in the community--such as when I helped coordinate three nonpartisan voter registration events last month in Charlotte (here, here, and here) through the Hip Hop Caucus and its Respect My Vote! campaign--you'll never hear/read me telling you who to vote for (my only goal is to help you become more informed and more involved). I leave the persuasion up to the billion dollars that's being spent on television and radio ads by the political parties, to the tens of thousands of volunteers across the country who are going door to door for the campaigns, and to whichever partisan cable news station you watch--FOX News or MSNBC.

Actually, I hope you're cutting through all that clutter and not only deciding to vote, but understanding who and what you're voting for. Every four years, the presidential election becomes the hot topic that dominates far too many facets of our lives (my example in 2008), but when you show up to the polls, aside from going in to vote for either Obama or Romney, you'll also see races for state senators and representatives, local judges, county commissioners, and other important elections on the ballot. Some of the races are non-partisan, so even if you vote straight-party ticket, there will be other candidates you'll need to decide between. Don't go in there guessing.

RespectMyVote.com | #RespectMyVote

Below are a few online resources that can help you become more informed before you vote:

• Mecklenburg County Board of Elections (Charlotte), www.meckboe.org
• North Carolina State Board of Elections, www.ncsbe.gov
• NPR's State-By-State Early Voting Calendar, apps.npr.org/early-voting-2012
• Democracy North Carolina, www.democracy-nc.org

If you aren't registered to vote, even though the voter registration deadline has passed in North Carolina, in this state you can still vote at what's known as a One-Stop Voting Site, where you can register to vote and cast your vote the same day during the early voting period. So you can do that now through November 3 (but not on Election Day unless you're already registered). Click here for more details and here to search for the nearest One-Stop Voting Site in your county.

Watch this BET video of the making of a Respect My Vote! PSA, featuring Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr. (president of the Hip Hop Caucus) and hip hop artists 2 Chainz and Travis Porter. (FYI: Ads that run before the video are because of BET and not the nonpartisan Respect My Vote! campaign.)

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Is Pat McCrory Hesitant to Say 'Charlotte' in TV Ads?

Pat McCrory was mayor of Charlotte from 1995 to 2009, holding office for a city-record seven terms. In my opinion, he was an effective mayor and should be credited for spearheading and championing a lot of the successful growth Charlotte experienced during the last decade. His successor, Mayor Anthony Foxx, has done a good job as well and has helped lead the city out of the recession. See what I just did? I complimented two political leaders, one who's a Republican (McCrory) and one who's a Democrat (Foxx). I wish more of you what push your partisan views (and hate) aside and give credit where it's due. But on to my point.

McCrory is in the homestretch of his second run for governor of North Carolina. He lost to Bev Perdue in 2008. This time around, McCrory is facing Walter Dalton, the Democratic nominee and current lieutenant governor of the state. McCrory has a sizable lead in the polls I've seen, but the 2012 NC gubernatorial race will probably end up being closer, influenced by voter turnout and the majority of people voting straight-party. McCrory appears to be outspending Dalton, at least that's how it seems regarding the number of TV ads by him I've been seeing lately, which led to something else I noticed.

Does Pat McCrory have a problem saying "Charlotte"? Check out two of his recent commercials (here and here, or watch below), where he touts his tenure as mayor but doesn't name the city.

It seems odd to me that McCrory doesn't say Charlotte in those ads, which are two of the last three TV ads he's released. In the other one, Charlotte is mentioned, but by someone else, in that not-intended-to-be-funny-but-kinda-is-ad featuring former Wilson, NC Sheriff Wayne Gay, who says McCrory "did great as mayor of Charlotte. He'll do great with our state, or I'll hunt him down."

Perhaps McCrory is concerned about any perceived Charlotte stigma negatively affecting his appeal to voters across this large, diverse state of ours. Plus, former Charlotte mayors don't have a good track record of seeking higher office, such as Harvey Gantt's (D) two failed runs for U.S. Senate (1990 and 1996), Sue Myrick's (R) unsuccessful run for U.S. Senate in 1992 (though she would be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994 and hold that seat until she announced her retirement in 2012), Richard Vinroot's (R) three failed attempts to become NC governor (1996, 2000, and 2004) and McCrory's own unsuccessful 2008 run.

