Leader strikes delicate balance

Gov. Mike Easley is not the typical leader of a Southern state in crisis - both Democrats and Republicans can agree on that.

While other states have cut taxes to stimulate growth, Easley has chosen to pull North Carolina out of an inherited budgetary hole in hopes that this will, in turn, help the economy. And he has been unapologetic.

"He was not willing to allow North Carolina to slip backward in a time when our state economy was restructuring," said Sen. Tony Rand, D-Cumberland, one of Easley's biggest allies in the N.C. Senate and a friend for more than 20 years.

Mac McCorkle, one of Easley's political advisers and the campaign manager during his 1990 bid for the Senate, said the governor took an unconventional course with his tax policy, knowing it might be unpopular or divisive.

"He showed a lot of resolve in doing that," he said, adding that Easley always has proposed a politically unpopular lottery as the best method to raise money for the state. "A lot of other governors have tried to wait it out and hope for the best."

Easley ran his 2000 campaign on a pledge to improve education with More At Four, a pre-kindergarten program for at-risk 4-year-olds. And despite fiscal restraints, the program has received full funding in every state budget since his election.

Easley's commitment to education could be a result of his personal experiences.

Born in Nash County, he was raised on a tobacco farm in a family of seven children. Friends say that as a product of public schools and a graduate of UNC, Easley values education more than anything.

He suffered from a learning disability as a child and still prefers verbal messages to written memos, said Ken Thompson, his friend of more than 50 years and CEO, chairman and president of Wachovia Corp.

Easley's eight-year stint as the state's attorney general also shaped his style as governor.

"As an AG, you really have a strong sense of being for the people, fighting back a lot of entrenched interests," McCorkle said, noting the passage of a predatory lending law and a tobacco settlement through the Golden LEAF Foundation that gave money to rural areas.

But Thompson said Easley's personality makes him an unorthodox politician. "His style is such that he's probably not very popular with people who are very involved with the political process. He doesn't court special interests and doesn't follow a daily schedule."

Easley has come under fire during the past four years for his absence at several events. Opponents say it is evidence of his lack of commitment to the job.

"He certainly has not been a diligent governor," said Richard Vinroot, who ran in the Republican primary for the opportunity to unseat Easley. "He doesn't show up in his own office. He doesn't show up where Democrats are gathering."

Vinroot described Easley as aloof and antisocial. "For a fellow who is as much a loner as he is, and seems to not want to be amongst people, to be in the most public office in this state is a real oddity to me," he said.

But Thompson, who described Easley as shy and introverted at times and outgoing at others, said the absences might have been intentional. "I think it's a way that he maintains his independence."

Rand said Easley is a good politician in the traditional sense as well. "He has a very quick and agile mind," he said. "He can go into a big crowd, shake everybody's hand. He remembers most everybody's name."

Easley is more "normal" than other politicians, McCorkle said. He's a NASCAR fan and a hunter.

Thompson, who played sports with Easley growing up, said the two have been trying to find time to play golf together. He added that Easley is family-oriented; his wife, Mary, and his son, Michael Jr., play a big part in his life.

McCorkle called Mary one of Easley's "most trusted advisers" and said that Easley's son is a born politician.

Despite making his family a priority, Easley still finds time to run a state, often working in the middle of the night, Thompson said. And running a state that has seen a significant loss of jobs in recent years and an ongoing shift from agriculture to technology has not been an easy task.

Rand said Easley's education initiatives will be part of a successful transition to a technology-based economy.

"He'll continue to move forward. He'll continue to work on job creation. He'll continue to make sure ... our businesses produce products and the intellectual property to move us forward in the new economy."

Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.