# How will the Moral Monday movement affect politics in NC & the South? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 21, 2014, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-moral-monday-movement-affect-politics-in-nc-the-south/681900 "2014-02-21T19:08:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-moral-monday-movement-affect-politics-in-nc-the-south/681900/1 "2014-02-21T19:08:22Z")
_The Nation_ article [here](http://www.thenation.com/article/178459/whats-next-moral-monday-movement); Wiki article [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_Mondays). > [@](#): > > Since taking over the Legislature in 2010 and the governor’s mansion in 2012—controlling state government for the first time since 1896—North Carolina Republicans have transformed a state long regarded as one of the most progressive in the South into Alabama virtually overnight. They eliminated the state earned-income tax credit for 900,000 people; refused Medicaid coverage for 500,000; ended federal unemployment benefits for 170,000; cut $200 million to public education; slashed taxes for the top 5 percent while raising taxes on the bottom 80 percent; passed one of the country’s most draconian anti-choice laws; and enacted the country’s harshest voting restrictions, which mandate strict voter ID, cut early voting, eliminate same-day registration and ax public financing of judicial races, among other things. > > Last April 29, after the new voting restrictions were introduced, Barber and sixteen other ministers and civil rights veterans were arrested inside the State Legislature for trespassing and failure to disperse. Barber called it a peaceful “pray-in.” The next week, thirty more people were arrested. The numbers grew quickly. By the end of July, when the Legislature adjourned for the year, thirteen protests had been held at the General Assembly and nearly 1,000 people had been arrested, most for the first time in their lives. So far, all MM has tangibly accomplished is to file a lot of lawsuits. But they have high hopes. > [@](#): > > The biggest question for the movement will be the impact it has at the polls. The momentum created by the protests last summer for Democratic candidates has been erased by the rocky rollout of Obamacare, says pollster Jensen. Over the summer, Democratic candidates enjoyed a nine-point advantage over Republicans; now it’s even. And because the Republicans ruthlessly gerrymandered state legislative districts following the 2010 elections, Democrats need to win the statewide vote by fourteen points in order to take back the Legislature. “The big things the Moral Monday movement can do is help increase turnout and interest in the midterms from people who usually drop off,” Jensen notes, “and then just generally keep in the news the things that the Republican Legislature has done over the past few years that are so unpopular.” > > Moral Monday organizers plan to target forty swing counties for voter registration and mobilization and will deploy fifty young organizers in the field for twelve weeks this year in what they’re calling Moral Freedom Summer 2014. (They’re also planning to field sixty full-time organizers across the South for a much longer period.) “What we don’t know is what happens in an off-year election with this kind of intensity, because we’ve never seen it before,” Barber says. Yet he’s quick to stress that electoral politics will not define the movement. Moral Monday is most frequently compared to Occupy Wall Street and the 2011 Wisconsin protests, though neither one really captures what’s happening in North Carolina. Moral Monday is far more diverse, disciplined, broad-based and leadership-driven than Occupy was; nor is it focused on a single issue, like the protests in Wisconsin, which centered around labor rights and were closely connected to the state Democratic Party. Moral Monday inhabits a place on the spectrum somewhere between Occupy and Wisconsin—not disconnected from electoral politics but not defined by it, either, which gives it a better chance at longevity. > > \ > > A day after the first Georgia protest, South Carolina launched its own weekly demonstration, called Truthful Tuesday, when 1,000 rallied at the Statehouse in Columbia for Medicaid expansion, public education and voting rights. “There’s a sense of enthusiasm,” said Brett Bursey, executive director of the South Carolina Progressive Network. “The opportunity is pushing people to move beyond the traditional hurdles that impede us.” The Alabama NAACP has started Truth and Justice Tuesdays, and the Florida NAACP will launch the newest Moral Monday spin-off in March. Meanwhile, Arizona is holding its own Moral March on March 29. So: Will this movement fizzle out like OWS, or will it get somewhere, perhaps even transform politics all across the South? ---
**Author:** ![2sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e47774/32.png) [@2sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2sense)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-moral-monday-movement-affect-politics-in-nc-the-south/681900/2 "2014-02-22T08:13:21Z")
I wish them well. Part of the reason Republicanism is so reprehensible is that due to checks and balance voters don’t often get to see it in its pure form. I’m sure there is a lot of sticker shock in North Carolina. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2014, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-moral-monday-movement-affect-politics-in-nc-the-south/681900/3 "2014-02-23T04:31:16Z")
