Romney allies rush to defense after new Democratic ad targets him in N.C.

Supporters of Republican Mitt Romney from around the country rushed to his defense today after the presidential candidate was targeted in a new TV ad that began in six markets including Raleigh-Durham.

The ad is taken from a new Democratic website called "Mitt v. Mitt." It shows the GOP presidential candidate making seemingly contradictory statements on issues such as abortion and health care while a narrator describes "two men trapped in one body."



The Obama campaign has been hammering Romney in North Carolina and other swing states, a sign that he's the only GOP candidate the Democrats are worried about at this point. A recent poll by the Democrat-leaning Public Policy Polling of Raleigh showed that Romney, alone among the GOP candidates, led Obama in North Carolina.

U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry of Cherryville, like allies in several other states, came to Romney's defense in coordinated conference calls with reporters. He defended Romney while criticizing President Obama.

Meck Dems: 2011 a good omen for 2012

Mecklenburg County Democrats, still basking in last week's election results, hope to build on that success in 2012 -- and help Barack Obama in the process.

Local party strategist Tom Chumley, speaking to the Uptown Democratic Forum this week, noted that Obama took nearly 62 percent of the county's vote in 2008. That was a margin of 100,000 in a state he won by just 14,000 over Republican John McCain.

He said with turnout efforts like last week's and demographic changes that continue to trend for Democrats, that could rise to 65 percent. If turnout stays the same, that could mean 13,000 more Obama votes in Mecklenburg.

And that could make a difference in a tight race. A recent survey by Raleigh's Public Policy Polling, a Democratic firm, showed Obama leading most Republican hopefuls in the state but trailing Mitt Romney by a point.

A 65 percent turnout for the president in Mecklenburg, Chumley said, means "we carry the state."

A Charlotte Democrat might run for state schools post

Democrat June Atkinson, North Carolina's Superintendent of Education, hasn't said whether she'll run for another term in 2012. If she doesn't, expect a fight for the job.

State Rep. Tricia Cotham, a Charlotte Democrat, said today she'll run if Atkinson doesn't. "If there's a vacancy, I do intend to run," she said.

Cotham is a former middle school teacher and assistant high school principal, Cotham won a special party election in 2007 to replace disgraced for Speaker Jim Black. She has won two elections since.

She's only the latest to express interest in the superintendent's job. The News & Observer reports that Wake County school board vice chairman John Tedesco will decide after the first of the year whether to run.

And state Rep. Rick Glazier, a Fayetteville Democrat, has said he's considering the race.

Polls: Foxx, Stone, Tillis and Obama

Public Policy Polling, a Democratic-leaning polling firm based in Raleigh, has polled Charlotte voters on the mayor's race, comments by House Speaker Thom Tillis and other issues on behalf of the liberal N.C. Policy Watch.

PPP also did another poll on the presidential race in North Carolina.

First the Charlotte poll. PPP surveyed 957 registered voters. The margin of error is 3.2 percentage points.

-- In the mayor's race, incumbent Democrat Anthony Foxx led Republican Scott Stone 58 percent to 32 percent. Ten percent were undecided.

-- Tillis recently told an audience that mandatory drug testing for state employees might be a good idea. Sixty-two percent of Charlotte voters agreed.

-- On redistricting, 58 percent supported creation of a non-partisan commission. Now the legislature draws the maps.

-- Asked about "Occupy Wall Street," 40 percent had a favorable view of the movement and 38 percent viewed it unfavorably. But 58% agreed that the weathiest 1 percent of Americans "has accumulated too much wealth and power."

-- On Obama, 45 percent of state voters approve his job performance while 50 percent disapprove. That's about where he's been for the last three months. Among independents, who helped him carry the state in 2008, only 38 percent say he's doing a good job.

-- Despite that, Obama trails only one Republican in head-to-head match-ups, and that's a virtual tie. Republican Mitt Romney leads 46-45.