Pirate's Cove

Interestingly, I can’t find a story about this at WRAL, WNCN, WTVD, the three big TV networks in the Raleigh area, nor at the News and Observer, North Carolina’s major newspaper for the capital city

(Breitbart) Amid ongoing questions about her family’s apparent stimulus benefits, numerous Armed Services Committee hearing absences, and Ebola flip-flops, Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC) did not show up at the fourth and final debate in the U.S. Senate race Tuesday evening.

With Hagan absent and nothing but an empty chair to face her opponent, North Carolina House Speaker Thom Tillis spent an hour taking questions from two local reporters and voters.

The debate amounted to more of a long-form interview, which revisited many of the issues Tillis and Hagan have already discussed from the minimum wage to Ebola, equal pay for women and climate change, the economy, ISIS, and Hagan’s absences from the Armed Services Committee hearings.

Leading up to the debate, in which Hagan declined to participate, the North Carolina Republican Party sent out hourly updates counting down to the debate Hagan would not attend with questions they would like to see her answer and highlighted that her schedule would likely allow her to make it to the debate.

I’m sure that the empty chair will somehow be deemed “sexist”, and Tillis will be blamed, despite the chair being placed there by the people running the debate. An empty chair is perfect for Kay, who votes with Obama 96% of the time.

There are also a few polls, one which looks good for Kay on the surface

(WRAL) Democratic U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan holds a narrow lead over Republican challenger Thom Tillis with only two weeks left until the Nov. 4 election, according to an exclusive WRAL News poll released Tuesday.

SurveyUSA polled 568 likely voters across North Carolina between last Thursday and Monday and found that, if the election were held now, Hagan would capture 46 percent of the vote, compared with 43 percent for Tillis. Libertarian candidate Sean Haugh was favored by 6 percent of respondents, while 5 percent remain undecided.

The margin of error is 4.2. Here’s where it gets dicey for Kay

Hagan, who is seeking a second six-year term, holds an 11-point lead over Tillis among female voters and a 14-point lead among voters ages 18 to 34. Tillis, the speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives, holds an 8-point edge among voters ages 65 and older and a 17-point lead among white voters, who compose the bulk of those surveyed.

Holding the edge with seniors is a big deal, because they are the ones who traditionally come out to vote more than young folks during midterms. Furthermore, 40% of respondents stated that the economy is the most important issue, with Tillis holding the lead on Hagan 54 to 37%. I guess we’ll see in November.