don’t ask dan

The Charlotte Observer editorial board has a message for NC-09 voters: we don’t know Dan McCready.

See editorial below.

What exactly would voters get in Dan McCready? Don’t ask him

Democrat Dan McCready has a lot of fine attributes. Giving direct answers to tough questions is not one of them.

…

McCready, a former Marine and entrepreneur, has portrayed himself, in this conservative-leaning district, as a centrist who will work across the aisle and put “country before party.” That has prompted Republicans to complain that McCready avoids taking stands on controversial issues.

At a luncheon Wednesday hosted by the Hood Hargett Breakfast Club, he did little to dispel that notion. Over and over again, he dodged direct questions and barely disguised it.

…

“More importantly,” the audience member pressed, “your position on the 10 million who are here now, what do we do?”

“Well, I think, I don’t have all the answers on immigration. The reality is these are complex challenges,” McCready said. “We need people actually sitting down and rolling up their sleeves to work together to solve the problems that we have.”

“But what would you do?” another audience member asked.

Pause. “I’m sorry?” McCready said.

“What would you do is his question. If you could write it, what would you do?”

“Well, it starts with securing the border,” McCready said, and “we also have to reform immigration in a way that’s in accordance with our values.”

We’ve heard. We never did learn what McCready would do with the millions of immigrants who are already here illegally.

…

McCready is smart, has raised buckets of money, has an impressive background and articulates a badly needed message of the importance of bipartisanship. But he needs to get more courageous about answering tough questions.

We get why he doesn’t; it very well might be his best strategy in a district that hasn’t elected a Democrat in generations. But voters deserve to know what they’re really getting. McCready hasn’t told them yet.