Mark Robinson is ushering in a new type of Republican politician

Up and down the ballot, the GOP has chosen bombastic rhetoric over practical experience.

I wrote a piece for MSNBC about Mark Robinson. They wanted something more than just another article on his divisive rhetoric. I focused on his lack of experience. Here’s an excerpt.

“But unlike Trump, whose real estate empire and reality TV show made him a household name, Robinson was singularly unaccomplished before running for office. Robinson has sought to turn this into a strength: He claims that average North Carolinians identify with his modest background and financial struggles, including several bankruptcies and an eviction. 

“Certainly, his lack of experience hasn’t been a liability. In the 2020 North Carolina Republican primary for lieutenant governor, Robinson dispatched eight contenders for the nomination, including the state superintendent of public instruction, a state senator and a former member of Congress. In the general election, he defeated a Democratic state legislator. He won the nomination for governor this year by defeating Dale Folwell, the two-term state treasurer who also spent years in the legislature. 

“Others political beginners have followed Robinson’s example. This year, Republicans candidates with little experience defeated proven leaders in races for Congress and statewide offices. Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt lost her GOP primary to a woman whose only experience is losing a school board race and homeschooling her children. ”

Continue reading at MSNCB.com.