North Carolina's Hilariously Incompetent Governor In 15 Quotes

Since his election in 2012, Pat McCrory has proven one thing in his first year as Governor of North Carolina: Pat McCrory is his own one-man PR machine. These 15 quotes will show you why so many North Carolinians regret voting for this guy.

15. “My strength is concepts and strategy and theory and also facts.”

newsobserver.com

“McCrory is prone to misspeaking. He generalizes in a way that can insult key constituencies. And he mispronounces the names of even his closest aides.
In October, McCrory made a comment at a forum in Washington about Medicaid expansion that forced his aides to scramble to clarify his remarks.
On other occasions, McCrory blamed the expiration of federal unemployment benefits on the White House, declared that he goes ‘out into the crowd all of the time’ in response to a question about ‘Moral Monday’ protests and blamed the budget he inherited on his Democratic predecessor. In each case, and in others, his comments skewed the truth.”

14. “We didn’t shorten early voting, we compacted the calendar”

msnbc.com

“no state has gone after voting rights with the ferocity of Republican officials in North Carolina, which approved the most sweeping voter-suppression law in the nation earlier this year. Gov. Pat McCrory (R), who spearheaded the fight, put a fascinating twist on his record this morning during an interview”

13. “The governor each day attempts to get some exercise”

abclocal.go.com

“The kids, and a former congressman, were dropping off thousands of petitions against McCrory’s policies on Monday. So it was a good guess he wouldn’t meet with them… They asked to see the governor, and were told he was in a meeting… However, just 10 minutes later, a couple of people passing by see the governor outside the capitol playing catch.”

12. “North Carolina’s future is worth stepping on a toe or two”

charlottemagazine.com

“I’ve heard that before. Many times. Luckily, I’ve created the Pat McCrory toe-stepping quote generator, made up of actual McCrory toe-stepping quotes… And wouldn’t you know it, a non-profit has gone out and actually made a TOE-STEPPING AD featuring Pat McCrory in which the governor casually recites every talking point he’s got while talking to what I’m assuming are Real North Carolinians. Governor Pat: Guy You Wish You Hadn’t Started A Conversation With At A Party.”

11. “This is real feedback”

Via news-record.com

“Greeted by political donors, well-wishers and autograph-seekers at nearly every hole… McCrory said, a day on the course is a good chance to get away from what he called ‘the bubble of politics’ in Raleigh. It’s also a chance to get feedback that he considers genuine.”

10. “A pungent odor seeped into the governor’s office”

thetimesnews.com

“McCrory faced criticism from Democrats for planning pricey remodeling at the mansion little more than a month after signing a state budget that provided big tax cuts for the wealthy while providing no raises for teachers, dropping per-pupil school spending to among the lowest rates in the nation and slashing a program that provides dental work to low-income children.”

9. “I go out in the crowd all the time.”

newsobserver.com

“Gov. Pat McCrory has NOT been in the crowds of protesters gathered at the N.C. Legislative Building for the weekly ‘Moral Monday’ demonstrations, according to his spokeswoman.”

8. McCrory’s one-word reply: “None.”

wral.com

“During an Oct. 24, 2012, debate, WRAL News reporter Laura Leslie asked soon-to-be Gov. Pat McCrory the following: ‘If you are elected governor, what further restrictions on abortion would you agree to sign?’ McCrory’s one-word reply: ‘None.’… by signing Senate Bill 353, he broke that promise.”

7. “I felt like doing it. Who cares?”

pulse.ncpolicywatch.org

“McCrory was flanked by four security guards as he came out of the mansion gates. Before stepping onto common ground with the protesters – he went as far as the middle of the street between his mansion and the vigil – McCrory pointed directly at Jamie Sohn… He handed her the plate of cookies, and waved as he walked away. She said she was too stunned to say anything back.”

6. “We’re fortunate to have Dr. Aldona Wos. She’s one of the smartest individuals I’ve ever been around”

newsobserver.com / Via newsobserver.com

“When DHHS officials were sitting before legislators of both parties, questions were raised about those high salaries for young staffers (no one appeared satisfied with inadequate explanations) and consulting contracts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars… This is a department not just under a cloud but in a storm that shows no signs of passing. Clearly formal, organized and exhaustive investigation is needed, and Wos needs to stop passing the buck to others”

5. “They were actually moved over to areas that, frankly, a lot of older people applied for, too.”

charlotteobserver.com

“That’s apparently not true. As the Associated Press reported this week, DHHS has been unable to provide evidence that the jobs Diaz and McKillip got were ever advertised to potential applicants, or that other candidates were considered.”

4. “I’m trying to make it at least where they can afford to live”

newsobserver.com

“The Republican’s cabinet makes a combined $1.1 million – an 8 percent increase from his Democratic predecessor… GOP lawmakers changed state law last year to give the governor the power to determine cabinet salaries, a change from the previous year when all eight secretaries made $121,807, as set in state law…
The leaders at four state agencies… now make $135,000, or 11 percent more.
Four other agency heads… saw their pay increase to $128,000, a 5 percent hike.”

3. “By the headlines it looks like we cut, you know the headlines, ‘McCrory slashes and burns education’”

charlotteobserver.com

“The Observer has never run that headline, but the state’s per-pupil funding is down from previous years.”

2. “North Carolina is poised for an economic revival. Since this time last year, North Carolina has gained approximately 80,000 jobs”

newsobserver.com

“According to the monthly N.C. Department of Commerce employment release from Nov. 22… North Carolina has lost more than 13,000 jobs during a period when the nation as a whole has seen job growth!”

1. “People are looking for leadership. They’re looking for problem-solvers. They’re looking for hard workers. They’re not looking for whiners.”

charlotteobserver.com

“My hour-and-40-minute one-on-one with the governor began with him complaining about an editorial cartoon and ended with a complaint about how Art Pope, one of his chief advisers, is depicted. In between, McCrory repeatedly sprinkled asides and bromides about how the media are out to get him and his administration. When I sat next to him at a recent breakfast, he tugged on my sleeve every couple of minutes, leaned over and murmured his displeasure with this cartoon or that editorial or a news story from six months ago.”