One million more North Carolina voters are expected to vote in 2008 than 2004, setting the stage for the largest turnout ever. When the early voting polls closed Saturday, 40 percent of registered voters had cast ballots at one-stop sites.
People interviewed after voting at Morehead Planetarium on Tuesday said they had no trouble understanding how to vote a straight party ticket, but that it could be confusing nonetheless. Some voters received ballot instructions while others had to request them.
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More than a month ago, N.C. State Board of Elections Director Gary Bartlett warned his senior staff to anticipate a record number of early voters. They didn’t believe his projections. “They asked me not to make it public because they didn’t want me to embarrass them. And now it’s happening,” he said.
Biden discusses economy, roots for early voting
RALEIGH — With the presidential campaign nearing its close, hundreds of Democratic supporters sporting “I voted” stickers crowded into a Meredith College amphitheater Thursday night to hear the man they hope will become the next vice president.
Group encourages students to go vote early
Since early voting began a week ago, UNC groups have been all over campus advocating its importance and stressing its accessibility. On Wednesday, the UNC Young Democrats led a “March to the Polls,” starting in the Pit and winding across campus to the nearest early voting site at Morehead Planetarium.
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More an issue in N.C. than elsewhere
The debate on illegal immigration, formerly a contentious one on the state and national levels, has recently been nearly invisible on the national stage. Even in this state, where senatorial and gubernatorial candidates have sparred repeatedly on immigration reform, national immigration reform has been little discussed.
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CONCORD — This election has U.S. Rep. Robin Hayes, R-N.C., singing “Get in line, brother.” That gospel song about heaven might better apply to N.C. Republicans’ efforts in a state unexpectedly in play.
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‘Super Saturday’ key to voter drive
Mere weeks before the election, Republican campaigns have gone into overdrive to make sure loyal members vote on Nov. 4. About 35 GOP offices throughout the state — dubbed Victory Offices — serve as hubs for volunteers to help campaign on each remaining Saturday before November. Steve Hill, director of the Durham Victory office, explained that the “Super Saturday” strategy intends to mobilize volunteers in the weeks before the general election to inform registered Republicans of the party’s platform and to promote voter turnout.
RALEIGH — N.C. Democratic leaders, old and new, gathered Monday morning at the state fairgrounds to reiterate the platform of their party’s presidential candidate. That show of support comes as the candidate, Barack Obama, is making repeat visits in an attempt to turn the traditionally Republican state Democratic.
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Elizabeth Edwards critiques plan
Republican presidential candidate John McCain’s health care plan was the target of harsh criticism from Elizabeth Edwards at a Wednesday round table discussion in Carrboro. Edwards, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress Action Fund and the wife of former presidential hopeful John Edwards, hosted a panel of state legislators, medical officials and patients at Piedmont Health Clinic to discuss McCain’s health care plan.
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Tina Fey’s portrayal of a bumbling Sarah Palin in recent Saturday Night Live skits was just one example used Tuesday night to discuss sexism. The skit was shown as part of a panel discussion held by the Carolina Women’s Center entitled “Electionism,” which also dealt with racism and ageism in political campaigns.
Students overflowed into the aisles in a Murphey lecture hall as UNC Young Democrats debated UNC College Republicans on Monday night. Three members from each group defended Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama or Republican opponent John McCain, often attacking the other side’s policies as naïve, infeasible or out of touch.
Speeches focus on specific policy
GREENSBORO — Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and running mate Joe Biden zeroed in on foreign policy and the struggling economy at a Saturday rally in Greensboro. In speeches substantially more policy-driven than typical rally speeches, both Obama and Biden echoed much of Friday night’s debate and hammered Republican opponent John McCain on his statements from the previous evening.
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The floundering economy might be at the top of the priority list for presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and John McCain, but six institutions said they think higher education needs to be considered even in lieu of more pressing issues.
Check the Daily Tar Heel blog for live updates throughout the speech
FRIDAY, Sept. 26, 2:46 p.m. -- Republican presidential candidate John McCain announced today that he will debate Democratic candidate Barack Obama tonight after all. Check out blogs.dailytarheel.com for liveblogging by State and National Editor Ariel Zirulnick and Managing Editor for Print Sara Gregory.
Crews staged ‘balanced’ political representation
Tensions between Obama and McCain groups escalated before a “Good Morning America” broadcast Saturday as TV crew members replaced Obama supporters at the front of the crowd with McCain supporters. UNC first-year Clay Vickers arrived on set at 5:30 a.m. to grab a prime spot in front of Carroll Hall, ready to display his support for Obama.