Still, c'mon Pat, represent for the Queen City!

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7-Election 2012 Is Underway

Several convenience stores in the Charlotte area recently converted to 7-Eleven franchises. There's one about a mile from my house that made the switch in July, and since then I've frequented it for the cappuccino and occasional snack. I stopped by there today and saw that the front windows were plastered with signs promoting “7-Election.” 

I visited 7-Election.com just now, where you can find details on the promotion. "Ask not what 7-Eleven can do for you—ask what 7-Eleven can brew for you," reads the tagline. In the 7-Eleven stores you can purchase coffee in either a blue Obama cup, representing President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party, or a red Romney cup for presidential challenger Mitt Romney and the Republican Party. By choosing one of the cups, you're "casting your ballot" in the unscientific poll. Every four years, 7-Eleven unveils custom coffee cups for the Democratic and Republican presidential nominees and tracks customers' votes through purchases. The convenience store chain says it has correctly predicted the presidential election for the past three election cycles: 2000, 2004, and 2008. 

According to the website, Obama is currently leading Romney 60% to 40% in 7-Election 2012. You can also see how the results breakdown state by state. Voting in this election runs until the real Election Day, which is November 6.

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'E Pluribus Unum' Opening Reception with Respect My Vote! this Saturday

As you might've seen me talk about before, I'm a member of the Hip Hop Caucus Charlotte Leadership Committee (HHC has leadership committees in 14 cities around the country). Through that involvement I'm helping organize an event this Saturday in partnership with UNC Charlotte Center City. It should be a great time, and you should come out. See details below.

E Pluribus Unum Opening Reception with Respect My Vote! 
Saturday, September 15, 6-10 p.m. | UNC Charlotte Center City, 320 E. 9th St. 
Free and open to the public.

E Pluribus Unum, Latin for “out of many, one,” is the title of an exciting new art exhibit at UNC Charlotte Center City that explores the experience of pluralism in America, conveying the concept that diverse traditions, perspectives, and philosophies add value to the whole. UNC Charlotte has partnered with the Hip Hop Caucus’ Respect My Vote! initiative to host an interactive Opening Reception on Saturday, September 15 at 6 p.m. at UNC Charlotte Center City (320 E. 9th Street), free and open to the public.

The evening will feature performances by Mike from Day 26, Bettie Grind, and Mr. 704, along with spoken word by Quentin "Q" Talley in front of a melting ice sculpture depicting the Middle Class. A live digital lounge will be set up for attendees to discuss E Pluribus Unum pieces, enabling them to post messages and images to Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, using the #RespectMyVote and #EPluribus hashtags. A photo booth by Favors in a Flash will allow guests to take home complimentary photo keepsakes. Plus, complimentary wine and farm-to-fork cuisine provided by Harvest Moon Grille will be served during the first two hours of the evening.

E Pluribus Unum, presented by the College of Arts + Architecture and located at UNC Charlotte Center City, is a gathering of different cultures and expressions, including works by Michael Murphy of Georgia; the collaborative team Nora Ligorano and Marshall Reese of New York; historical artists Arthur Mole and John Thomas; and Charlotte-based artists Barbara Schreiber, Grant Baldwin, Carrie Gault, and Jason Michel.

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Watch Live Stream of the Hip Hop Caucus' Respect My Vote! Town Hall with BET

The Hip Hop Caucus is hosting a Respect My Vote! Town Hall 2 p.m. today at Charlotte School of Law. It's sure to be a packed house, with the number of tickets distributed greatly surpassing the venue's capacity (seating will be on a first come, first served basis). But whether or not you're planning to come out today, you can watch the event live at www.livestream.com/hiphopcaucus, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. I'll actually be producing the live stream (I'm on the Hip Hop Caucus Charlotte Leadership Committee). And better yet, Black Entertainment Television (BET) will be taping the event, with plans to air portions of it on 106 & Park.

