I'd like to alert ppl yet again to the duplicity & hypocrisy of the Charlotte @theobserver's editorial board. On Friday, they published a campaign ad for Gov. @RoyCooperNC's re-election campaign disguised as an informed critique/op-ed of his opponent @LtGovDanForest. #ncpol 1/
The @theobserver op-ed was written in the typical snide tone Republicans expect from them. Guess the ed. board hasn't considered the possibility that the reason they're begging ppl to buy $2/wk subscriptions is bc ppl are fed up w/ being talked down to, but I digress. #ncpol 2/
Back to the op-ed, it started w/ @theobserver using their go-to trick: falsely playing the race card against Republicans they don't like. They accused Forest of "dabbling publicly in white nationalism" while providing the very quote that shows the accusation is false. #ncpol 3/
They then accuse Forest playing games w/ his critique of Cooper's use of his so-called "authority" to unilaterally order places to effectively shut down for as long a he sees fit during the pandemic. What evidence did @theobserver give for proof that Forest was wrong? #ncpol 4/
Answer: Cooper's word. Seriously. Here's what @theobserver said: "Cooper & his office already have cited several statutes that allow the gov and DHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen to mandate quarantines and closures." So Cooper's word is good enough for the ed board, I guess. #ncpol 5/
Memo for @theobserver: Cooper's word is not a legal opinion. It's his interpretation of the law. Big difference, not that y'all actually care. Also, bringing up that no other Republicans on the Council of State have "rallied behind" him in the lawsuit is a red herring. #ncpol 6/
That they allegedly haven't "rallied behind" Forest in the lawsuit may not have anything to do with whether they believe it has merit, @theobserver. Maybe one of your journos should, you know, ask them instead of assuming. A paper assuming things is not a good look. #ncpol 7/
But this was the real kicker with @theobserver's hit piece on Lt. Gov. Forest that gives up the whole game: Take a look at what they wrote about Cooper's "leadership" on the coronavirus in comparison to Forest's critique of it : #ncpol 8/
"If Forest were governor, we likely would have reopened too quickly .... We could be AZ right now, facing an alarming surge of cases after a too-quick reopening. We could be TX, where the governor was forced to close bars and restrict restaurant capacity Friday." #ncpol 9/
Earth to @theobserver: Cooper's "reopening" phases have been among the most restrictive in the country. Yet in spite of his allegedly "cautious" approach, we, too, are seeing record case spikes which caused him to press pause on reopening. YOUR OWN PAPER reported this! #ncpol 10/
In other words, @theobserver, we're already "like TX and AZ" with case spikes. You conveniently left that out of your hit piece. Something else you left out is that the case spikes started as the crowded protests that YOU and Cooper encouraged began to dwindle down. #ncpol 11/
Think there might be a correlation between case spikes and the 2+ weeks of protests we had here in late May and early June, which saw people huddling close together and sharing bullhorns instead of social distancing, @theobserver?? Of course you don't mention this. #ncpol 12/
Because if you did, you'd have to acknowledge your's & Cooper's duplicity on issue of exercising 1A rights during a pandemic. Reopen protesters were painted as public health threats that should be shut down, while George Floyd protests were encouraged "for democracy." #ncpol 13/
COOPER HIMSELF participated in the protests, walking around the Gov's mansion with his mask pulled off, not social distancing. This after 2 months of "Go home, reopen protesters & churchgoers, you're gonna kill ppl!" Do you understand how this hypocrisy makes you look? #ncpol 14/
Next time y'all want to contribute to Cooper's reelection campaign under the guise of an op-ed, @theobserver, maybe pause to consider why so many in NC refuse to subscribe to your paper. Pro-tip: Ppl aren't interested in paying only to have their intelligence insulted. #ncpol 15/
Here's @theobserver op-ed for anyone interested in reading it. It's the web archive version, because I, too, am not interested in paying a paper to condescend to me on politics & pretend they're concerned about racism and reopening too soon. web.archive.org/web/2020062718… #ncpol /END
