Robinson? Hell no, I'm not voting for him

Last week, the Raleigh News & Observer published an op-ed titled, “Mark Robinson says he can attract Black voters to the GOP.  Black voters disagree,” by Paige Masten.

In the piece, Robinson, a guy Donald Trump incredulously calls “Martin Luther King on steroids,”  is quoted as saying, “In my case, what [Black voters] really see is a candidate that is able to reach out to those folks, bring common sense solutions to the problems they face, and then they see someone who looks like them.”

“Ultimately what happens is, we get into office and there’s success, and all of a sudden voting dynamics in North Carolina are changing for decades. And quite possibly, it starts across the nation.”

“They’re very afraid. They don’t want that to happen. They cannot have a conservative Black man at the helm in North Carolina or in any state.” 

Yeah, well, message to the delusional Steroid King -  I’m a Black voter, proud of it, and let me say for the record, that I will NOT be voting for you, Mark Robinson, for NC Governor in November.

Apparently I’m not alone. According to a Meredith College survey from last February, only 3% of likely Black voters in North Carolina polled said they may vote for Robinson over Democrat Josh Stein. That’s a steep decline from from last November when 15% said they supported the Black Republican.

As per general voters, the latest Quinnipiac Poll has Stein 52% with registered voters, over Robinson’s 44%.

None of those numbers surprise me very much now in April. But will Black voters support Robinson for governor going forward?

Based on many years of working in the Black Press, during which time I’ve covered a plethora of stories and issues involving people who look just like me - their hopes, dreams, fears, intellect, traumas, triumphs, setbacks, faith, pride, vision, passions, beauty, creativity, culture and humanity - here’s what I know.

I’m not saying conservative cultural warrior Mark Robinson won’t get any of my community’s support and vote, but dogs will have to quack, and pigs trained to fly, before a large percentage of Black folks I know will support him.

Allow me to be clearer. This is not partisan. I’m not leading anyone against Robinson or for Stein. That’s not my place. But I can tell you what I know, and that’s that while my community may not be in deep love with Democrat Josh Stein for a whole host of reasons (stuff for another column), there is absolutely nothing for us to like, or respect about Mark Robinson.

The guy is a shameless, unaccomplished blowhard who clearly has self-esteem issues that make him an all-to-easy patsy for right-wing zealots in the Republican Party and its chief carnival barker, Donald Trump. And the bad part about it is, Robinson has lots of company…company that looks nothing like me nor my community.

That makes him more of a cheap GOP tool, and a dangerous one at that.

Oh, the NC Republican Party has tried to soft-soap Robinson’s hard-edged persona, tried to present him as a statesman in the making, but there’s just too much out there that he’s said and done for any of that to fool most people. 

The question for us isn’t what despicable things has he said about other human beings he apparently despises, but what hasn’t he said. The guy is an overflowing cesspool of cowardly political hate.

But my profound disdain for Mark Robinson, who has proclaimed definitively that he “is not an African-American,” (a tribute to his boundless ignorance) isn’t really just about him being so divisive, as it is him being so …about nothing my community can be proud of.

Let me make it plain, and I’m certain other African-Americans agree with me.

Here we have a politician who looks like us, who is on the exalted path to making history of becoming the first Black person to be elected the governor of the great state of North Carolina.

African-Americans don’t take that lightly.

But unlike legendary figures of North Carolina history like Dan Blue, who was the first Black speaker of the North Carolina House; or Henry Frye, the first Black associate justice of the NC Supreme Court; or years later, Cheri Beasley, the first Black Chief Justice of the NC Supreme Court; Mark Robinson, the first Black to serve as lt. governor of North Carolina, engenders no record of impressive accomplishments while in that office for the people of North Carolina.

The guy is known for being just plain, pedestrian and hateful. That may be impressive to the fat MAGA beer-drinkin’ gun-totin’ redneck who thinks the world should take his butt-backwards self more seriously more often, but not to me or mine.

To be fair, North Carolina doesn’t allow its lieutenant governor to do much officially, but if you find yourself elected to the office, you should at least use the platform to advocate for bread-and-butter issues that are important to the people.

Democrat Rep. Yvonne Lewis Holley ran for lt. governor in 2020, and had she won, she would have used the office to advocate for fresh food markets to expand into high poverty food deserts in the state. 

That’s leadership - Black or white - that my community can respect.

I know former Rep. Holly well, and I know for certain she wouldn’t have spent her time as lt. governor insulting Jews, LBGTQ people, women, Blacks, Muslims, etc.. Holly, a proud Black woman who was raised to take pride in serving the people by her legendary father, broadcaster J. D. Lewis, only sees the vote of the electorate as confirmation of her devotion to their well-being.

But in 2020, Yvonne Lewis Holly was stunningly defeated for lt. governor by Mark Robinson, an unknown loudmouth, gun-loving, underachieving factory worker from Greensboro who allowed himself to be plucked from obscurity by the NC Republican Party to run for the second highest office in the state, based solely on his right-wing rhetoric, to serve an angry conservative base.

This clown is no one to be proud of. Robinson’s personal story is neither inspirational nor aspirational. He may make history because of a quirk of fate, but certainly not because of years of dedicated public service like retired Associate Justice Mike Morgan, who spent 44 years of his exemplary life serving the citizens of this state, 34 years of that on the judiciary, culminating on North Carolina’s highest court.

Justice Morgan is someone my community would have gladly supported, and been extremely proud to help elect as the first African-American governor of North Carolina. Had he been able to raise the money to really compete for the Democratic nomination, Justice Morgan could have won the primary, and his candidacy would have made both urban and conservative rural Black North Carolinians proud.

I’d like to think most of North Carolina’s African-American voters are just like me. If I’m going to support a Black candidate, regardless of  political party, it’s because that candidate has proven, per their past record and character, to be someone I can be proud of. I’m not looking for perfection, just dignified commitment.

Someone who has a distinguished record of service and accomplishments that shines no matter what they say or do. Someone who reflects the values I believe in when it comes to church, family, community and justice.

A public servant who goes out of their way to bring people together, and works diligently to understand those things that challenge public policy, so that nothing but fairness, if possible, can be the end result.

A person who does not wallow in hate and fear.

A public official who, when he or she accomplishes something good or great, it’s an accomplishment that we all proudly can share in and feel good about.

People outside of my community must understand that a good Black candidate for any office is the embodiment of our historic hope of being a meaningful part of the American Dream. That good candidate ultimately represents all of us, and if elected, carries our commitment to the total wellbeing of the human community.

So no…in fact, HELL NO! I will NOT be voting for Mark Robinson for governor of North Carolina this November, nor at any other time during the remainder of the precious life I have left.

That guy does not represent the good of my community. And to compare him to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - a true leader and man of GOD Robinson had the ignorant temerity to bark derogatory lies about -  is an extreme insult and indignity to all that is decent in mankind.