Some advice for Richard Moore and Bev Perdue

Sometimes it seems like Richard Moore and Bev Perdue are so consumed with blasting each other that they're not focused on the big picture- actually taking the Governor's office by defeating a Republican in the fall.

If the GOP nominates Fred Smith that's fine. Dennis Kucinich could be at the top of the Democratic ticket and I still think Moore or Perdue would beat him by double digits.

But if they nominate Pat McCrory it's a whole other story. His message is actually pretty strong: the Democrats in Raleigh have been aware of issues like gangs, DOT spending that's not fair to the city's urban areas, etc. for years and haven't done anything about it. Someone needs to come in from outside of the state government culture and fix things up.

Doubtless Moore or Perdue will roll out plans to address the issues McCrory is trying to make hay with. But his response will be to ask why they haven't accomplished what they say they want to during the many years each of them has already been in Raleigh.

I think the Democratic contenders need to nip that in the bud. It's completely over shadowed by the campaign season, but the legislature will be in session in a couple months. It's a great opportunity for Moore and Perdue to work with their allies in the legislature to get bills passed addressing some of the things McCrory is accusing the Democratic power structure of failing to get done over the last few years. Don't just roll out a proposal as part of your campaign- work to see some of these things enacted before the fall.

That way when McCrory starts railing about things Raleigh hasn't accomplished in debates this fall, Moore or Perdue can point to what they have done on the issues and not just what they will do. If McCrory doesn't have that card to play, he doesn't have much left since the slate is pretty blank when it comes to his statewide accomplishments.

Moore and Perdue should use the relationships they've built in statewide office and the bully pulpit they have to nip a big part of McCrory's campaign in the bud sooner than later.