Mike Parker: ‘Balanced debate for the Old North State’ ends 22-year run
On Christmas evening, a political program focused exclusively on North Carolina aired its last show. The show completed a 22-year run that day. The moderator, Tom Campbell, decided to retire, and with his retirement came the end of NC SPIN.
NC SPIN has been a staple of my political diet for years. The show’s motto was “Balanced debate for the Old North State.” Campbell would host four commentators who had expertise in the North Carolina political landscape. The 30-minute show generally focused on only two or three issues. Campbell always reserved the last few minutes for the segment he called “Tell Us Something We Don’t Know.”
Staples among panelists were Chris Fitzsimon, Director of States Newsroom; John Hood, author and chair of the John Locke Foundation; Becki Gray, Vice President of the John Locke Foundation; and Joe Mavretic, former Speaker of the NC House. Other regulars on the show were Rob Schofield, Director of NC Policy Watch; Dennis Wicker, former NC Lieutenant Governor; Rufus Edmisten, former NC Secretary of State and NC Attorney General; Peg O’Connell, a political analyst; and Leo Daughtry, former NC legislator. A number of others also served on Campbell’s panels.
While Schofield and Fitzsimon represented the views of left-leaning opinion makers, John Hood and Becki Gray represented the more conservative and libertarian side of the political spectrum. Panelists such as Mavretic, Edmisten, and Wicker – all who had held political office – seemed to bring a less ideological and more pragmatic view to issues at hand.
The show was not filled with talking points. In fact, when each segment began, the announcer made clear the show was giving an “unrehearsed discussion on issues of interest to North Carolinians.”
During the last show, Joe Mavretic expressed what I always felt about NC SPIN:
“Tom, you have shown that North Carolina can have debate without being nasty about it.”
Former Lt. Gov. Dennis Wicker gave an account of the first time he appeared as a panelist on NC SPIN. He talked about how Chris Fitzsimon and John Hood got into a heated debate. “These guys were yelling at each other across the table,” Wicker said. Wicker was horrified at the exchange, but what shocked him even more was what occurred after the show. Fitzsimon and Hood walked off the set together, slapped each other on the back, and said, “Wasn’t this a great show.”
John Hood perhaps best summarized the legacy of NC SPIN during its last airing:
“We have demonstrated that you can have strong opinions; you can choose difficult, challenging, and controversial topics; you can have spirited discussion; but you don’t have to act like a bunch of jackasses.”
I appreciated most that each panelist presented his or her position clearly and backed up assertions with evidence. As Hood said, the show chose difficult and controversial topics. Each panelist brought a specific set of values and assets to those topics – their own particular “spin.”
As each show ended, I had learned something about the issues, as well as about the variety of opinions in this state. The show kicked off in 1998 with Episode 1 – and it ended on the last Friday and Sunday of 2020 – Episode 1154. For 22 years, NC SPIN boldly faced topics that needed serious analysis and discussion. I will miss that most.
I wish Tom Campbell happiness and fulfilment in his retirement. I am grateful for the years of service he provided to the citizens of North Carolina and for his willingness to offer “Balanced debate for the Old North State.”
Mike Parker is a columnist for Neuse News. You can reach him at mparker16@gmail.com.
Information for photo: After 22 years, Tom Campbell moderated the last show of NC SPIN on Dec. 25, 2020.
