Editorial: Bev Perdue has helped Rowan County

Another shoe may drop in the Bev Perdue story. Surely something more than a professed desire to improve public education prompted her decision not to seek re-election this year.

But whatever the reasons for the governor’s decision — falling poll numbers, rancor with Republicans or something else — Perdue is not the ignominious figure state GOP leaders paint her to be. She tried to accomplish what Democrats elected her to do, and in Rowan County’s case she brought about a key infrastructure improvement that others had found impossible. But Perdue ran into a stubborn economy and a Republican majority determined to revolutionize state government.

Political analyst Dr. Michael Bitzer of Catawba College sees a few possible motives for Perdue’s actions.

• Numbers: Public Policy Polling had Perdue at 32 percent approval, while independents only gave her 23 percent approval, Bitzer says. And even her Democratic base gave her barely 50 percent approval. “Not a good set of numbers going into a major, uphill, competitive election year,” Bitzer says.

• Trouble — or at least guilt by association: Indictments against Perdue’s campaign staff may indicate that there’s more to come, or at least that she’ll have a hard time holding up a positive image in a rough campaign. Bitzer says that gives Republican Pat McCrory plenty of ammunition for the “culture of corruption” tack he took against Perdue in 2008.

• This moment in time: Bitzer sums it up: “I honestly think she looked at the numbers, looked at the environment, looked at what could be coming in attacks ..., looked at what she would end up with (a GOP dominated General Assembly that could have veto-proof majorities), and said, ‘this hand I got dealt is awful.’ ”

Political discourse in North Carolina and the rest of the nation has taken a hard right turn — leaving behind the state’s traditional push to improve education and infrastructure, and instead pursuing an anti-government, anti-tax agenda that leaves no room for compromise. Perdue stood up to the challenge, vetoing bills and trying to retain a tax that would have prevented cuts in education. But to no avail.

Rowan Republicans crowing over Perdue’s retreat would do well to visit the site where crews are building a new Yadkin River bridge, paid for through a plan Perdue put together. Thank goodness the General Assembly approved that plan while Perdue’s party was still in power. Republicans controlling the legislature now would have fought Perdue on this, no doubt, since they have fought her on everything else. Perdue saw a need, listened to our local leaders and found a solution. That’s good leadership.