The Real Mark Robinson

Lt. Governor Mark Robinson’s “response” to Governor Roy Cooper’s State of the State – it actually was pre-taped – was choreographed to make him seem reasonable and responsible. Then he spoke at Trinity Baptist Church in Mooresville one recent Sunday. He unleashed, again, on LGBTQ people – and on pastors who welcome them: “Makes me…

Read More

Folwell’s Folly

Dale Folwell threw his hat in the ring and his head in Mark Robinson’s buzzsaw. Folwell is state treasurer, so he should know math. The math doesn’t look good for him. A December poll showed Robinson beating Folwell 60-6 in a Republican primary for governor. When he announced his candidacy this weekend, Folwell said, “They’re…

Read More

Student Anguish

Yesterday I blogged about Republican legislators who don’t want North Carolina schools to teach “concepts” that cause students to “feel discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress.” I asked whether teaching the history of slavery and racism might cause “discomfort.” Several readers responded. One wrote, “How about physics and calculus?  I recall…

Read More

Whitewashing History

Republicans in the North Carolina House rammed through a bill saying schools shouldn’t teach any “concepts” that cause students to “feel discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress.” Will some students feel “discomfort” when they learn that White Southerners introduced slavery to America, started a Civil War to protect slavery, denied Black…

Read More

A Better Road

It used to be when we had a primary here in North Carolina and no candidate won 50% of the vote there was a runoff between the top 2 candidates. Politicians frowned on runoffs, changed the rule: If a candidate got 40% of the vote, and led, he won. Then politicians changed the rule again:…

Read More

Tax Cuts or Better Schools?

It’s a long-running debate with long-running impact on North Carolina: cut taxes or improve education? This year, again, the Republican-controlled legislature is set on cutting taxes and starving public schools, even with a $3 billion-plus surplus that could significantly raise the quality of education. For 60 years, the state made a series of different decisions.…

Read More

Bully Bill

The “Parents’ Bill of Rights” should be renamed the “Bullying Bill of Rights.” Yes, parents should be involved in their children’s schools. But any good in the bill the North Carolina Senate passed last week is outweighed by the harm to LGBTQ+ students. Sen. Lisa Grafstein, D-Wake, (pictured) said, “no matter the intent, the consequence…

Read More

History Repeating Itself

Throwing his hat in the ring Josh Stein’s off and running for Governor; I got a surprise that day I met him years ago: Sitting on opposite sides of a table disagreeing, we argued – the surprise I got was his old-fashioned, soft-spoken, courtesy. I met Stein’s Republican opponent a decade later – Mark Robinson…

Read More

Big Lawsuit

A year ago the Republicans in the state legislature drew all the Republican Congressional districts they could. Democrats sued. And the State Supreme Court – controlled by Democrats – threw out Republican districts, drew districts that elected more Democrats. Unhappy Republican legislators sued, asked the U.S. Supreme Court to rule only state legislators can draw…

Read More

The Coming Fight

For years, when Republicans fought in a primary, conservative candidates had an edge: Most primary voters were conservative. And, since Independent voters often agreed with conservatives on issues, conservative Republicans were able to go on and win General Elections. That’s changed. Today, for many Republican primary voters Trump’s a totem. Conservative, an idea, matters less.…

Read More