Outside the box

by | Jul 31, 2023 | Editor's Blog | 4 comments

Lt. Governor Mark Robinson’s handlers are trying desperately to shut him down and put him in a box. Last week, they announced Robinson would not be attending a conference where he was listed as a featured speaker. The ReAwaken America tour that features a who’s who of right-wing conspiracy nuts has Robinson’s face on a promotional poster. The organizer tweeted back in June that he would be there. His campaign now says otherwise.

Almost every time Robinson speaks in public, he exposes his vitriol, ignorance, and hate. At a rally in May, he claimed that 5-year-olds are receiving “transgender surgery.” It’s not true, but it’s the latest outrage that Robinson is exploiting. In the modern Republican Party, truth is just a matter of opinion. At a Moms for Liberty rally, he made up accusations that Merrick Garland had called the group a “domestic terrorist” organization.” He had not, but why let facts get in the way of a good outrage? 

His campaign’s standard denial is that Robinson’s words were taken out of context, but they aren’t. I mean, he’s speaking to Moms for Liberty. Of course they’re in context.

His campaign desperately wants to keep Robinson from talking. The more the broader electorate learns about him, the less electable he becomes. Conversely, the more the Republican primary electorate learns about him, the more likely he is to win the nomination. If they can just keep him away from his tribe, the conspiracy theorists who want to undermine democracy, maybe they can carry him across the line to the governor’s office. 

Mainstream Republicans want to pretend that Robinson is something he’s not—moderate. They hope that if they just keep him quiet, people will ignore that he has a history of antisemitism, spouting conspiracy theories, and lying. They also want to justify their own eventual votes for him, just like they justify their votes for Donald Trump. 

With Mark Robinson, Republicans have quite a dilemma. The political persona he’s created is probably unelectable. He thrives off applause from the nut-case wing of the GOP. He has no real experience doing anything in government. He has a real problem with the truth, spouting easily debunked lies. Of course, that’s the guy the GOP base wants. 

But that politician will turn off more of the state’s moderate voters than he’ll attract. He may also serve as a rallying point to turnout the Democratic base because outrage works both ways. And the more he talks, the easier it will be for Democratic ad makers to define Robinson as outside of the mainstream. 

Robinson’s handlers need to keep him in a box as much and as long as possible, but that’s not an easy task. He’s driven by attention, not policy successes. He thrives on an audience and loves the applause. He won’t get it if he’s boring and that will leave him frustrated. He’s really got nothing to run on but outrage so Republicans need to make him something that he’s not. 

4 Comments

  1. John Randal Guptill

    Wayne: Please get some help.

  2. TC

    Since we’re doing a little cleaning, how’s about you Republicans cleaning the offal off the top of your primary ticket. You can rage about how he isn’t in office in more, but, it’s not for a lack of trying. Seems the Department of Justice has taken a keen interest in his attempts too. How many indictments have been handed down now?

    Alas pooooor Donnie. He is only being indicted for his supporters. Not for anything he did, talked about, supported. No, not Donnie. He didn’t do anything, he didn’t say anything, and yet he needs money! He needs your money to pay his legal bills to try and stay out of prison. He won’t spend his money, but he can damn sure spend yours. Campaign funds funneled from his Super PAC to his lawyers. I’m assuming his lawyers. He’s got a penchant for not paying his bills or attorneys.

    No doubt Xi, Kim, and Vladimir are gushing this week too. Don spent his weekend begging for money and doting over his favorite dictators. Men he looks up to. Men he wishes he could be just like. I guess Donnie does know a little bit about communism, he has enough idols that are communists.

    So yeah, lets have a little quid pro quo here. We’ll clean ours if you clean yours.

    You go first.

  3. Joshua Horn

    “with his mouth appropriately open” Wait, you are taking issue with a picture of Robinson smiling??

  4. Wayne

    Gee, when it comes to keeping a politician in a box, there’s no better example than the Democrat’s clueless poster child, Joe Biden!

    It has become CLEARLY obvious that Joe Biden cannot distinguish fact from fiction, has a REAL problem with the truth, and spouts off unsupportable lies all the time! How many examples would you like for me to provide for you in here…??? OH, but, that’s right—Democrats ONLY listen to CNN (the Communist News Network) MSNBC (a cadre of Leftist morons), or the distinguished women of accomplishment on The View. Yeahhh…we get it. If it weren’t for websites like this one, or for news media outlets that dependably shill propaganda support for the Democrats, Biden would have disappeared years ago. As well he should have, since, in a half-century of feeding off of the government teat, he hasn’t managed to accomplish ANYthing of notable worth or value.

    The more Biden talks, the deeper he sinks himself into abject stupidity. Is it any wonder that his handlers have to work overtime to shut him up?? Biden can’t even read his note cards without mumbling or falling asleep! No wonder they foisted him off to the beach in Rehobeth, Delaware for the next 10 days for a ‘vacation’. Biden doesn’t DO anything anyway, except embarrass the United States overseas in front of other world leaders—who are so embarrassed FOR him that they have to lead him around by the hand, or show him how to get off stage!!

    The history of Biden’s racist comments is provable, because guess what–? All those internet videos are still available online! The guy is a racist, and is little more than a walking clown show that obnoxiously panders to every ethnic or racial group whom he encounters! Biden’s ‘handlers’ have tried to make him into something which he is not, and it has become PAINFULLY obvious to the entire world now! Go ahead—just ask Joe and he’ll tell you, cuz Ol’ Sleepy Joe knows more about being a black, Jewish, Puerto Rican, truck driving Catholic than ANYbody! And if you don’t believe him, he’ll take you out back and beat you in a push ups contest! Gosh, whatta guy!

    Your observations about Mark Robinson are noted, but Democrats might want to clean up the rubbish in their OWN backyard before clutching their pearls and gasping with hysteria over Robinson.

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