Archive - Longleaf Politics

Ranking the best and worst nicknames for North Carolina

The definitive nickname power rankings, from the clunkers to the keepers

Aug 11 •

I spent a month experimenting with AI video. Here's how smart campaigns will use it.

A month of trial and error shows where AI video can already give campaigns an edge — and where the hype still outpaces reality.

Aug 9 •

Gerrymandering just doesn’t hit like it used to

The redistricting wars made a lot of noise, raised a lot of money, and gave Democrats a message. That moment’s passed.

Aug 7 •

Brad Briner’s baby step on AI could spark a giant leap for N.C. government

AI won’t fix everything, but it can fix a lot of government busywork. The State Treasurer just proved it.

Aug 5 •

Give N.C. governors a line-item veto

44 states already have it. I think it would improve N.C. politics

Aug 4 •

July 2025

I try to see the best in people. Roy Cooper makes that really hard

Most people only know the press conference version of Roy Cooper. I've gotten to see the real one.

Jul 28 •

Michael Whatley has earned his shot for U.S. Senate

No one’s closer to the Trump operation in North Carolina — and now Whatley’s taking the message to the ballot.

Jul 24 •

What a giant dresser teaches us about N.C.'s economy

My stop in High Point helped me see more clearly about North Carolina’s economic development future

Jul 21 •

The Senate race is stuck in neutral. Here's how Don Brown is soldiering on

Long-shot candidates built their pitch around opposing Tillis. Now they’re in limbo

Jul 18 •

5 N.C. political books I love (and what’s next on my list)

These books offer the kind of insight you can’t find in headlines or history books

Jul 14 •

Thom Tillis finally made his case — just not to North Carolina

The senator showed real fight in a CNN interview this week. Imagine if he’d brought that same energy back home.

Jul 10 •

There’s no way Josh Stein’s approval ratings stay this high

It’s quite a honeymoon: Stein is virtually break-even with Republicans

Jul 8 •

#nojs-banner { position: fixed; bottom: 0; left: 0; padding: 16px 16px 16px 32px; width: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; background: red; color: white; font-family: -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px; } #nojs-banner a { color: inherit; text-decoration: underline; } This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please turn on JavaScript or unblock scripts