This nonpartisan town hall event will highlight the concerns of young voters in preparation for this fall's election. Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr., president and CEO of the Hip Hop Caucus, will moderate, and speakers include: Barbara Arnwine, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; Kevin Powell, nationally renowned activist, writer, and speaker; Big Mike, recording artist of the group Day 26; and Carrie Cook, local community activist and founder of the Youth EmpowHERment Summit. The event will be hosted by Nolimit Larry of Power 98, and Charlotte-based artists Bettie Grind and Mr. 704, along with A. Dot of Power 98, will host the live stream, in addition to spoken word poet Bluz delivering a performance. Celebrity guests are also expected to attend.

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Hip Hop Caucus Charlotte Holding Respect My Vote! Volunteer Training Saturday, June 16

The Hip Hop Caucus Charlotte Leadership Committee is holding a volunteer training session for the 2012 Respect My Vote! campaign this Saturday, June 16, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Urban League of Central Carolinas (740 W. Fifth St.). This is your opportunity to get involved in the community and have a positive impact on voter turnout in this fall's election.

The Hip Hop Caucus is a national nonprofit organization, based in Washington D.C., and Respect My Vote! is its nonpartisan voter registration, mobilization, and education campaign targeting young people between the ages of 18 and 40, supported by a national coalition of two dozen organizations as well as leadership committees in cities like Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham, Atlanta, Miami, Chicago, and more. It doesn't matter what political party you support, whether you lean left or right, if you value the importance of voting and educating yourself on candidates and policies, then you should register to be a volunteer to help spread that message to others. Respect My Vote! isn't about telling people who to vote for, but to encourage them to vote and helping them to register--millions of people don't exercise this important constitutional right, especially young adults.

Credit: facebook.com/hiphopcaucus

The Hip Hop Caucus Charlotte will hold some exciting and informative community events in the coming months (some hosted by celebrities) that you can be part of the planning for. Click here to sign up for Saturday's volunteer training. I hope to see you there.

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Amendment One—Know Before You Vote Tuesday

If you read my blogs or other writings that have to deal with politics, elections, and/or voting, you might realize that I don't ever try to tell you what side of the issue you should be on, or who or what you should vote for. My only objective is that you are informed. Voting is a constitutional right that we're all fortunate to have in this country--something that wasn't always the case. But you shouldn't simply be motivated to show up at the polls; you should be inspired to read up on the issues before you go.

The North Carolina primary is tomorrow (Tuesday, May 8). President Barack Obama is the incumbent president on the Democratic side; Mitt Romney is the presumptive presidential nominee on the Republican side, with his main opponents having dropped out of the race. So many of you who only get drawn to the polls for presidential elections, might be tuning out Tuesday's event. That would be a big mistake. If you're a Mecklenburg County resident, a visit to www.meckboe.org will give you plenty of info on what you should know, including this list of Charlotte, Mecklenburg, and statewide candidates in your district who are on tomorrow's ballot.

I've received several candidates' campaign mailers over the last couple of weeks.

Do you know who you're voting for in the races for North Carolina Senate or House of Representatives? Or for Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners? Remember, this is a primary so you can't vote straight-party ticket--you're voting to decide which candidates are going to represent your party in the November general elections.

And then there's North Carolina Senate Bill 514, better known as Amendment One, which I'm sure you've heard of. This piece of legislation, on the May 8 ballot, is a proposed bill to amend the North Carolina Constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman, which would, in effect, ban same-sex marriage. That issue has garnered nationwide media coverage for the state over the last few months, especially over the last couple of weeks, as North Carolina becomes the latest state to put it to a vote.

On the April 30 episode of 282, we dedicated the majority of the show to discussing Amendment One and the May 8 primary. We featured a great panel who talked about all of the ramifications of the bill. One guest, a black female, opposes Amendment One, saying it would do unnecessary harm to families, including unmarried heterosexual couples with children as well as senior citizens. Another guest, a university professor, is also against Amendment One and he discussed it from an academic and civil rights standpoint. And then our third guest, a white male gay conservative, is in favor of Amendment One, saying that he believes marriage is between one man, one woman, and God. Yes, he's gay, and he said he's in favor of civil unions for same-sex couples like himself and his partner, but not marriage.

Do yourself a favor and watch this episode of 282.

