FRED SMITH GOVERNOR 2008 - "A Little Extra Effort" Statewide BBQ Tour
Tuesday, December 11, 2007...Nash County... Fred's afternoons are filled with meetings with media, coalitions, elected officials, business people, contributors and an occasional plant tour. We're grateful for all the people who step up to help as we plan Fred's days in the counties. My afternoon was punctuated by stress - not a good kind - as the driver told me the address he'd programmed into the GPS. It wasn't where I understood we should be going. I panicked and made him stop the RV until I could sort out papers, check my computer records, and learn why he had us going to the community college when we were suppose to be at the Nash Central High School. After 10 minutes of anxiety I learned that we needed to pass the community college to get to the high school. The invitations clearly said the high school. Phew! Our set-up went smoothly and as we were greeting guests at the BBQ a man named Frank came up and asked how he could get something to Senator Smith. Inside a plain brown bag was a black 8x10 frame with a quotation from Calvin Coolidge. I shook my head slowly in wonderment, said silently to my Maker - "You are Amazing," - and I said to Frank, "You won't believe this. Fred added this quote to his presentation about 10 days ago. I told him I'd introduce him to Fred personally. "Senator, look what Frank brought for you," I said taking the frame out of the bag. "Frank said it was the most valuable lesson he's learned in life and he wanted to share it with you. Fred looked at me and I looked at him and we knew. The frame and quote have gone home with Fred. The lessons: perseverance and determination - Fred lives both. Those are two reasons he'll serve North Carolina well.
Click HERE to view additional pictures from the Nash County BBQ.
IN THE NEWS
Republican hopeful makes stop in area
by Mike Hixenbaugh, Rocky Mount Telegram, December 12, 2007
Whether it's in the east or in the west, Fred Smith says he loves North Carolina barbecue.
That's why the state senator and leading 2008 Republican gubernatorial candidate has dedicated his campaign to sharing the Southern tradition at gatherings in every county in the state.
Tuesday, Smith and his team fired up the grill during stops in Edgecombe and Nash counties.
"I believe a political campaign needs to be a conversation with the people," Smith said to a crowd of about 100 people at Nash Central High School. "You cannot have a conversation with the people unless you go to the people."
Earlier in the day, Smith shared the same message with local supporters at Abram's Restaurant in Tarboro. The first-term state senator discussed his views on hot-button issues such as education reform and the growth of government during his speeches; but no topic stirred the crowds, it seemed, more than illegal immigration did.
The crowd applauded and a few even stood to cheer after Smith explained his plans for tightening policy to keep illegal immigrants out of North Carolina.
"I always like to distinguish between legal and illegal immigration," Smith said earlier in the day during a Telegram interview. "With legal immigration, I think we need to have a big heart because we are all a part of that. But we need a firm hand in enforcing the laws of the land, especially dealing with illegal immigration."
One of those laws, Smith said, deals with illegal immigrants in higher education. Earlier this month, Smith wrote a letter to N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper's office to request a legal opinion about admitting illegal aliens to community colleges - a policy that Smith said violates federal policy.
The topic hit a nerve with the crowds Tuesday.
"If they want to allow illegal immigrants to attend community college, there is a right way of doing it," Smith said. "It needs to go through the General Assembly. We need to have legal ways to meet economic needs."
Some in the Nash County crowd stood again when Smith said he would "fight to defend the family," which he said is under attack. Marriage, Smith added, only should be between a man and a woman. Falling in line with most other Southern states, he intends to push a constitutional amendment to enforce that.
Smith also attempted to draw a distinction between himself and Gov. Mike Easley.
"Like Mr. Easley, my liberal Democratic friends who are running for governor want to be governor of the government," Smith said. "I'm running to be the governor of the people. I believe people are our number one strength."
Edgecombe and Nash counties marked the 65th and 66th stops on Smith's barbecue tour.
Based on an October survey, Smith leads the two other top Republican candidates - Bill Graham and Robert Orr - in name recognition and likability. He said he credits that to his drive to connect with people.
With that goal in mind, Smith hired country music legend Lee Greenwood earlier this year to write and record a campaign theme song titled, "From Good to Great," which plays at each of his campaign stops.
"When we play that song, it really gets people fired up," Smith said. "It's a way to get people emotionally excited about the campaign."
So is the pulled-pork barbecue, Smith added.
The article above by Mike Hixenbaugh was published in the Rocky Mount Telegram on December 12, 2007 and can be found online HERE.
