Triangle at forefront of presidential campaign

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

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barack obama, mitt romney, inside politics, joel brown

Joel Brown
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RALEIGH (WTVD) -- The race for the White House is running through Raleigh Tuesday evening.

North Carolina Republicans are railing against President Obama's economic record. At the same time, Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx is in town to rallying Democrats for the national convention in September.

At GOP Headquarters, there was a chorus of complaints about President Obama's record on the economy.

"The Obama Administration has not helped our business in any way shape or form," said Harold Hoffmeier, the owner of All About Garage Doors in Zebulon.

Republican lawmakers were taking shots at the White House as well.

"This president, his goal, in my judgment, is to put America on the course of a socialist nation," said Sen. David Rouzer, of Johnston County.

It's Mitt Romney's campaign counterpunch after President Obama's new push to undermine Romney's biggest selling point, his business record.

North Carolina is one of a handful of battleground states bombarded with an ad which accuses Romney of dodging taxes and stashing millions in offshore bank accounts.

The ads have Romney on the defensive.

Foxx, Charlotte's top Democrat, arrived in Raleigh Tuesday to keep the momentum on the president's side.

"I feel very confident that this president has done everything could be done with this Congress that he's got on his hands to move this country forward," said Foxx.

Foxx also addressed a new incentive program for volunteers to work at the convention in Charlotte.

"All we have to do is go out and work nine hours and three shifts to get one ticket to history," said Foxx. "C'mon, I'm excited about that!"

Further evidence of the Triangle's prominence in presidential politics this year is also evident Tuesday evening.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is in Raleigh for a fundraiser for the Romney campaign.

ABC11 has learned that seats for the fundraiser start at $2,500 and go up from there.

Christie isn't the first political powerhouse to come through the area.

In the past few months, we've played host to Paul Ryan, Newt Gingrich, Jeb Bush, Joe Biden, Michelle Obama, and of course, the two candidates themselves.