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# 67: Everywhere He Goes, The People Love Him!


ldyjocelyn

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I'm technically not supposed to do this, but I gotta. Twilight926 at CV is at the NC State Fair today:

oMG I just taled got a pic with Clay that the State Fsir!!!!! Clay said he thought we made the goal but couldn't ask Nick because he went to the bath room!!

He's such a brat sometimes!

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So how long does this debate last? Does that mean he gets all that time on his own? Or does she get equal time some other time. That's a whole lot of free publicity for him if she doesn't.

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I'm not sure. I think the debate was supposed to be an hour, but since Renee didn't show, he might only get a half hour. On the other hand, supposedly Thom Tillis (U.S. Senate candidate) got a full hour, and Kay Hagan wasn't there for her part as well.

Who knows?

I'm getting ready to be VERY busy for the next three hours or so, so you can thank me later when the news of our pushing Clay over the top with his fundraising comes out....

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washingtontimes.com

Democrat Clay Aiken courts Republicans in longshot House bid

Democrat Clay Aiken courts Republicans in longshot House bid

Gay Democrat seeking to unseat Rep. Renee Ellmers in deep-red North Carolina district

By S.A. Miller - The Washington Times - Wednesday, October 22, 2014

WHISPERING PINES, N.C. — "American Idol" runner-up Clay Aiken can't hand out yard signs for his congressional campaign fast enough. Not because of the openly gay Democrat's broad appeal in this deep-red district, but because people steal them.

"You don't see many signs at all, because they keep getting stolen," Mr. Aiken told a crowd of about 65 supporters at a town hall-style meeting here, urging them to put up more signs and call the police if they see someone swipe one.

In this solid GOP district in central North Carolina, Mr. Aiken has virtually no chance of unseating incumbent Republican Rep. Renee L. Ellmers. The singer-songwriter's celebrity nevertheless has attracted close attention to the race.

Mr. Aiken shot to fame after finishing second to Ruben Studdard on the second season of the TV talent show "American Idol." He has released a string of records since then, including multiplatinum debut album "Measure of a Man."

But his politics run sharply to the left of the district. A SurveyUSA/Civitas poll last month showed Mrs. Ellmers ahead of Mr. Aiken by 8 points, 47 percent to 39 percent. Other polls have given her a bigger lead.

Even Mr. Aiken wasn't sure how much of the sign theft should be attributed to his fans or to residents who despise him.

"I think there are some people who are taking them for souvenirs, but some of them are taking them for other reasons," he told The Washington Times.

A man was charged in neighboring Lee County last week for removing an "Aiken" yard sign. His motive was unclear, though he told a witness that he worked for the Democratic Party and the signs were obstructing his view, according to the sheriff's office.

Signs have become a campaign issues in Mr. Aiken's improbable run in other ways. He's been ridiculed for distributing signs that read "Republaiken" in letters that fade from blue to red.

The "Republaiken" signs also are extremely popular with thieves, according to Aiken campaign volunteers.

The Ellmers campaign said the signs expose Mr. Aiken as a "phony" who thinks he can manipulate people into thinking he is Republican or conservative.

"That is incredibly stupid. I don't think anybody is confused," said Mr. Aiken.

He insisted the signs are designed to reach out to Republican voters and communicate that he will work across the aisle and forge bipartisan alliances to break the gridlock in Congress.

"I've given out more of those in the last few days on the bus than I've given out the other ones," he told the gathering at the Whispering Pines community center in this rural outpost of Moore County. "Because you'll talk to somebody, and they'll say, 'I'm Republican, but I'm going to vote for you.'"

As he crisscrosses the sprawling district between Raleigh and Greensboro on a bus tour, Mr. Aiken hammers home the message that he's ready to work with Republicans to fix problems with Obamacare or pass immigration reform.

"I'll be one who is willing to come to the table. I'll be one who is willing to talk about it," he said.

He accused Mrs. Elmers of being an unyielding partisan and neglecting the district while spending too much time with "the leadership in Washington."

"Even if you're in a red district, if you don't do your job and listen to people, watch out or an American Idol might come run against you," he said to laughs from the crowd. "Watch out, because somebody is going to have the ability to hold you accountable. Because that's really all it is — it really is an accountability issue."

Because of Mrs. Ellmers' alleged absenteeism on the homefront, he said the political pundits had miscalculated when they labeled the district as "safe Republican."

"People who are looking at these races from D.C. in their little ivory towers with their math and their calculators and their abacus — or whatever they're using up there — to determine how safe a district is, they can't take those things into account nor the discontent of the electorate in North Carolina," he said.

He is connecting with some Republicans.

"I don't feel like [Mrs. Ellmers] is listening to Moore County," said Pamela W. Gantt, owner of a mortgage brokerage, who attended the meeting.

"I really think we need change. I'm actually a Republican," she said. "But Clay is willing to listen to average business owners. That means a lot."

Despite leading in the polls, Mrs. Ellmers continued to campaign hard and remind voters of Mr. Aiken's Democratic loyalties.

"We think the people of District 2 are conservative and aren't going to be fooled by an Obama Democrat," said Patrick Sebastian, a senior adviser to the Ellmers campaign. "I think we have a guy who thinks he is so persuasive and such a great entertainer that he can convince anyone of anything."

© Copyright 2014 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.

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I really liked that "debate" as well. He shows his smarts, and shows them quickly -- although I'm one who doesn't think he talks too fast!

New news article from ABC news in the news section. It mentions the little support he's getting from the national Democratic committees, which makes me sad for him. And while I'm trying to stay totally realistic with this race, it would make me really really happy for him to win this thing -- one of the reasons being "see, I don't need your money either! Oh, and BTW...please next time support me!"

Hee.

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Another new article:

http://www.reuters.c...N0IC1IE20141023

The part that gives me hope:

Janet Pate, the treasurer of a local Tea Party group, left Aiken's event in Asheboro carrying a stack of the signs and said she planned to put one up in her yard.

She was among several Tea Party members at the town hall who said they were disillusioned by Ellmers and were considering giving Aiken their vote.

"She's done nothing," said Pate, 47. "He's open to hearing what we have to say at least."

Oh, and another two days of being only slightly available, mostly through my phone. I so wish I could be really rich, so I didn't have to, you know, work.

Which reminds me, need to check with hubby to see if we won Mega Millions the other night....

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