A Special Report from NC & Dole's New Ad

Pearce: In a special report for PG, Brittany Matheson, a Duke student from North Carolina, gives her first-hand perspective of the Senate race.  Here's what she has to say from the middle of the campaign battlefield...

"A few months ago, only a small number of people were even aware that a Senate race was taking place in North Carolina. Now it is a topic of great debate and discussion. From personal appearances in local parades and her son’s talks on Duke’s campus to the countless bumper stickers and t-shirts that seem to be sprouting up everywhere, Kay Hagan has made her name and face known to the voters of North Carolina. Around the early voting locations, I see an average of two Hagan signs for every one of Dole’s. On campus, I have yet to see an Elizabeth Dole shirt, but Kay Hagan shirts, bumper stickers, and buttons are sported by campaigners and students.

With the current economic situation, the general mindset seems to be centered on the need for change. People outside of polling places are urging voters to cast an entirely Democratic ballot, preying off the general discontent. The “fix-all solution” that many are advocating, they believe, starts with a change in our nation’s leadership.

Another issue in this election is the fact out-of-state students at Duke have switched their voter registration to North Carolina due to its surprising potential to be a swing state in the Presidential Election. With a limited knowledge of NC politics, or what Senator Dole has accomplished in office, these voters may tend towards the Democratic challenger simply for the sake of change. Senator Dole has also been hurt by a huge number of negative television ads focusing on her supposed ineffectiveness in the Senate. Finally, from my perspective, Kay Hagan has been more visible and willing to interact with the people, while Senator Dole has spent more of her campaign time in invitation only, fundraising events.

With time before Election Day running short, Senator Dole needs to change the tone of the race. With any luck, she can foster momentum that was not originally thought necessary but which is now crucial for her to win reelection." 

Pearce:  Senator Elizabeth Dole released another new ad today in which she speaks directly to her constituents about what she believes in.  This is another positive ad meant to remind North Carolina voters who Elizabeth Dole really is, the "favorite daughter" they anxiously sent to the U.S. Senate in 2002.  View the ad below.