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State looking like a battleground
The potential for a close contest has brought both of the presidential campaigns to North Carolina, but in very different forms. This week, the number of offices in the state serving Republican John McCain’s campaign was upped to 15 and campaign staff to about 20.
CHARLOTTE — Approximately 20,000 anxious yet optimistic people crowded the streets of downtown Charlotte to hear reassurances Sunday from Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. With the future of a struggling economy at stake, Obama promised voters that he would win a race that has been narrowing in the polls and, if elected, fix the financial downturn.
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ABC’s “Good Morning America” came to UNC on Monday to find out which issues Americans care most about and what they think of the presidential candidates’ stances on those issues. The visit was part of its “50 States, 50 Days” tour, which will broadcast live from Polk Place on Saturday.
Former senator, presidential candidate visits
Former U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley, D-N.J., came to UNC on Monday to talk policy and mobilize supporters of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.
Nearly 50 students and community members came to the UNC Young Democrats event held in the Student Union, where Bradley touched on the U.S. educational system and the crucial role that college-age supporters will play in North Carolina.
Keyes speaks on judicial restraint
Speaking in the packed Rotunda of UNC's School of Law, Alan Keyes told his audience that "the guild of lawyers and judges constitute the pool from which the dictators of our society will be chosen.
Democrats should rise above partisanship to participate
The trend of increasing animosity in partisan politics has reached a new low. Democratic presidential candidate and former N.C. Sen. John Edwards announced last week that he would not attend a Sept. 23 debate in Detroit because it will be hosted by Fox News Channel.
Takes part in town-hall-style radio broadcast
John and Elizabeth Edwards, along with an audience packed into the Student Union Auditorium, made national airwaves Monday as they talked politics, jogging, cancer and haircuts. The couple appeared as guests on the Ed Schultz Show, which is based in Fargo, N.
Nearly four months after declaring his intent to run for president, former U.S. Sen. John Edwards sees increasing support but remains the third-leading candidate for the Democratic nomination. According to the latest Gallup Poll, 19 percent of the public favors Edwards for the nomination, his highest figures since his announcement of candidacy Dec.
Fifteen months before the general election, the 2008 presidential campaign cycle is in high gear as the summer season draws to a close. The past months have left the Republican race wide open, as early favorite John McCain has faltered in his attempt to appeal to the party base, University of California at Berkeley political science professor David Karol said.
Student groups dedicated to presidential candidates - most sanctioned by the corresponding national campaigns - are slowly popping up at UNC and on campuses around the country. Vivek Chilukuri, director of UNC Students for Barack Obama, said his organization is an official arm of the national Obama for America campaign.
Labor support spans spectrum
As leaders emerge in the race for union endorsements, both front-runners and lesser-known candidates are seeing their focus on organized labor pay off. Democrat John Edwards, a former N.C. senator, secured endorsements from the United Mine Workers of America and the United Steelworkers - the largest industrial union in the country - on Monday at a Labor Day rally in Pittsburgh.
With a little more than a year remaining before the 2008 presidential election, the Iraq war continues to provide fodder for Democratic candidates, while Republicans are shying away from the issue. Democratic candidates' views on Iraq vary in their sense of urgency for withdrawal, as candidates try to distinguish themselves from the pack.
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As the push toward early primaries accelerates the 2008 presidential campaign, trailing candidates have attempted to downplay the increasingly visible results from early polls. Democratic candidate and former N.C. Sen. John Edwards told supporters not to concern themselves too much with poll results, which on a national scale show him trailing behind opponents Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
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As the push toward early primaries accelerates the 2008 presidential campaign, trailing candidates have attempted to downplay the increasingly visible results from early polls. Democratic candidate and former N.C. Sen. John Edwards told supporters not to concern themselves too much with poll results, which on a national scale show him trailing behind opponents Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
DURHAM - Kristina Delgado doesn't want her little brother to go to war because he's the only one she has. Pamela Harris wants to raise her children in a country that values helping other people. Ashley Kroetsch wants to acknowledge the genocide in Darfur and bring it to an end. Those were only some of the people who brought their hopes to a campaign
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After celebrating Halloween on Franklin Street, students have another opportunity to party - with Hillary Clinton. The Heels for Hillary Hillblazers, a newly established chapter of Hillary Clinton's National Young Voter Program, is having its launch party at 7 p.
Advocates of bringing "truthiness" to White House policy were dealt a blow Thursday when the South Carolina Democratic Party decided not to allow Stephen Colbert's name to appear on its primary ballot.
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Student representatives for John Edwards, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama gathered at the Hanes Art Center on Monday night for a mock debate. This is the first time in recent memory that the Young Democrats have staged a mock debate. About 70 people came to watch the senators' representatives discuss relevant topics.
