Go check it out and leave some love.

Why can’t he just admit that he lost, admit that his political career is over (much like his financial management career, I hear) and go away?

What is it with NC-03 candidates? Between McLaughlin and Weber, we must be the laughing stock of all the nation!

The text is below.

To all,

I want to thank you for every effort that you made in this past election.  It took a bit of time to come around.  I was quite upset to say the least about the vote in the Third District.  I needed to gain my thoughts and have taken time to put things into perspective.  Please pass on to all whom you encounter and let them know how much I appreciate your effort.  I have tried to ‘face to face’ thank many since the election.  I cannot tell you how many people of the many different factions have said, "Wait until next time."  My mind just couldn’t imagine them thinking that we could pull this off, if we just stay in the game a bit longer and don’t give up.  I know this, and that is why we need the Best Representation in Our District, and we are not getting it.  Walter has generated nothing and inspired nothing.  We need a Progressive and Positive Figure not a Conservative One.  We need Jobs and Improvements and he doesn’t know how to get there.  I will do this again, one more time in an off year election.  The People Must Come First, for their Welfare of Future and Family being the most important issue.  The Welfare of the People of Eastern North Carolina is the Primary Concern, and I will do what ever is necessary to make life better for My Home and the People living here.  Whatever it takes. 

With Warm Regards,

CWeber

Weber For Congress

Somehow, after losing in 2006 (69% to 31%) and 2008 (66% to 34%), Weber still thinks he can win in Eastern North Carolina. He’s deluded and on a serious ego trip which will only maintain the perception of NC-03 being home to a bunch of back-water rubes.

Mr. Weber, please, do all of us in NC-03 a tremendous favor, do not run for Congress in 2010.

Take soon-to-be former Senator Elizabeth Dole from North Carolina as an example. Her concession speech was not conciliatory, it was not gracious, nor was it very polite and she certainly did not take responsibility for her campaign. Not only that, though, but she took yet another shot at Senator-Elect Kay Hagan’s “questionable link” to the Godless American’s PAC:

"We began at the Taylorsville event with bowed heads and a prayer to our maker," she said. "And we did not begin our speechmaking until we faced the flag, placed our hands on our hearts and recited the Plege of Allegiance. And yes, we pledged allegiance to an America united as one nation, under God."

She also made a point of highlighting her own achievement over that of Ms. Hagan:

"It’s been the highest honor in my life to be elected the first female U.S. senator in North Carolina history,"

Indeed, Senator Dole was was the first woman Senator elected from North Carolina, but she could have been more reasonably gracious by pointing out Senator-Elect Hagan’s achievement as the first woman Senator from North Carolina. Instead, she accused Hagan of being “one of the boys”:

"I have to say I’ve never been completely at home with the boys plotting back in the cloakroom,"

But it wasn’t just Senator Dole being ungracious. Pennsylvania’s Third Congressional incumbent soon-to-be-former Congressman Phil English was similarly ungracious. Mr. English, in fact, did not call his opponent, Ms. Kathy Dahlkemper, to concede, instead he gave a televised speech decrying the amount of money spent in the “Pittsburgh market” (attaching to Dahlkemper the accusation that she would not be a Representative for northwest Pennsylvania).

There have even been reports, though none that I’ve found in the media, that when Congressman English did speak to Congress-woman-Elect Dahlkemper that he was rude, saying that his staff “will not help” with the transition and that he “will be back in two years.”

I’m gong to hazard a guess that history doesn’t agree with English…Losing incumbents rarely return to run in the next election and even more rarely win.

The classless isn’t limited to Republicans, though. My own Democratic candidate for Congress, Craig Weber (who was the unsuccessful challenger to Congressman Walter B. Jones, Jr., in 2006) was “not available for comment” to the media and I doubt he contacted Congressman Jones, Jr. to congratulate his win.

Mr. Weber, if you’re gong to put yourself on the ballet, you contact the winner and congratulate him/her. You also make yourself available to the media. By doing otherwise, you’ve cemented the already-pretty-darned popular opinion that you’re an ungrateful jerk.

I suppose I shouldn’t really be surprised at the lack of class and poor losers and bad attitudes of the losers. It takes a lot of energy to run a campaign and losing isn’t easy. But, the winners should be gracious, right?

Apparently not in Minnesota. 

Senator Norm Coleman (MN) had an apparent victory over Al Franken but wasn’t gracious and fought against the legally required recount. Franken is now within 200 votes of winning the election and The Fairmont Sentinel, one of Minnesota’s most conservative papers, have questioned Coleman’s class.

It’s hard to believe we’re writing this, but it’s clear that Franken – known for his over-the-top humor and partisan antics – is the one acting with class in this serious situation.

Even if Senator Coleman wins this election, he will be on the defense for months as a result of this behavior and will be in a very bad position for the next election.

Part of America’s problem is a lack of common courtesy. It may not have been started by our politicians and elected leaders, but it certainly is being perpetuated by them and that’s a darned shame. These people want to become leaders, yet act like children. It’s a darned shame.

I’ll be posting frequent updates here (probably every half-hour to hour) and will be Twittering updates as well.

The races I’ll be paying particular attention to are:

• President of the U.S. (like, duh).
• Sen John McCain (R-AZ) and Sen Barack Obama (D-IL). I’m interested in the overall results, of course, but also the specific NC results. I’d love to see my state go blue in a race that matters.
• US Senate
• Sen Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) and State Senator Kay Hagan (D)
• US House
• Congressman Walter B. Jones, Jr (R, NC-03) and Craig Weber (D)
• NC Governor
• Lieutenant Governor Bev Perdue (D) and Mayor Pat McCrory (R)
• Onslow County Commissioner (5 of the 10)
• Democrats:
• Don Sweeting
• Ernie Wright
• Tony Padgett
• William Rouse, Jr.
• John Burns
• Republicans
• Lionell Midgett (Incumbent)
• Paul Buchanan (Incumbent)
• Bill Keller
• Barbara Ikner
• W.C. Jarman
• Onslow County’s Referendum on a 1/4% sales tax increase

The races I’ll be watching from an interested but not-involved-or-overly-invested position:

• US Senate
• AL: Sen Ted Stevens (R) and Mayor Mark Begich (D)
• KY: Sen Mitch McConnell (R) and Bruce Lunsford (D)
• MN: Sen Norm Coleman (R) and Al Franken (D)
• US House
• NC-05: Rep Virginia Foxx (R) and Roy Carter (D)
• NC-08: Rep Robin Hayes (R) and Larry Kissell (D)
• NC-10: Rep Patrick McHenry (R) and Daniel Johnson (D)
• PA-03: Rep Phil English (R) and Kathy Dahlkemper (D)
• California’s Proposition 8 referendum which will disintegrate the rights of same-sex couples to marry.

Is there an important race in your neighborhood?