2018 General Election Lost 52 — 46
Culture clash
North Carolina should be a purple state. It is a purple state. It has a Democratic Governor and a Democratic Attorney Genera. It has two Republican Senators. But in the state legislature and in Congress — where districts have been gerrymandered, it is a startling red. The state legislature is overwhelmingly Republican. The Congressional delegation has 10 Republicans and 3 Democrats.
Democrats are fighting the gerrymanders in court. They are also fighting them in the voting booth. NC 13, a stolid dog-looking gerrymandered district is designed to produce a Republican Congressman. Not this time. The incumbent, Ted Budd, is finishing his first term. He was a gun shop owner from a wealthy family on whom the Club for Growth spent a half million dollars. He earned the nomination by getting 20% of the vote, a plurality among seventeen contenders. The general election will be the first time he faces just one tough opponent.
Kathy Manning https://www.kathymanning2018.com/ has never held public office. She is good at raising money, though. She was the first female president of the Jewish Federation of North America. The JFNA, formed from the United Jewish Appeal and related organizations, is so good at fundraising that one of its roles is to consult about raising money.
The incumbent anticipated Kathy Manning’s candidacy by purchasing a website with her name. In the phony website he describes Manning as a member of the Democratic establishment. The incumbent and his group are good at juvenile tricks.
Kathy Manning and her husband, Randall Kaplan, are members of the Jewish establishment. Theirs was a marriage made in law school – the University of Michigan. She was from Detroit; he was from Greensboro. She joined the largest firm in Greensboro. He joined the family business in Greensboro. They thrived and began supporting Jewish organizations. While she was President of the Jewish Federation of North America, he was chair of the national board for Hillel — religious and Jewish communal centers for colleges throughout the country.
Kathy Manning and her husband did not limit themselves to Jewish organizations. They have supported civic centers, the arts, and the effort to make Greensboro into a thriving city. Their civic and communal interests precede any political interests.
Much of the Jewish establishment, led by AIPAC, has moved right and supports RepublicansKathy Manningand her husband made no such move. They remained Democrats along with about 70% of American Jews.Kathy Manning describes herself as a business-oriented moderate Democrat. She has been endorsed by Emily’s List, is one of the candidates on the DCCC’s Red to Blue list, and has a history of raising money for Democratic candidates. She has earned the support of the Democratic establishment.
Budd and the Republicans attack Kathy Manningfor her connections to Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, and Barbara Boxer. Guilty as charged. These are Democrats who strengthened America’s economy, increased job growth, and made America a better and more just place to live. Kathy Manning should accept that attack as a badge of honor.
A culture clash? A political clash. A contest between a Democrat from a wealthy North Carolina family who would ensure that health care is available to everyone and would oppose tax laws designed to help the wealthy versus a Tea Party Republican from a wealthy North Carolina family who supported the effort to end the Affordable Care Act and was a strong advocate of the tax bill that granted extraordinary tax breaks to the wealthy.
A culture clash? Yes. Begin with humor. In college Kathy Manningfounded the women’s a capella group, the Radcliffe Pitches. The Budd sense of humor is the phony Manning website.
A culture clash? Yes. Philanthropy and civic commitment v Evangelical opposition to abortion and support for religious missions. Budd met his wife on a religious mission to Russia.
A culture clash? Look at their businesses. They are both connected to expanding corporations. Kay Chemicals begins its website with Corporate and Civic Responsibility. The business expanded from providing cleaning supplies to supermarkets to providing water, hygiene and energy technologies and services around the world,. They describe their work as keeping environments clean and safe, operating efficiently and achieving sustainability goals. The Budd Group invokes God at the beginning of its website. They expanded beyond the family farm, bought a janitorial service which became a regional firm integrating landscaping, maintenance and janitorial services. They offer “green solutions,” but it is not a focus.A culture clash? Work before politics. Manning was an immigration attorney, helping people get green cards and US citizenship. Budd opened and ran a gun store.
Kathy Manning https://www.kathymanning2018.com/ deserves your support. This is not to say that Manning can’t raise a lot of money without your help. She is outraising Budd and has more money on hand than he does. Every dollar helps, though. As you consider which Democrats to support, consider helping her change the number of Democratic Members of Congress from North Carolina.
Two special Congressional elections are coming up. Both are chances to flip formerly Republican seats. Conor Lamb’s is on March 13 in Pennsylvania’s 18th Congressional District. HiralTipirneni’s is on April 24th in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District. A little financial support could make the difference in either place.
