Neill McNeill's Blog

Of all my encounters with Senator Jesse Helms over the years---two stand out.

One happened in 1984. Senator Helms was in the middle of his heated re-election bid fighting off a strong challenge from North Carolina's extremely popular governor, Jim Hunt.

It was one of the Senator's final news conferences in downtown Greensboro a day or two before the election. I asked the Senator, "Senator Helms, Governor Hunt says he's glad the campaign's about over. Do you agree?" "That's about the only thing the Governor and I agree on," the Senator replied. And the whole room erupted in laughter. That quote was then published in newspapers across the nation the next day--- pretty "heady" stuff for a young reporter just out of college.

The second, I believe, happened in 1990. Senator Helms was fighting a challenge from former Charlotte Mayor Harvey Gantt. Again, it was a day or two before the election and the Senator's campaign plane had landed at one of the general aviation terminals at the Piedmont-Triad airport. It was his last across-the-state swing before the election.

WGHP had just purchased its new Sony "Betacam" cameras. David Weatherly (who now produces "Roy's Folks") was working with me that day. The camera he was carrying was among the first "entirely off the shoulder" cameras to hit the business. It replaced our heavy equipment package that included not only a camera but a heavy videotape deck the photographers  had to carry on their opposite shoulders.

Senator Helms suddenly grabbed David's camera, shook it, and said something to the effect of, "wow, these things certainly have gotten lighter."

These two encouters illustrate a characteristic of Senator Helms that not too many realized. He considered himself a journalist. He started out in newspapers and eventually became a TV news director and station vice-president (WRAL-TV in Raleigh). He knew how to write extremely well and knew how to use words perfectly to his advantage---in his writings, his interviews, his speeches, and his news conferences.

I believe this certainly was one of the major keys to him becoming one of the most if  not THE most effective politicians/politician in North Carolina history. Love or hate his positions, no one can deny he knew how to get his points across. He also was among the first politicians to truly "get" television-- be it his "negative" ads or his refusing to debate Harvey Gantt at one time---saying it would be a "dog and pony show." He knew how to create sound bites that would end up in just about every newscast.

We haven't seen quite the effectiveness or influence in a North Carolina politician since. I wonder if we ever will.

We'd love to read some of your memories/opinions about Senator Helms. Please comment in the box below.