FRED SMITH GOVERNOR 2008 - "A Little Extra Effort" Statewide BBQ Tour
Saturday, January 26, 2008...Beaufort County...After an Oriental media visit, Bill and Fred headed to Washington with friends Bill Tarpenning and Harvey West. A meeting with pastors and another with elected officials topped Fred's agenda followed by interviews with two newspapers. We followed on the RV and went straight to Washington High School to set up. I must admit as we came into Washington over the Route 17 bridge the waterway beckoned me. I drifted away to thoughts of summer again. The reception for Fred in Bath was a good event with about 33 guests, many of whom followed him to the BBQ. Joe McLaughlin and Dean Stevens who are running for Congress in the third and first districts attended as did Greg Dority, candidate for Lt. Governor. Fred gave his speech and guests lingered for book signings and to talk to him privately about the issues on their mind. He's always most attentive and isn't that what you need to be to have a "conversation with the people?" Fred received lots of encouragement and many volunteers signed up to help on the Fred Smith for Governor campaign. Thanks, Beaufort, it was a nice way to end the week. Now home for our day of rest. DJ
IN THE NEWS
Senator Fred Smith Hosts 77th County BBQ
by Patti Trujillo, Washington Daily News
On the way to his 77th barbecue N.C. Senator Fred Smith, R-Johnston and Republican candidate for governor, said he wasn't going to be "one of those candidates that's only on TV."
Smith vowed at the start of his campaign to hold a barbecue in each of the state's 100 counties. This was his Beaufort County stop, hosting a pig pickin' Sunday afternoon at Washington High School.
"We're on TV statewide right now," Smith said. "We're going to have an air campaign, too. But what we've done, holding our barbecues and shaking people's hands, is getting to know people ... . If they're motivated, if they believe, each one is going to get me two or three votes.
"I know it works for me. I believe that's my strongest point. We've had almost 2,000 contributors (at the barbecues), almost half contributing $50 or less. It has not happened before in a Republican campaign. That shows the grassroots is working for us."
Smith had a full day in Beaufort County, meeting local clergy and elected officials, followed by a private fundraiser and the public barbecue.
The barbecue was attended by more than 90 citizens and local politicos, including county commissioners Stan Deatherage and Hood Richardson, Belhaven Mayor Adam O'Neal, Greg Dority, a Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, and Joe McLaughlin and Dean Stephens, both candidates for Congress.
Smith opened his talk to the barbecue attendees telling them a political campaign "ought to be a conversation with the people.
"The political consultants in Raleigh tell you to go to high population counties around Raleigh and run TV ads," he said. "I disagree with that. When you go to the general election, you've already got an infrastructure in place.
"I've had a chance to see how beautiful this state is. I've had a chance to meet the people of this state and see how good and kind they are. That is what helps me find what the values of the people of this state are."
Smith said he believes residents are disappointed with the state's educational process that North Carolina has "gone from a good road state to a poor road state" and that it has the "highest tax rate in the southeast United States."
"People are disappointed in the corruption," he said. "They are ready for a change in management in Raleigh. To get that change we've got to win elections and get a leader who understands what leadership is. You've got to have a strategic plan before you move to tactics. ... I believe you've got to paint your own barn. Other people may not like the color, but that's who you are.
Smith proposed a $4 billion good-road/safe-bridge bond to be distributed per capita -- approximately $400 per N.C. resident -- to counties to build infrastructure. He said it can be accomplished without raising taxes if the transfer of funds from the highway trust fund to the general fund is stopped.
Smith called for equipping sheriffs and police departments to fight drug trafficking and illegal immigration; for accessible and affordable health care and relief from the costly practice of defensive medicine by physicians; for a constitutional amendment declaring marriage to be between one man and one woman; and for the protection of private property rights and the limit of eminent domain.
"My first order of business as governor would be the strongest possible Jessica's Law in the United States of America," he also said.
Jessica's Laws punish sex offenders -- especially those who offend against children. One such law introduced in last year's session of the General Assembly failed to pass.
Smith said informal polls at his barbecues have shown that the number-one thing people are concerned about is honest government. "They want us to execute with integrity," he said.
Smith has carried his personal motto: "The difference between good and great is little extra effort," routed on a wooden plaque, with him for 50 years.
"Extra effort trumps everything -- money, even ability," Smith said. "Extra effort is what gets the job done. Only by working together can we get the job done. It's too big a task for one person. This election is not about me, it's about you."
The article above by Patti Trujillo was posted in the Washington Daily News and is available online HERE.
GOP's Smith Runs Pork Without the Barrel Campaign
by Jay Niver, Beaufort Observer
Fred Smith hopes to be the state's next governor, and a Republican one at that. If he is successful in wresting control of the statehouse from Democrats for the first time in 15 years, he will have pork to thank - but not the kind associated with wasteful pet spending projects.
Smith was Down East last weekend for a whirlwind Saturday that included two trademark, free barbecue, "meet the candidate" events, a private fundraiser, and separate meetings with Republican leaders and clergymen.
He first served up pork in Pamlico County, held meetings in Washington, met backers in Bath, and then returned to Washington High School for the 77th of his barbecues. His goal is to visit all 100 N.C. counties, though he admits the actual number will be 103 after second visits to some key constituencies.
Smith is a wealthy builder who lives in Clayton and was elected to the N.C. Senate in 2002. Before that, he had two years' experience as a Johnston County commissioner.
He grew up in the Methodist Orphanage in Raleigh where his parents both worked; won a football scholarship to Wake Forest, where he graduated in 1966 with a law degree; served four years in the U.S. Army JAG Corps; and worked as a farmer and cattleman before going into construction.
Now his company, Fred Smith Homes, is a $135 million business that employs more than 600 people. "I learned what it means to sign a paycheck on the front, not just on the back," he told about 100 supporters and investigators at WHS.
Smith's is no shoestring campaign, though he was proud to tell the Observer he has a wide range of supporters. He mentioned "about a thousand individual donors who have given under $50 apiece."
Whether flying his private jet to distant locales or driving his custom RV (a splashy mobile billboard), Smith is determined to make his campaign what he calls "a conversation with the people. How can you do that unless you go where the people are?"
Smith's campaign BBQ's run smoothly after so many "pig-outs." There's bluegrass music on the sound system, a slick video biography, and a musical introduction by backer Lee Greenwood, who penned and recorded a campaign theme song for Smith.
As "(Take Us From) Good to Great" plays on the screen, Greenwood announces "the next governor of North Carolina." Right on cue, Smith enters stage right with a wireless mike so he can move around in front of his seated crowd, now polishing off the last of their hush puppies and slaw.
For all the rehearsal, resources and professionalism, Smith didn't "work the audience" last Saturday. There was not a single quip or joke - he takes this business too seriously. Smith didn't preach and he didn't speechify. He basically talked clearly and directly, coming across (if any way) like a highly successful, intelligent businessman, which is what he is.
His two Republican opponents, with whom he will compete in the spring primary, are a trial lawyer and a judge. Smith figures North Carolina is ready for someone with business smarts and proven business experience.
The article above by Jay Niver was published in the Beaufort Observer on January 27, 2008 and is available online HERE.
