Andy Griffith endorses Perdue

In the race for governor, a fictional sheriff could be a political heavyweight.

Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue on Wednesday introduced a television ad featuring Andy Griffith endorsing Perdue's bid for the Democratic nomination for governor.

Griffith, who played the sheriff of the fictional North Carolina town of Mayberry in "The Andy Griffith Show," touts Perdue's vision, strength and honesty. He mentions her endorsements from various groups, including, "of course, sheriffs."

"Oh, you're going to be a goooood governor," Griffith coos to Perdue in the ad.

Griffith made the ad after talking with Senate Democratic leader Marc Basnight. Basnight and Griffith are friends, and the actor is a longtime resident of Manteo, in Basnight's district.

Griffith did a similar ad for Gov. Mike Easley in the closing weeks of his 2000 campaign for governor. The ad, which some say helped Easley win, became known in political circles as "The Mayberry Miracle."

Jay Reiff was Easley's campaign manager in 2000, and he says that Easley ran the ad only after the campaign figured it had the election locked up.

"I wouldn't count the result as being anything approaching a miracle," Reiff said Wednesday.

But then, Reiff is on other side now. He's managing the campaign of state Treasurer Richard Moore, Perdue's chief rival for the Democratic nomination.

Miracle or not, Perdue's campaign wasted no time trumpeting the endorsement as "huge."

"Andy Griffith is a North Carolina icon, somebody people can relate to," Perdue spokesman David Kochman said.