The trappings of power

No matter who holds the office, the State of the State address proves that the governor’s platform is unmatched in N.C. politics

Somehow I missed the fact that the North Carolina governor is referred to as “His Excellency.” But at the State of the State address last week, it felt fitting.

Not because of Josh Stein, nor what he had to say. It’s the office I’m talking about, and all the trappings that come along with it.

While not nearly as elaborate as the federal State of the Union, this biennial tradition still carries plenty of weight. There’s a certain gravitas that comes from speaking behind the Great Seal that you can’t match anywhere else in the state.

North Carolina has always bristled at aristocracy, but when it comes to political spectacle, we just can’t resist.

As for Gov. Stein’s speech itself, well, it really felt like two different ones. The first was an expansive, gracious discourse on what brings us together. Stein even praised a few Republican-led bills. But it then veered sharply into the partisan sniping we grew accustomed to in the Cooper era.

I broke down this split personality speech in The New…