Since the Republicans took control, North Carolina’s unemployment rate has dropped from 9.5% to 6.9%. [http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LASST370000000000003](http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LASST370000000000003) One year. That’s incredible. I’m sure North Carolina voters are very upset about all the work they are having to do. You know, since now Democrats are lauding the virtues of less people working. ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2014, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-moral-monday-movement-affect-politics-in-nc-the-south/681900/4 "2014-02-23T04:49:08Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Since the Republicans took control, North Carolina’s unemployment rate has dropped from 9.5% to 6.9%. > > [Bureau of Labor Statistics Data](http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LASST370000000000003) > > One year. That’s incredible. I’m sure North Carolina voters are very upset about all the work they are having to do. You know, since now Democrats are lauding the virtues of less people working. Did you notice the size of the labor force dropped about 120,000 during that time frame? The number of employed is stagnant, the labor force is shrinking. That’s some great economic policy there! ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2014, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-moral-monday-movement-affect-politics-in-nc-the-south/681900/5 "2014-02-23T05:04:32Z")
That’s a nationwide trend. Staying even on number employed is an accomplishment under the current administration. Not many states have done it. Now if you want to see crappy economic policy, check out Obama’s home state: [http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LASST170000000000003](http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LASST170000000000003) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2014, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-moral-monday-movement-affect-politics-in-nc-the-south/681900/6 "2014-02-23T05:31:47Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > That’s a nationwide trend. Staying even on number employed is an accomplishment under the current administration. Not many states have done it. > > Now if you want to see crappy economic policy, check out Obama’s home state: > > [Bureau of Labor Statistics Data](http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LASST170000000000003) The unemployment rate is down from 10.1in Sep 2011 to 8.6 in Dec 2013. How is down bad? ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2014, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-moral-monday-movement-affect-politics-in-nc-the-south/681900/7 "2014-02-23T05:50:02Z")
That’s what I was saying about NC, which saw a much steeper drop in unemployment over a shorter time period. State economic stats are relative, and NC is doing much better relative to most states. In terms of measuring straight unemployment, no state did better in 2013. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2014, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-moral-monday-movement-affect-politics-in-nc-the-south/681900/8 "2014-02-23T21:53:12Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > That’s what I was saying about NC, which saw a much steeper drop in unemployment over a shorter time period. State economic stats are relative, and NC is doing much better relative to most states. In terms of measuring straight unemployment, no state did better in 2013. But, what effect will Moral Monday have on NC politics? ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2014, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-moral-monday-movement-affect-politics-in-nc-the-south/681900/9 "2014-02-23T22:14:08Z")
Little, as long as Republicans continue to preside over an economy that’s outperforming relative to a) other states, and b) how the economy was doing under a Democratic administration. I think the demonstrators get that, which is why they are couching their objections to GOP policy in moral terms rather than in terms of the effectiveness of those policies. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2014, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-moral-monday-movement-affect-politics-in-nc-the-south/681900/10 "2014-02-24T04:16:07Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > That’s a nationwide trend. Staying even on number employed is an accomplishment under the current administration. Not many states have done it. > > Now if you want to see crappy economic policy, check out Obama’s home state: > > [Bureau of Labor Statistics Data](http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LASST170000000000003) I didn’t know Obama was born in Illinois. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2014, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-moral-monday-movement-affect-politics-in-nc-the-south/681900/11 "2014-02-24T05:46:55Z")
He votes there. It’s his home state. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2014, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-moral-monday-movement-affect-politics-in-nc-the-south/681900/12 "2014-02-24T07:27:18Z")
