Wells’ GOP NCGOV race debut targets Robinson’s silence on secret casino deal
The newest arrival in the GOP primary for governor – former state senator Andy Wells of Hickory – has a lot to say about presumed front-runner (and lieutenant governor) Mark Robinson’s apparent lack of anything to say. Wells gave Robinson a good fight in the 2020 race for lieutenant governor.
Robinson’s claim-to-fame is an alleged predisposition to “speak his mind” without worrying about whose feelings get hurt.
Yet, he’s had little to nothing to say about GOP establishment passions like Medicaid expansion, legalized marijuana, corporate welfare and legalized casinos outside of tribal land. The big guy has been practically invisible while NCGOPe types have been ramming this stuff through the system in Raleigh. (It appears he’s been watching all of the game’s action from the bench.)
Mark Robinson rose to fame – and the lieutenant governor’s office – as a supposed warrior for the poorly-represented grassroots.
Nearly four years later, the grassroots are still poorly represented in Raleigh. And their “champion” — Robinson – is too busy at fundraisers at out-of-state resorts to fight the good fight he pledged to fight in 2020.
Amen. Thank you so much Brant for opening my eyes on NC politics, over the past years. Again, we are losing our state and country at the same time.
“It’s time to stop talking and do something.” Yeah. Express that about Robinson during an NCEIT meeting and see how well that goes over. ?
Womack said MR wanted some talking points on election integrity. My question was: why does he only want talking points for speeches instead of doing something about it?
As the president of the senate, he could have signed a legislative committee’s subpoena for 2020 records. He still could subpoena the 2022 primary or general election records.
But, alas, he has no pull with the committee chairs. Those guys belong to Moore and Berger, and MR knows it. He’d still be their little beotch as Gov.
BIG fundraiser in White Lake tonight….
I was a strong supporter of Mark Robinson when he ran for Lt. Governor but feel very disappointed in his performance in office. He is all talk and no do. The one thing he seemed to be working seriously on, education curriculum, he quickly abandoned after he got his publicity, not even attending the state school board meetings any more.
There have been a number of serious issues of concern to conservatives where the legislative leadership has screwed us and pushed leftwing policy. Robinson could have stood up for principle and at least tried to stop those things, but he did nothing, totally MIA. We have seen that with the Green New Deal, Obamacare Medicaid expansion, gambling, marijuana, casinos, letting non-Republicans vote in our primaries, etc. Has he become Berger’s boy or is he just a blowhard and a coward? Either way, he clearly does not have what it takes to be governor. Issues matter, and Robinson has failed us miserably there. I had high hopes for Mark but he has totally let us down.
What of Andy Wells? As a state senator, he was way too close to the Chamber of Commerce crowd for me, and he was way too close to the solar and wind goons. Actual political records matter a lot more than rhetoric. I am glad he is exposing Robinson’s failures, but Wells has yet to show me he would be any better.
Dale Folwell is the one who can be trusted on issues and has an actual record that gives conservatives confidence in his principles. When he gets involved on an issue, and that is something he does all the time, he follows through and he usually gets results. That is the kind of record I am looking for in a governor.
Confused. Lt. Governor has always voted at the State Board of Education and attends in person on every voting day. Just because you would rather have Folwell does not mean you get the freedom to lie on other Republicans.
A comment on this site indicated he had quite attending. If he is back attending, that is good. But he does not seem to be actively raising education issues with the public these days like he did in the beginning.
A bigger concern is Robinson’s failure to engage on issues in the General Assembly, where he presides over the Senate, particularly on the string of issues where Berger and Moore have carved a path to the left. Robinson has been asleep at the switch on a whole series of major issues. Is he in league with Berger’s liberal positions or just afraid to stand up for principle? I want a governor who will engage on policy issues, and stand strong for conservative principle, and Mark Robinson’s record shows that way too often, he just fails to do that.
I look at candidates on their record more than their rhetoric. Talk is cheap. What I am looking for is summed up in an old political slogan of the British Conservative Party – “Action, Not Words”. It is one that Dale Folwell could easily adopt.
Excellent analysis. Dale, however, needs a message that carries him beyond the 10,000 or so people who have met him.
Well guess who won the policy maker of the year award from a large gambling organization?
NC should be so proud of Jason Saine and Jim Perry.. Money can’t buy everything, but it sure can buy some crappy politicians.
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230830776373/en/Gambling.com-Group-Announces-Finalists-for-2023-American-Gambling-Awards
Local Republican activists have been onto what Perry is since his heavy involvement in pushing the Green New Deal, HB951, and the Obamacare Medicaid expansion. A conservative former legislator was gearing up to primary Perry in 2022, when out of the blue Mark Robinson endorsed Perry. While local activists never found out if Robinson knew darn well a primary was in the works and he was helping the more liberal candidate, or whether he just shot cluelessly from the hip, that endorsement profoundly impacted in a negative way the degree to which many local GOP activists in two counties trust Robinson. Given that at the time Robinson was viewed as a major conservative force in the party, those working on the primary challenge concluded it made the race too much of an uphill climb.