Sen. Fred Smith says he's not a spontaneous type -- and he makes no apologies for it.

He believes having structure and focus will set him apart from other candidates making a run for governor.

With parents who worked in Raleigh's Methodist Orphanage, Smith says, he grew up having structure and focus -- and he hasn't let go of it.

"I grew up with 24 other brothers," he said. "In a Methodist orphanage, you don't have a whole lot of time for being idle. Every day, we had a routine. We ate together. We fought together. We went to devotions together. At night, my mother would give us all cod liver oil. When you have that many boys and two parents, you learn that everything has to have a time and place, or you end up with chaos."

The Johnston County Republican said he brings that same attitude as he seeks the state's highest office.

"We have a plan and it's a plan of empowerment," Smith said Friday in an interview. "Liberals support ... big government. I think we need to contrast that -- not in pastel colors -- but in really bold colors. We're about freedom and hardworking people and family-oriented people and ... helping them improve themselves."

A lawyer-turned-businessman, Smith founded a company in 1986 that bears his name, builds subdivisions and paves roads. He says a business model would help fix what he calls a "fundamental issue" in his campaign: education in North Carolina.

"We need to treat a child as a customer," he said. "Teaching should not be a job-development vehicle. ... Education is about putting the child first."

"You learn in business to first take care of the customer ... and if you've got one-third of your customers dropping out, turning away from the product, then it's time to develop a different strategy," he said.

Smith says the state needs to get back to a traditional school system that will be an environment for learning. He says teachers need to be adequately paid.

He aims to take a look at the way the state tests its children, he said.

"I'm not saying that tests are not important, though," he said. "You can't manage if you can't measure."

He also supports vocational training for the state's students, he said.

"Many of our students are looking to become mechanics or (ventilation system) repairmen or lab techs," he said. "They shouldn't be made to feel like second-class citizens if they choose not to go to a four-year college."

Smith was elected to the Senate in 2002 and before that, served two years as a Johnston County commissioner. He served in the Army and was a judge advocate general. He attended Wake Forest University on a football scholarship.

"My dad was a coach and I was a tagalong growing up," he said. "I was just a B and C student in high school, but without that football scholarship, I wouldn't be where I am today."

Smith's stop Friday night at the New Bern-Craven County Area Farmers Market was his 48th appearance on a statewide barbecue tour that will include all 100 counties.

"This is part of Fred's effort to continue what he calls a conversation with the people," said Karen Rotterman, Smith's political consultant.

Article above by Nikie Mayo, Sun Journal, available online HERE.