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The Party Line is dedicated to examining regional issues and policies through the figures who give shape to them. These are critical, complex, and even downright confusing times we live in. There’s a lot to navigate nationally and in the Carolinas; whether it’s elections, debates on gay marriage, public school closings, or tax incentives for economic development. The Party Line’s goal is to offer a provocative, intelligent look at the issues and players behind the action; a view that ultimately offers the necessary insight for Carolina voters to hold public servants more accountable.

What Concerts Can Teach Us About Popularity In Politics

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No matter your preferred genre, be it rock, rap, country, pop, whatever, every live show follows a simple plan; the big draw goes last. 

That’s one thing that made Thursday’s campaign stop in Winston-Salem by Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and First Lady Michelle Obama interesting. Ok, one of many.

Yes, it was the first time the two women took the stage at a campaign event this year. And yes, it comes at a key time in a battleground state.

But if you were there, or if you want to watch the full event online here, note the speaking order. Clinton, who is on the ballot and whose campaign this event is for, speaks first. Michelle Obama goes last.

That was not the case in Charlotte in July, when President Barack Obama joined Clinton for the first time on the campaign trail. Then the President introduced his preferred successor.

So why did FLOTUS get top billing over Clinton when POTUS was the warm-up act? It may have to do with popularity. Hillary Clinton’s approval ratings are historically low. Only Donald Trump’s are lower.

Michelle Obama’s approval ratings, well, according to a recent survey by Gallup, are at 79%.

Tom Bullock decided to trade the khaki clad masses and traffic of Washington DC for Charlotte in 2014. Before joining WFAE, Tom spent 15 years working for NPR. Over that time he served as everything from an intern to senior producer of NPR’s Election Unit. Tom also spent five years as the senior producer of NPR’s Foreign Desk where he produced and reported from Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Haiti, Egypt, Libya, Lebanon among others. Tom is looking forward to finally convincing his young daughter, Charlotte, that her new hometown was not, in fact, named after her.