Ticket records at heart of dispute
Even his status as a presidential hopeful and the founder of a campus poverty think tank can't guarantee UNC sporting event tickets for alumnus and former faculty member John Edwards. The former U.S. senator's desire for tickets, implied in an e-mail between his political adviser, Miles Lackey, and former law school dean Gene Nichol, now has him caught in a public records controversy as his camp and the University refuse to disclose the "ticket wish list.
TO THE EDITOR: Another nonstory about Sen. John Edwards in the DTH ("UNC, Edwards deny requests," Nov. 30), what a surprise. People from the DTH insist the paper has no bias against Edwards, but they don't cover any of the political hit jobs on other '08 candidates.
The narrow street winds past abandoned warehouses and empty parking lots before bending at a nameless auto mechanic's shop adorned with three "Ron Paul for President" campaign signs. Home to Ron Paul's Charleston campaign headquarters, the shop features grim steel walls covered in a collage of Ron Paul posters
Two students on their cell phones in an otherwise empty room made calls Saturday to Nevada Democrats on behalf of Sen. Hillary Clinton. The "phone banking party" was one of a string organized by Hillblazers, the nationwide grassroots organization of young Clinton supporters.
In South Carolina, where blacks constitute about 30 percent of the total population and more than 50 percent of the Democratic vote, Democratic presidential candidates are working hard to court a demographic that nationwide can fly under the political radar.
Students, voters abuzz over Obama
DILLON COUNTY, S.C. - Barack Obama, who holds a 12- percentage-point lead over Hillary Clinton in the latest polls, isn't conceding an inch in South Carolina, and student supporters are eager to help rally support.
COLUMBIA, S.C. - There's nothing like a tuba to emphasize a victory. Barack Obama's brassy celebration Saturday night featured a full marching band, as well as the throngs of cheering supporters who have become his campaign's signature. The South Carolina Democratic primary, in which Obama captured 55 percent of the vote
John Edwards will announce at 1 p.m. today that he is no longer in the race for the Democratic nomination. He is scheduled to make the announcement during a speech in New Orleans. Check back later for further developments.
If students at A.L. Stanback Middle School had their vote, Sen. Barack Obama would be the Democratic presidential nominee. Students in Joe Sharp's eighth-grade N.C. history class concluded their month-long analysis and research on the presidential primary process by casting votes Tuesday. Student-made campaign posters lined the halls, and excitement filled the air
Former senator drops presidential bid, calling on Clinton and Obama to continue campaign against poverty
Hundreds of emotional supporters flooded the phone lines at John Edwards' Southern Village headquarters Wednesday afternoon, voicing disappointment at his decision to end his presidential bid. One man sobbed on the phone, distressed to hear about the conclusion of Edwards' poverty-championing campaign. Edwards broadcast his official
Obama wins Durham support in mock vote
DURHAM-Enthusiastic Durham residents crowded into a small room in a public library Wednesday night for the "Raucous Caucus." The nearly 80 attendees enjoyed cookies and apple cider while discussing the merits of each of the remaining Democratic nominees.
Today more than 20 states will go to the polls in the largest single day of voting this primary season - potentially crowning their party's presidential nominee. Feb. 5 is the first day that states can hold primaries without running afoul of national party rules. Twenty-one states will hold Republican contests, and 22 will host Democratic races.
In a race that is increasingly dependent on delegate numbers, garnering votes from the more than 20 states holding primaries or caucuses Tuesday was key for candidates of both parties. Take a look at how the race was shaping up as of midnight Tuesday. The Democratic candidates were Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
John McCain now clear frontrunner for Republican nomination
WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) - John McCain effectively sealed the Republican presidential nomination on Thursday as chief rival Mitt Romney suspended his faltering presidential campaign. "I must now stand aside, for our party and our country," Romney told conservatives.
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Polls are prevalent in election coverage in part because they have proven accurate historically, but this year the unique dynamics of each party's race have challenged pollsters' ability to make on-target predictions. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican polls have produced reliable results, but Democratic projections have been inconsistent.
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In early January, most of North Carolina's 19 superdelegates were ready to back former N.C. Sen. John Edwards for the Democratic nomination for president. Now with Edwards out and a close Democratic race, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are trying to convert as many superdelegates as they can to their side of the contest.
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Among N.C. voters, Democratic presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are creeping up on Republican frontrunner John McCain with the help of strong youth support, according to survey data released Monday. Although the state has not voted Democratic in a presidential election since 1976, the survey, released by Public Policy Polling, indicated McCain might not win easily.
