In Tickbite, The Times They Are A-Changin'

Down in banjo country change is in the wind. North Carolina has a history of sending ostensibly "moderate" Democrats to Congress. I'm talking about people like Bobby Etheridge, Mike McIntyre, Larry Kissell and Heath Shuler. Apart from perhaps Shuler, these guys all have one thing in common, they represent overwhelmingly conservative districts. Now Bobby was of course defeated in the midterms, Shuler is "retiring", the DCCC has pulled all their money from Kissell's district and McIntyre is running "misdirection" ads all about how he's a real deficit hawk and wants a Korean style DMZ on our southern border (not sure if he means the Mexican border or the South Carolina border). The point is the blue dog Democrat is in trouble, and I suspect this kind of scenario is playing out through most of the South. Where's the press bemoaning the end of the "moderate" Democrat I wonder?

Mitt looked fantastic the other night. I kept yelling at the TV "Now THAT"S what I'm talking 'bout". He showed the fire, the passion, the command of the facts and bearing of a President, and a winner! After all the lies and mud-slinging, all that money trying to position Romney as an out of touch millionaire, his performance was devastating (perhaps fatal) for the Democrats. As the old adage goes, nothing fights a lie better than the truth and Romney showed the American people who he is and what he stands for. But let's be frank, he needed to do this in the worst way. It wasn't just a "let's grind out a win" proposition; Romney couldn't afford to just win on points. He needed to destroy and humiliate Obama, and that is exactly what he did. If this debate had been close the press would have declared Obama the winner and the election over thank you very much everybody have a nice day. Thank God Romney didn't give them the chance.

But a word of caution: Romney doesn't necessarily have to "win" the next two debates but he does have to put in a good showing. There is every reason to believe Obama will actually come prepared the next two outings, so our guy needs to stay sharp, prepare and be ready for anything. Just keep in mind, you're dealing with thugs. 

The word around the Old Well is it just keeps getting worse and worse at UNC. Of course we all know Carolina Football stinks like a Tijuana whorehouse on Mother's Day, but the "powers that be" thought they had effectively isolated the problem to the football program. The AD "Tricky" Dick Brodeur retired and Coach Butch Davis was given the old heave ho, and hopefully everything would blow over in a while. But alas, this scandal has turned into the thing that wouldn't leave. The never ending bad news is coming out in dribs and drabs, the Chancellor Holden "Doogie Howser" Thorp resigned, and now some egghead at OU of all places (who happens to be the President of the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics) is calling for the NCAA to come on down to Chapel Hill and re-investigate (after declaring UNC good to go last month). This must be particularly galling for the Carolina faithful coming from some dude at a school where Barry Switzer coached and Brian Bosworth played. Jesus, talk about the pot calling the kettle black. But the worse news, the thing the Rams Club fears the most, the end of days, apocalyptic, unbearable revelation is....wait for it....Carolina Basketball has been implicated. OH MY GOD! There's much teeth gnashing and hair pulling on the Hill I can tell you. Why one would think sodomy had been outlawed. So stay tuned, it ain't over yet.