[Updated] North Carolina's Hilariously Incompetent Governor: 24 Best Moments Of 2013

North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory had quite a 2013: Here's 24 reasons so many regret voting for this guy.

24. "Mistakes were made."

Via wral.com

"Lightfoot's appointment was announced last week by Health and Human Services Secretary Aldona Wos. She was to lead NC Pre-K and other child care programs. But Lightfoot decided not to take the job after reports surfaced that she had founded and run a nonprofit that advocated against public pre-kindergarten programs. Controversial social media posts and erratic behavior also came to light." - WRAL

23. “I fight for jobs” - Pat McCrory touting MetLife's relocation to NC on Fox News

governor.state.nc.us / Via wral.com

"Gov. Pat McCrory said Monday that he played no role in a deal to attract insurance giant MetLife to North Carolina in exchange for more than $90 million in state incentives... MetLife hired Charlotte-based law and lobbying firm Moore & Van Allen to broker its deal with the state. McCrory worked for the firm before he was elected in November. It's not clear when MetLife hired Moore & Van Allen, but the company began discussing a move to North Carolina about nine months ago – while McCrory was still employed by the law firm." - WRAL

22. "We did not shut off WIC."

Via starnewsonline.com

"The heat is on Gov. Pat McCrory's administration for giving North Carolina the distinction of being the only state in the nation to shut down a critical nutritional program for low-income mothers and their children during the recently passed federal government shutdown" -Wilmington Star News

21. "We just got a new reg which might, in fact, force us to do Medicaid expansion"

charlotteobserver.com / Via charlotteobserver.com

"I asked him about his comment at a Washington event that North Carolina might be required to accept the federal Medicaid expansion. 'That’s where you totally misinterpreted,' McCrory replied. We didn’t, according to the Medicaid spokesperson and several experts." - Charlotte Observer

20. “Gov. McCrory did not mean to tarnish UNC’s reputation.”

Via newsobserver.com

"In an apparent contradiction, McCrory, who was a political science and education major at the private Catawba College, said he does believe in a liberal arts education." - News & Observer

19. “This is too complex for the journalists. They don’t have economics degrees; they’ve not been in business."

Via newsobserver.com

"Based on his news conferences and public comments, McCrory is not exactly a Ben Bernanke-level economic thinker. McCrory’s degrees from Catawba College are in political science and education. As for business experience, he was a mid-level manager at a regulated utility (Duke Energy), never making corporate-level decisions. That’s what prompted a member of his own party, Sen. Bob Rucho of Mecklenburg County, to once say, 'If Pat had any real business experience, he would not make such a poor policy decision.'"- News & Observer

18. “‘I inherited a terrible, terrible budget from the previous administration and I've got to rebuild that budget."

Via news-record.com

"The last budget was written by the Republican legislature. Gov. Bev Perdue vetoed that budget” - News & Record

17. "What's a 12-year-old doing at 10:30 at night outside the governor's gates?" - McCrory explaining why he couldn't meet with 12yo Madison Kimrey

digtriad.com / Via wncn.com

"Thursday afternoon, she set up a table and chairs outside the state Capitol Building, and brought a chocolate pound cake for the occasion. Asked for a reaction, the governor's communications director, Kim Genardo, said, 'It's unfortunate the media is falling for liberal political stunts at the expense of good journalism.' Thursday morning, McCrory attended an NC CEO forum at North Ridge Country Club in Raleigh." -WNCN

16. “He didn't say ‘every’ or ‘all. You're taking it literally that we mean every single citizen, and we did not say ‘everyone.’”

Via news-record.com

"When Gov. Pat McCrory said in this video message that 'North Carolinians will keep more of their hard-earned money, thanks to historic tax reform,' he didn't mean all North Carolinians, spokeswoman Kim Genardo explained to the Associated Press... Absolutely right. Some analysts even say most North Carolinians will pay more in taxes, AP reports, and that it's really just wealthier North Carolinians who will keep more of their hard-earned money, thanks to historic tax reform -- which grants the biggest income-tax cuts at the highest earning level, eliminates the earned-income tax credit that benefits the working poor and raises or adds sales taxes on various services and activities." - News & Record

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

Via 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.” - News & Observer

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

Via 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” - MSNBC

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

Via 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.” - WTVD

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

Via 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.” - Charlotte Magazine

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.” - News & Record

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

Via 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." - Associated Press

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

Via 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.” - News & Observer

8. McCrory’s one-word reply: “None.”

Via 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.” - WRAL

7. “I felt like doing it. Who cares?”

wfae.org / Via projects.newsobserver.com

“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.” - News & Observer

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” - News & Observer

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

Via 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.” - Charlotte Observer

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

Via 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.” - News & Observer

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

Via charlotteobserver.com

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

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

Via news-record.com

80,000? Er... maybe it's more like 23. "The governor also cited the sharp drop in the state's unemployment rate since he took office and said 80,000 more North Carolinians are now drawing a paycheck. That perhaps should not be taken quite literally either.

In November, according to state figures, 4,314,502 North Carolinians were employed. In December 2012, the last month before McCrory took office, the number of employed North Carolinians was 4,314,479. That shows an increase in employment of 23.

The unemployment rate dropped because, over those 11 months, the labor force fell from 4,753,343 to 4,658,113... It's clear, no matter what the unemployment rate says, that our jobs picture simply has not brightened significantly during 2013." -News & Record

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

wral.com / Via 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.” - Charlotte Observer