Health-care reform is a pressing need on all levels
The U.S. spends about $10,000 in Iraq every three seconds. More than 43 million Americans live without health insurance; 6 million of these are under the age of 18. Is it just us, or do our nation's priorities seem a little off? We're not advocating any specific plan for health care reform just yet - we'll leave that for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama to hash out - but it's clear something needs to be done about the way our nation addresses health care.
While statewide voter registration is up among all demographics, youth are more likely to be registered as Democrats. About twice as many young people are registering as Democrats in the state, said Adam Sotak, organizational director for Democracy North Carolina, a nonpartisan voter mobilization group based in Durham.
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With the recent successes in Barack Obama's presidential campaign, many Americans are wondering if the country is ready for a black president. A Gallup poll from 2007 revealed that Americans were more willing to put a black man in the president's office than a woman, with 94 percent of participants saying they would be open to voting for a black man and 88 percent saying they would be open to voting for a woman.
As Tuesday's crucial primaries in Texas and Ohio inch closer, enthusiastic Hillary Clinton supporters rallied in Raleigh and other cities across the country. About 30 supporters of the Democratic hopeful gathered Saturday in front of the Raleigh Capitol Building on Hillsborough Street as part of a nationwide
Texas, Ohio have potential to decide Democratic race
Today's Democratic primaries in Texas and Ohio could mark a turning point for Hillary Clinton. If Clinton loses to Barack Obama in both states, her presidential campaign could effectively be over, a possibility her husband, Bill Clinton, and campaign officials have both acknowledged publicly.
Helps launch wife's N.C. campaign
CARY - Former President Bill Clinton's appearances Friday in Charlotte and Cary signaled the launch of Hillary Clinton's campaign in North Carolina. The state's May 6 primary is more than a month away, but both campaigns are already heavily invested in the state.
Barack Obama's presidential campaign has an early lead in setting up campaign infrastructure for the May 6 N.C. primary. Obama's headquarters in Raleigh has been operating for about a week.
Students a large presence at event
RALEIGH - To kick off her battle for support in the N.C. Democratic Primary, Sen. Hillary Clinton gave a speech Thursday that outlined her solutions for the American economy.
Three years ago, John Edwards came to UNC as a professor and an advocate for those he termed "the working poor." He started a nationwide student organization and a center to focus on the many faces of poverty; then he left to run for president of the United States.
I've often been critical of the University of North Carolina and the Chapel Hill community at large. Some of my statements, of course, were for rhetorical effect. Yet behind the posturing of - I'll admit - both sides, a few fundamental truths remain. The University of North Carolina simply fails to represent most citizens of this fine state, the citizens who foot the bill for having their sons and daughters indoctrinated in the ways of debauchery and socialism.
The West Lounge of the Student Union overflowed with activity Monday afternoon as students stood on tables and chairs or peered through the second-floor windows to catch a glimpse of former first-daughter Chelsea Clinton.
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With pita bread in hand, B.J. Lawson, one of two Republican challengers for North Carolina's 4th congressional district seat, spoke on Wednesday at the Mediterranean Deli about inflation and its effect on food costs at a local level.
Despite dreary weather, the crowd of about 200 that gathered Saturday for the grand opening of Sen. Barack Obama's Raleigh office was in high spirits. The keynote speaker, N.C. Rep. Ty Harrell, D-Wake, helped to get them pumped up. "Fired up?" he asked the crowd.
Cites husband's strengths in talk
RALEIGH - Michelle Obama took the stage Tuesday night at N.C. State University's Reynolds Coliseum as the crowd chanted, "Yes, we can!" "Are we fired up and ready to go?" she asked the crowd, which answered with a resounding cheer. "I don't know if you've heard," she said, "But my husband, Barack Obama, is running for president.
Today is the last day to register to vote before one-stop voting begins next Thursday, and UNC Heels for Hillary and UNC Students for Barack Obama are intensifying their efforts. While Students for Obama has concentrated its energy on voter registration in Orange County, Heels for Hillary has focused on phone banking as a means of answering questions about Clinton's platform and encouraging voters to register.
One-stop voting kicked off Thursday at four Orange County locations, including the Morehead Planetarium. Residents can simultaneously register and vote early for the May 6 N.C. primary. As of 4 p.m., 584 people had voted at the planetarium site. Chief Judge of Elections James Weathers said most voters were students stopping by between class.
Polls show Clinton leading contest
The race for the Democratic presidential nomination is continuing in Pennsylvania today. The state's 188 delegates will be crucial in deciding if the race will continue on to the May 6 N.C. primary. Since the Democratic primaries in Texas and Ohio concluded six weeks ago, Hillary Clinton has seen her initial double-digit lead in Pennsylvania drop significantly, although rival Barack Obama's polarizing remarks about economic embitterment have slowed his gain.
