Rowan County
November 29th

My son Winston and I ventured to Salisbury for the Rowan County Democratic Party’s monthly meeting on November 29th. What a fired-up bunch they are! In Senator Dole “hometown”, I was greeted with an outpouring of enthusiasm. I listened to what was on their minds and boy did I get an earful.

The group’s principal concern was the lack of leadership in Washington; feeling as though their voices and their votes didn’t count. I urged them not to give up but instead to get out, get involved, get organized and change the status quo.

In terms of issues, people are worried about their jobs, their health care benefits and crime in their community. Mr. John L. Rustin, Sr.-our State’s first African American sheriff offered the following from his years of having to reach out to people who didn’t always believe in him: “choose observation, power of persuasion, words and things to fit the situation.”

I also was touched by the support of Paris Martin– who clears, hauls and excavates for a living– and his wife Sara, retired from a 40-year career with the VA, who have opened their spare bedroom to me on my travels. Small gestures like that from folks who were strangers one moment and friends the next says so much about the good people of our State and our Party.

Buncombe County
December 4th

Last Wednesday December 4th I was in western North Carolina. We made an unscheduled drop-in on the Buncombe County Party’s volunteer luncheon. Get this: Wednesday luncheon and the basement of the party HQ was packed by enthusiastic Democrats-I’d guess numbering around 100-strong-whose energy and commitment is infectious. These folks, like their fellow Democrats in Rowan County want a change of leadership and want it now. Many of them worked tirelessly for Rep. Heath Schuler in his upset win over Charles Taylor in 2006.

Like all Democrats across NC, I hope to earn their support and trust. We shared in a valuable dialogue about our state and the Democratic Party, about what’s wrong with Washington. Most importantly, I had a chance to listen to their concerns. After the meeting, I had a chance to meet briefly with several dedicated party volunteers, including Janese and Sarah, who offered their hard work to our campaign effort…always a good sign!

I also had the opportunity to meet with a host of county business and community leaders in Asheville and Buncombe County. They have embraced a spirit of fostering sustainable entrepreneurism as a means of spurring economic growth. The community is close-knit, united and realize that their region has the benefit of a unique quality of life, strong academic and civic leadership and a wireless capability second-to-none.

The business and civic leaders with whom I met were impressive and on-message: they “get” the harmony which must exist between the economy, the social fabric of their community and the environment. Sustainability is a phrase repeated and articulated again and again.

As your next Senator, I hope to lead the charge, together with entrepreneurial leaders across North Carolina, to build bipartisan support to jump start entrepreneurial development to create home-grown jobs, that contribute to our state’s economy and stay here in North Carolina, so our economic sustainability will endure through the 21st century.