John Davis Consulting

John Davis Political Report Awarded “Top 10 Political Influencers” by Campaigns & Elections; Biggest Winners and Losers in 2012; Happy New Year!

“Davis is actually unaffiliated.”   News & Observer’s UNDER THE DOME, 12/21/2012

Friday, December 28, 2012       Vol. V, No. 43           7:13 am

Top 10 North Carolina “Political Influencers Award”

The John Davis Political Report has been named as one of the “Top 10 North Carolina Political Influencers Award” recipients for 2012 by Campaigns and Elections, a national political journal founded in 1980.  Ten recipients of the “Political Influencers Award” are named for each state.

A special thanks to the News & Observer’s UNDER THE DOME editors for clarifying that I am not affiliated with a political party.  “Davis is actually unaffiliated,” they noted in the news story.

The other nine recipients of the North Carolina “Political Influencers Award” are: Republicans Tom Fetzer, lobbyist and former Raleigh mayor and state GOP chairman; lobbyist Dana Simpson; and consultants Carter Wrenn and Chris Sinclair.  Democrats include political consultants Brad Crone and Mike Davis; strategist Scott Falmlen, former state Democratic Party executive director; lobbyist Bruce Thompson, and Andrew Whalen, consultant for the Blue Dog Coalition and a former state Democratic Party executive director.

North Carolina Republican Party Biggest Winner in 2012

In 2012, the North Carolina Republican Party neutralized Obama’s historic 2008 turnout advantage, thereby making this state the only swing state that Obama lost.  The state GOP invested early in a major commitment to personal voter contact, increasing the number of regional headquarters from 12 in 2010 to 24 in 2012; from 8 paid Get-Out-The-Vote staff in 2010 to 67 paid staffers in 2012.

Here is the short list of accomplishments in 2012 by the North Carolina GOP:

• Historic dominance of all three branches of state government
• Landslide Republican gubernatorial win: McCrory 55%; Dalton 43%; Howe 2%
• Super majorities in NC Senate (33/17) and NC House (77/43)
• Republican Lt. Governor to preside over GOP Senate
• Republican majority congressional delegation (9/4)
• Landslide passage of Marriage Amendment in May
• Non-partisan Republican majority on NC Supreme Court
• County Commissioners: 54 GOP County Boards; 44 Democratic; 2 Non-Partisan
• Only “Swing” state not carried by President Obama in 2012 Presidential race

 Business & Conservative Super PACs Biggest Losers in 2012 US Elections

Conservative Super PACs turned out to be the biggest losers of the 2012 election year.  The biggest of the biggest losers?  National Rifle Association.  According to an analysis by the Sunlight Foundation of the $1.3 billion spent independently in 2012, the NRA had a 0.81% return on an investment of $12 million.  Here are a few of the biggest losers:

•  Nat’l Rifle Assn: 0.83% return on $11 million
• American Crossroads (Karl Rove) 1.29% return on $105 million spent on campaigns
• US Chamber: 6.9% return on $33 million
• Crossroads GPS: 14.3% return on $71 million
• National Republican Congressional Committee: 31.88% return on $65 million
• FreedomWorks (Tea Party): 24.5% return on investment of $20 million
• Club for Growth: 41.8% return on $17 million

 John Davis Political Report Vol. VI Begins Thursday, January 3

The John Davis Political Report will begin its sixth calendar-year volume of reports on Thursday, January 3, 2013.  The first report is a thorough examination of the tactical advantage achieved by those who invested early and well in a voter registration and turnout operation, like President Obama and the North Carolina Republican Party.

From the inaugural address by Governor-Elect Pat McCrory to every action taken during the upcoming session of the General Assembly, political consequences will be foremost on the minds of those who wish to continue to serve after the next elections.

It’s the American way.  After all, you can’t lead if you can’t get elected.

 – END of VOL. V, 2012 –

 Thank You for Reading the John Davis Political Report!

Happy New Year!

John N. Davis, Editor

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