Sean Astin does not in fact have large, hairy feet. Or if he does, his sneakers hide them well. Wearing blue jeans and a blazer, Astin couldn't have looked less like a hobbit when he appeared in the Student Union
Old North State to play big role
Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's solid win in Tuesday's Pennsylvania Democratic primary has sent the race for the nomination speeding toward North Carolina and Indiana. All eyes now will turn to the May 6 primary states, especially North Carolina, which has 115 delegates up for grabs.
The presidential campaigns hit the airwaves in North Carolina in early 2008 in anticipation of a tight race leading up to the May 6 primary. The unusually high number of commercials reflect an unexpected and recently unprecedented emphasis on North Carolina's importance, particularly for the Democratic presidential candidates.
RALEIGH, NC -- Barack Obama's North Carolina campaign today announced Senator Obama will return to the Tar Heel state for a One-Stop Early Vote Rally at UNC-Chapel Hill's Dean E. Smith Center Monday night. Attendees will be encouraged to vote early either when they pick up their tickets for the event or until May 3 at a One-Stop Early Vote location in their community.
Early voting for the May 6 primary started April 17. Voters will pick candidates in local, state and national races. Early voting is available at four locations, including the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, through May 3: Robert and Pearl Seymour Senior Center: Monday through Thursday, noon to 8 p.
Obama edging Clinton in state polls
With only 135 delegates dividing Democratic presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, delegate-rich North Carolina suddenly matters in a very big way. The state has 115 delegates up for grabs in the May 6 Democratic primary, and it is the last major stop before the Democratic National Convention in August, when the party will choose its nominee.
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APRIL 29, 5:24 a.m. -- Barack Obama brought a Carolina blue tie and the support of a Tar Heel hoops legend with him to the Smith Center on Monday night for one of his campaign's largest indoor rallies to date. The event, which sought to drum up votes and volunteers in advance of North Carolina's May 6 primary, drew 18,000 people, many dancing, waving signs and chanting.
Hillary Clinton's definitive victory over Barack Obama in Tuesday's West Virginia primary is a step in the right direction for her campaign, and a feat she will need to replicate in most of the remaining contests in order to have a reasonable chance at the Democratic nomination.
Troubled economy highlights speech
RALEIGH - As he took the stage on Monday at the N.C. State Fairgrounds, Barack Obama was met with an explosion of applause and standing ovations. It was Obama's first appearance in North Carolina since the primary, and he took the opportunity to focus specifically on the issues.
Troubled economy highlights speech
RALEIGH - As he took the stage on Monday at the N.C. State Fairgrounds, Barack Obama was met with an explosion of applause and standing ovations.
Hillary Clinton's Saturday concession in the Democratic primary contest has opened the door for the general election to begin. Barack Obama can now campaign directly against John McCain, unfettered by the throes of an epic primary contest. Most experts expect the race to focus more intently on the political issues at the heart of the election.
UNC Young Democrats threw an early voting party Thursday with music, face painting, “cookies for change,” pumpkin painting, a doughnut-eating contest and celebrities. Students gathered at Morehead Planetarium for “Baracktoberfest,” a celebration of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and the last days of early voting.
Democrats more visible presence
This election, UNC political groups have stepped up to mobilize the youth vote. But Republican groups have been out in less force, which leaders attribute to UNC’s political makeup and differences in campaign strategy.
Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr’s visit to UNC-Chapel Hill Tuesday night is one of a slew of candidate visits to schools across the state in the last few months. Higher education officials have reassured people that no matter which party the candidate represents, the schools don’t endorse that viewpoint. Candidates from all parties are welcome.
FAYETTEVILLE — The last time a Democrat forced a Republican to fight for North Carolina was in 1992, when newcomer Bill Clinton ran against incumbent George H.W. Bush. Clinton clinched a nationwide victory, but did not turn North Carolina blue. However, he did bring Bush rushing to defend votes in the traditionally Republican turf.
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The presidential candidates are inspiring students to open their minds — and their wallets.
Students nationwide have given more than $4.1 million to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and more than $1 million to Republican presidential candidate John McCain.
Ignored by the mainstream media and shut out of the national debates, Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr visited UNC Tuesday night to make his case for third parties and less government. About 50 students and community members came to hear from the former U.S. representative from Georgia, who was hosted by the UNC College Libertarians in Bingham Hall.
A national organization that was registering voters on campus last week has been charged with voter fraud in several states, including North Carolina. The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN, is a nonpartisan group that see
