North Carolina Olympics 2020?

Folks have been giving Governor Perdue a lot of unsolicited advice lately about how to get her administration turned around so we thought we'd jump into the fray too. With a 24% approval rating incremental change isn't going to get the job done so we think she needs to do something big and attention grabbing...bring the 2020 Summer Olympics to North Carolina.

Now granted North Carolinians are pretty divided on this matter. 45% think the state should bid to host while 41% are opposed to the idea. The interesting thing about this though is that it isn't a heavily partisan issue. So often now when we poll on some policy initiative we find 90% of Democrats in favor and 90% of Republicans opposed. But reaction to the Olympics is much less fractured- 49% of liberals, 46% of moderates, and 43% of conservatives support going for it.

That means this is an issue where Perdue would have the opportunity to win over some of the crossover support that she's badly in need of. If you take the 24% of voters who already approve of Perdue and add in everyone who currently doesn't approve of Perdue but who wants the 2020 Olympics you're up to 60% of the electorate. Just get a little over 80% of those folks to support Perdue for reelection and she's got her eight years. Pat McCrory wouldn't even know what hit him!

Now granted there are some stumbling blocks. One problem is that both the Triangle and the greater Charlotte area, the two most logical hosts in the state, are pretty opposed to the Olympic bid. Based on popular support we're either going to have to have it in the Triad or in NE North Carolina. But let's have a can do attitude here- surely with a little expansion Dowdy-Ficklen in Greenville could be the Olympic Stadium. And the Greensboro Coliseum has been hosting world class events for years so we have a great basketball venue. Now we just need to start building all those hotels rooms in Ayden, Snow Hill, Archdale, and Mocksville.

So maybe the 2020 Olympics aren't the solution to Perdue's woes...but don't accuse us of not thinking outside the box.