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#RespectMyVote, #Selma Bring Attention Today to Voting Rights; 2012 Campaign Launches April 4

The Hip Hop Caucus' Charlotte Leadership Committee is engaging the community in a social media campaign today to bring awareness to protecting voting rights and the importance of registering to vote. If you're on Twitter, please follow hashtags #RespectMyVote and #Selma and tweet your support (even if you don't have a Twitter account you can click on the links and read what's being said). You can also read about the effort in an article published today by Qcitymetro.com.

The Hip Hop Caucus is a national nonprofit organization, based in Washington D.C. and led by Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr., with more than 650,000 supporters across all 50 states. Respect My Vote is its nonpartisan voter registration, mobilization, and education campaign targeting young people between the ages of 18 and 40. In regards to the Selma hashtag, today, March 7, is the anniversary of the 1965 Selma to Montgomery March, also known as Bloody Sunday, when several hundred voting rights activists and Civil Rights leaders attempted a 54-mile march but were met with force and brutality by the police. The efforts of these brave souls, however, would help lead to the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Honoring important historical events such as this isn't about opening old wounds or harping on our country's ugly past of race relations. Instead it's about reminding young people today not to take our liberties, freedoms, and rights for granted because people literally died for them. In regards to voting rights in particular, we should both understand the importance of voting and educate ourselves on who and what we're voting for: North Carolina's Primary is May 8; get Charlotte/Mecklenburg County info here.

Also, on this week's episode of 282, one of our guests is Rod Garvin, member of the Hip Hop Caucus Charlotte Leadership Committee. He talks about honoring the Selma event and details the national 2012 Respect My Vote campaign that's launching April 4. (In the episode we also talk about the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners upcoming vacant three at-large seats with guest Amanda Raymond from the League of Women Voters. But it isn't all politics this week--we also feature John Morgan, who's leading an effort to replace the Bobcats name and bring the Hornets mascot back to Charlotte's NBA team).

In coming weeks, I'll provide more details on how you can get involved with the Respect My Vote campaign in Charlotte.

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President Obama Shouts Out Jackie Bray, Charlotte, Siemens, and CPCC in 2012 State of the Union

If you watched last night’s State of the Union address by President Barack Obama, then you saw the great face time a local woman received. About 17 minutes into his hour-long speech, President Obama touted Jackie Bray’s success story. He told how Jackie, from Kings Mountain, was laid off from her job as a mechanic. But thanks to a partnership between Siemens' new gas turbine factory in Charlotte and Central Piedmont Community College, the company paid Jackie's tuition; then hired her full-time.

Jackie was seated next to First Lady Michelle Obama, and the national television cameras cut to her about a half-dozen times. She was clearly overwhelmed by the fact that the POTUS was saying her name repeatedly.

"I want every American looking for work to have the same opportunity as Jackie did," President Obama said. "Join me in a national commitment to train 2 million Americans with skills that will lead directly to a job. My administration has already lined up more companies that want to help. Model partnerships between businesses like Siemens and community colleges in places like Charlotte, and Orlando, and Louisville are up and running."

Below is a two-minute video clip of Jackie's face time. It's also great publicity for CPCC, which is already a thriving community college system, and for Siemens, which comes off looking like a great corporate citizen.

You can watch the full 2012 State of the Union address by clicking here.

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Mayor Foxx Is Leading 'Souls to the Polls'

Souls to the Polls takes place this Sunday, October 30, 2-4 p.m. at Holly Plaza. It's a community event, supported by local churches, to encourage early voting. Mayor Anthony Foxx will be on hand along with other dignitaries and local Democratic candidates seeking office or re-election. There will also be music, free food, and WGIV will broadcast live.

A volunteer at a recent Foxx campaign event. Credit: Meredith Jones/facebook.com/AnthonyFoxx09.

Holly Plaza is located on the corner of Holly Street and Beatties Ford Road, next to the Beatties Ford Library, 2300 Beatties Ford Road. This library is one of several locations around Charlotte and Mecklenburg County where you can vote early any day until November 5. The Souls to the Polls event, in particular, will encourage people to vote after attending church service on Sunday. Click here for a list of early voting locations and hours.

Election day is November 8. Visit www.meckboe.org for answers to any questions you might have regarding voting in Mecklenburg County.

Below is a video of Mayor Foxx greeting voters on the first day of early voting last week.

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