You cite appears to suggest that whatever bumbling incompetence Mr. Obama committed, he did it in 2008. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2014, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-moral-monday-movement-affect-politics-in-nc-the-south/681900/13 "2014-02-24T07:52:04Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I didn’t know Obama was born in Illinois. Neither did I…I thought it was Nairobi 😛 ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2014, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-moral-monday-movement-affect-politics-in-nc-the-south/681900/14 "2014-02-24T09:41:20Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > You cite appears to suggest that whatever bumbling incompetence Mr. Obama committed, he did it in 2008. Actually, it’s Gov. Quinn, although I doubt there is anything he did that Obama disagrees with. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2014, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-moral-monday-movement-affect-politics-in-nc-the-south/681900/15 "2014-02-24T10:17:47Z")
When’s the last time a bunch of yahoos standing around accomplished anything, other than get tear gassed and arrested? Props for the alliteration, but putting “moral” in your group’s name is just blech. What’s next, Family Friday? ---
**Author:** ![Terekhov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Terekhov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terekhov)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2014, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-moral-monday-movement-affect-politics-in-nc-the-south/681900/16 "2014-02-24T12:05:27Z")
Well, > [@marshmallow](#): > > When’s the last time a bunch of yahoos standing around accomplished anything, other than get tear gassed and arrested? > > Props for the alliteration, but putting “moral” in your group’s name is just blech. What’s next, Family Friday? [since you asked…](http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304914204579398561953855036) 😛 Generally, however, I agree. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2014, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-moral-monday-movement-affect-politics-in-nc-the-south/681900/17 "2014-02-24T12:57:58Z")
Let’s free ourselves from the notion that administrations, be they federal or state, create jobs. Sure, at the federal level, we can ramp up spending on infrastructure and create some jobs. The stimulus worked and may have prevented a second depression, but overall the economy has its own cycles that run pretty much independent of politics. At the state level, governors can’t do squat about bringing in jobs. They can target some tax breaks for selected industries, but beyond that they don’t have a lot to do with how employment tracks up or down. Back to North Carolina, I hope it’s not too late for them. When Republicans take control, the first thing they do is gerrymander the districts to keep themselves in power. Then they make it harder for the opposition to vote. If the anti whack-a-doodle voters get sufficiently motivated, they can turn back the tids. I just hope NC and Wisconsin serve as examples of why we can never let Republicans control any branch of government anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2014, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-moral-monday-movement-affect-politics-in-nc-the-south/681900/18 "2014-02-24T15:38:39Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Since the Republicans took control, North Carolina’s unemployment rate has dropped from 9.5% to 6.9%. > > [Bureau of Labor Statistics Data](http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LASST370000000000003) > > One year. That’s incredible. I’m sure North Carolina voters are very upset about all the work they are having to do. You know, since now Democrats are lauding the virtues of less people working. In one year? What exactly did they do to accomplish that? What laws, and when did they take effect? We’re not dumb, adaher. We don’t go for simply correlation-causation nonsense. We know unemployment is dropping nationwide (under a Democratic administration). North Carolina’s unemployment rate chart closely follows the national one: > **[Bureau of Labor Statistics Data](https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS14000000)** ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2014, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-moral-monday-movement-affect-politics-in-nc-the-south/681900/19 "2014-02-24T15:52:38Z")
> [@marshmallow](#): > > When’s the last time a bunch of yahoos standing around accomplished anything, other than get tear gassed and arrested? This past weekend, in the Ukraine. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2014, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-moral-monday-movement-affect-politics-in-nc-the-south/681900/20 "2014-02-24T15:59:24Z")
> [@marshmallow](#): > > Props for the alliteration, but putting “moral” in your group’s name is just blech. What’s next, Family Friday? Look at it this way: The right stole the word from the left, to whom it rightfully belongs, and now the left is stealing it back, which is perfectly **moral.** 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-moral-monday-movement-affect-politics-in-nc-the-south/681900.md?page=2)