A gun-rights rebellion in Robinson-Land?
That’s what it looks like from here. We’re starting to notice a pattern — early, passionate, high-profile supporters of Lt. Governor Mark Robinson are defecting from Team MKR. We saw it earlier with 
former congressman Mark Walker — who received praise in Robinson’s 2022 memoir but had become a Robinson critic by 2023. Now, it appears we’re seeing trouble brewing between Robinson and one of the two guys who helped orchestrate the speech before the Greensboro City Council that paved his way to statewide and national political stardom.
People involved in the state’s gun-rights movement, or simply state politics in general, are surely 
familiar with Andy Stevens. Until recently, Andy was vice president for operations for Grassroots NC (GRNC) and state director of Gun Owners of America. Both groups have been key players in Second Amendment debates inside and outside of government in North Carolina.
In his 2022 memoir, Robinson specifically called out GRNC and two guys with the organization — likely Andy Stevens and Paul Vallone — for their work in getting him in front of the Greensboro council to make his famous speech, and for getting the video of said speech circulated on social media. Robinson’s speech before the city council was arguably the catalyst for his political success thus far.
Ever since the GOP gubernatorial primary field was set, Stevens put himself out there as a staunch Robinson supporter.
Fast forward to this week, where THIS showed up in Stevens’s Twitter (X) feed:
Ooooooo-kay. Sounds like trouble in paradise, huh?
That posting got me curious. Rumors started circulating. I dug around and came up with THIS from GRNC’s political arm:
Wow. “Vote AGAINST Bill Graham” ???
Again, this is the group that engineered the launch of Robinson’s political career. They got him to where he IS right now. And ALL they can muster is “Don’t vote for the slip-and-fall Thom-Tillis-loving ambulance-chaser”?
To top it all off, HERE is Stevens in his own words about the drama at GRNC regarding the GOP primary for governor:
Let’s recap. Mark Walker and his team spoke of a perceived double-cross by Robinson. Sources in that camp claim Robinson promised Walker an endorsement for US Senate, but surprised everyone at the last minute with an endorsement of Ted Budd.
And now here we have what appears to be another double-cross of a devoted long-term Robinson ally. It seems like the rest of you still with Team MKR need to ask yourselves: “How long until we get a knife shoved in our backs?”
I am surprised that GRNC even gives Robinson the time of day after he sat there fat, dumb, and stupid when Phil Berger announced he was killing Constitutional Carry in NC. Robinson had a bully pulpit in the Lt. Governor’s office to call Berger out and push for Constitutional Carry, but he chose to stay silent. Robinson went AWOL on the most important gun rights bill last session. He is all talk and no DO.
Folwell is the only candidate we can trust on gun rights. Mark Robinson may talk a good game but he is not there when it counts. That has been true on major issue after major issue. He made his political name on gun rights but will not even stand up for that. Is there anything we can trust him on? I sincerely doubt it.
also keep in mind the NRA had a hand in killing CC in NC. Their part in it was a result of not liking the training aspect of the bill. THAT’s what killed it. I didnt like it either, but the NRA surely didn’t advance the ultimate goal of getting rid of the whole requirement of asking for permission to exercise our fundamental rights.
The NRA was, as too often happened under Wayne LaPierre, was looking out for its own pocketbook, not the interests of gun owners. It wanted revenue from the training requirement and was miffed that it was not directed to them. I guess Wayne LaPierre was worried there would be enought money to divert to his personal pocketbook, as too often happened during his reign.
Knowledgable gun rights advocates know the NRA is bent and look instead to more reliable gun rights groups like Gun Owners of America, the National Association for Gun Rights, and here in NC, Grassroots North Carolina. The NRA’s endorsements have also been bent for years thanks to LaPierre and his cohorts.
Ask Folwell to tell you about the MKR supporter who approached him at an event to ask him about Constitutional Conceal and Carry. Folwell told him – stay right here, I’ll be right back.
The guy muttered something like -yeah, that’s what I thought.
But Folwell walks over to get pen and paper, wrote his commitment that he would push for and sign a Conceal and Carry bill, signed his name to it, and handed it to him.
The MKR supporter called him a couple days later to say he was now on Team Folwell.
One candidate is a big talker.
One is a man of action and has a record of accomplishments.
It’s a no brainer for those who think critically.
ps
Trump supporting Whatley was a blessing in disguise. It taught those who needed to learn this lesson:
SOMETIMES TRUMP GETS IT WRONG.
Thank you for sharing this very important story Carol. FOLWELL is a man of honor and integrity.
I’m afraid Dale Folwell will not do well at all in this primary. Hopefully he will have a surprise come-from-behind victory. He has my vote.
I’m in your camp. I know many supporting Robinson and hosting fundraisers for him and I’m shocked. I question of they have any idea of his personal/business life and how he has managed the Lt Gov office?
Robinson has way too many folks fooled and the dems,/media/press can’t wait to carry him over the edge and once the nominee, he won’t last 30 days…it will be trump-like in the assassination of him, his character, his family…
And I’m also afraid Dan is not a household name that will carry him.
I take trump’s endorsement as nothing. Give him attn, praise, adoration and he’ll endorse a whale. He is the worst of the worst at endorsing and hiring. His hires are as bad as his endorsements. ‘
Mark Robinson is nothing but a big fat farce.