McCrory's time

Would the invigorating winds of change blow through the halls of North Carolina's state government if a Republican -- specifically, Pat McCrory, for 14 years the mayor of Charlotte -- were elected governor? You betcha, says McCrory, vowing to dispel what he calls a culture of corruption that has afflicted the capital under Democratic rule.

That characterization is meant to embarrass McCrory's Democratic opponent, the lieutenant governor for the past eight years, Beverly Perdue. It is thus somewhat overdrawn; in any case, Perdue has not been implicated in any of the tawdry episodes that have blotted the General Assembly and various state agencies during her tenure.

Yet it's true that the reputations of North Carolina's legislative and executive branches both have suffered amid breaches of integrity. The conviction of the speaker of the state House on bribery-related charges was of course the low point.

Perdue may be as mortified as the rest of us over this misbehavior, typically exacerbated by an atmosphere of secrecy and patterns of mismanagement. She has her own reform agenda and has to be taken at her word when she says she'd govern honestly and openly and make sure those around her did as well.

But unfortunately for her, she's running against someone with a strong set of credentials when it comes to the key skills, qualities and priorities that enable a governor to succeed. Coupling those credentials with his promise to shake and clean things up -- letting those invigorating winds course through even if it means that some comfortable posteriors must feel a frigid blast -- Pat McCrory makes an excellent case why he should be elected North Carolina's next governor. He has The News & Observer's editorial endorsement.

McCrory, who turned 52 a few days ago, comes across as intelligent, ambitious, well-spoken. He is well-regarded in the city he leads, having won seven mayoral elections. That's a testament to his political skills and appeal, especially considering that Republican voters in Charlotte are outnumbered by Democrats and independents.

Born in Ohio, he moved to Guilford County with his family when he was in the fifth grade. He graduated from Catawba College in Salisbury planning to become a teacher, but wound up on the management ladder at Duke Energy. His final position before he quit to campaign for governor -- he was a late entry into the Republican primary field, but smoked his opponents -- involved the recruitment of corporate customers.

No doubt one of McCrory's strengths would in fact be in the area of economic development. That must be a key priority, more important than ever in light of the state's severe job losses in traditional manufacturing.

Education -- the preparation of a skilled, well-informed, intellectually adept work force -- is vital to creating and keeping jobs. For that reason a governor must be fully committed to supporting the public schools, the community colleges and the university system.

McCrory would have to stare down some public education critics in his party to provide the education leadership North Carolina has received from the last two governors, Democrats Mike Easley and Jim Hunt.

His inclination to favor publicly financed vouchers for at least some students in private schools could put him on a slippery slope, dangerous if it drained resources from public school systems. In fact, if there is any area where McCrory is vulnerable in his contest with Beverly Perdue -- who holds a doctorate in education administration and who could be counted upon as a staunch public education advocate -- it is in their respective abilities to pursue a vigorous education agenda.