Perdue: 'Polls don't matter'

During an appearance on CNN this afternoon, Governor Bev Perdue defended her decision not to seek a second term, and blasted NC's Republican legislative leaders for their focus on social issues.

Perdue told anchor Brooke Baldwin that it wasn’t a matter of giving up. In 20 years in politics, Perdue noted, she never lost an election. “It’s not just partisan politics - it’s the tone of the partisan politics in this country these days.”

“I simply decided I couldn’t continue to do the work [on education] I care about in this kind of rabidly partisan environment,” Perdue said. “Taking it out of the partisan ballgame, I can be much more effective in making people face up to the challenges that we in North Carolina and in this country face in how we’re going to educate our kids to be globally competitive.”

Baldwin went on to quiz Perdue about her dismal approval ratings. Perdue’s smile faltered, but only briefly.

“Approval ratings don’t matter a hill of beans to me. They’ve never mattered. The only thing that matters is when the campaign starts, and we contrast [Republican candidate] Pat McCrory to the behavior that he and the Republican General Assembly have exhibited,” Perdue answered. 

“Polls don’t matter. People matter. I’m proud of my record.“ 

Perdue accused GOP leaders of focusing on social issues instead of creating jobs. “Right now, my state has a horrible constitutional amendment before it on marriage. We have the second [most] heinous [abortion] choice bill in America, second to Virginia – thank goodness Virginia did something – and we’re going backward.”

Watch the whole interview at right.