Meek's Revenge Matters More than the Party's Future

(1/16/11 Update: correction noted in red.)


David Parker's comment on BlueNC yesterday confirms what others have told us about the long-standing grudge former North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Jerry Meek holds against Parker. It's about payback, better known as revenge.

Parker noted in his posting praising Meek how the two had served together at the State level and the Democratic National Committee level before mentioning the real issue.  "I had encouraged him in 2003 when he first sought the Chairmanship and know that I disappointed him greatly when I did not back him in 2005," Parker wrote. It broke off their friendship and Meek has beensince.

Meek has actively worked against Parker's candidacy for state party chair in 2009 and again 2011.  Each time Parker announced his candidacy it sent Meek scrambling to recruit anyone to oppose Parker. Several people refused Meek's transparent "offers" until finally  David Young, a Buncombe county commissioner who lost a 2008 statewide primary to Janet Cowell for State Treasurer, agreed to run against Parker. 

Things were looking up for Meek. Once Young agreed, Meek set out to promote Young as the next "Jerry Meek" and the progressives democratic sect had their man.  Then the bomb dropped.   

Governor-elect Bev Perdue was backing Parker. So Meek, in a mafia-esque move, contacted Perdue and made her an offer she shouldn't refuse. Tell Parker to withdraw. If Parker runs and loses, Meek told Perdue, she'd get the Easley treatment for being openly defiant of the state party. A month prior to the chair's election, NC Public Policy Polling published an article describing the situation more delicately.

"It will be interesting to see how all this plays out, and how Perdue plays her cards. If the person she puts forward is not elected NCDP chair that would be an early blow to her Governorship that she can surely do without. Since the days where the Governor can just dictate the chair may have passed with the results of the 2005 election, it means she's going to have to really go to bat for her preferred choice with party activists and convince them that he or she is the person who can ensure continued success at the level North Carolina Democrats enjoyed in 2006 and 2008."

The newly elected Governor found herself between the proverbial rock and a hard place. She couldn't risk the party's wrath after seeing how they had abandoned support for her predecessor, Mike Easley.  Perdue couldn't afford to estrange herself from state party democrats and finally kowtowed to Meek's calculated bluff posing as a demand.  Perdue phoned Parker, explained Meek's threat and asked him to withdraw from the race. Realizing the governor-elect's predicament, Parker graciously withdrew. Young ran virtually* unopposed and was elected.   Score: Parker 0, Meek 1.

Flash forward to two years later. NCDP Chair David Young announces he will not seek a second-term.  A wise decision given the party's massive losses in several counties including its largest, Wake County where republicans now ruled the school board and county commission.  The following day, Parker announces his candidacy for state chair and it was deja vu all over again.

Just as he had in 2009, Meek scrambled to find someone to run against the popular Parker. Meek settled for Bill Faison after others had wisely declined Meek's transparent offer.  On paper, Faison sounded like a good candidate for party chair but in reality he's not. 

Faison is a fine individual who works hard to be a good legislator but the fact he'd be a sitting legislator while serving as head of the state party presented a money problem. According to state campaign finance laws, it is illegal for Faison to fundraise for the party while the legislature is in session each year.

Because fundraising is the state chair's primary job, this obvious handicap had to somehow be repositioned as a "positive." It also speaks volumes to just how desperate Meek was to have anyone oppose Parker.

On paper, Faison could appear as someone who knows how to win elections having won four terms to the NC House. In reality, Faison has run unopposed in 3 out of 4 elections. His  name was the only name listed on the ballot in 2004, 2006 and 2008.

On paper, Faison could appear as someone who can raise funds easily, having won four terms.  In reality, Faison was the biggest contributor to his own campaigns (45%) loaning himself over $159,000. When individual contributions didn't amount to much money (less than 17%), Faison went to the state party and special interests for the rest. 

On paper, Faison could appear as someone who would be re-elected in 2010. In reality, NC Republicans are in control of redistricting this year and Faison's heavily "blue" district is a prime target for dividing up. In Faison's District 50, democrats make up 59% of the egistered voters.  And that's the reason Meek backed the wealthy Faison. Faison could afford to advertise himself heavily to SEC voters but he needed to win the chair seat.  It's obvious  Faison will very likely be redistricted out of a legislative job in 2012.  

Faison needs to win the state party chair position to stay on the party's radar if he's going to seek higher office after 2011. Just a couple of  years ago, Faison was quoted in the news expressing his interest in running for the governorship.  Meek needs someone he can use to call the governor's bluff once again.  But this time around, the economic recession, high unemployment rate and huge budget shortfall have given Perdue much bigger problems to worry about than Meek's bruised ego.  Perdue has backed Parker before and she's reportedly backing him again.

Parker's website lists endorsements by 70 influential democrats and party officials. In comparison, Faision's website endorsement page remains blank with the same stale message "We will be releasing our lists of endorsements shortly."  

Our money's on Parker for the win.  

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* Correction: A reader reminded us Luke Hyde and Dannie Montgomery were also candidates in the 2009 chair race. Neither had powerful endorsers and neither had enough votes after the first round ballots to warrant staying the course. Hyde, the second place vote-getter bowed out and Young won.