Where’s Mr. Robinson?

 

That’s a question being asked all over North Carolina lately.  A pattern is emerging with our lieutenant governor and his staff.  A grassroots group will invite Mark Robinson to speak or to simply appear at their event.  The staff will commit Robinson, and the groups advertise that he will be there. The staff will send regrets hours or even minutes before said event starts.  Sometimes, the lieutenant governor will simply go AWOL. Pull a no-show. I’ve heard about nearly three dozen instances like this in recent months.  The latest occurred at a political fundraiser here in Moore County last week for rookie legislative candidate Neal Jackson.

Jackson’s team is spinning it like they knew all along he wasn’t coming.  Yet, why did a visit by Robinson get promoted?  People I know who were in attendance said there was a general feeling in the room of surprise at Robinson’s absence.

You see Robinson speaking at all of these out-of-state events.  You see him doing national publicity for his forthcoming memoirs. (Still waiting on my review copy, by the way.)  He’s not missing any of that stuff.

Repeatedly blowing off grassroots events practically invites Dale Folwell, possibly Mark Walker, and — yes — Thom Tillis to jump into that 2024 GOP gubernatorial primary.  Grassroots folks — who tend to vote in GOP primaries — like to feel like they matter.

It’s embarrassing to boast that you’ve got a big-dog special guest coming to your event, and then he just doesn’t show.

Stand back folks, I’m about to offer a compliment.  Speaking of that fundraiser for Jackson here last week, I hear that Tubby Little Timmy was in the house and delivered a great speech.