In Print: Assessing the Race for Governor

From Sunday’s print edition: An analysis of the tight race between Bev Perdue and Pat McCrory, a pair of campaign veterans who have never lost an election. It’s the closest gubernatorial race in the country this year. Here’s an excerpt from the story:

[I]t’s hard to imagine two candidates for governor who could be more different.

On the campaign trail, McCrory’s most striking characteristic is his social energy. He is gregarious and eager to please, practically leaving a trail of charisma as he works the room.

Perdue is a natural politician, too. But what’s most striking about her is not affability, but empathy. Especially in these economic times, she wants her audiences to believe that she feels their pain.

While McCrory backslaps, Perdue hugs. And while McCrory speaks in intense, declarative sentences, Perdue tends to be more oblique, using folksy anecdotes or lofty generalizations to make her points.

Their contrasting styles seem to originate in their very different backgrounds.

The full story can be found here.