Years ago when Ronald Reagan ran for president against Gerald Ford most GOP party officials were unhappy – they didn’t like Reagan. That didn’t turn out to make much difference in the primary. Republican voters liked Reagan – so he beat Ford in NC’s primary.

The other day I read an article in the newspaper about a speech by North Carolina’s sitting Lt. Governor Mark Robinson – he ‘accused leftist politicians of tap dancing on the graves of children.’ Robinson, mirroring Trump, threw a mudball. And a lot of GOP officials, who like Robinson, cheered.

How did that sit with voters? Mirroring Trump hasn’t worked well for Republicans in the last three elections. Robinson’s popular with GOP officials, they think he’s a sure bet to be the next Republican candidate for Governor. But most Republican voters don’t know much about Robinson. And most swing voters, who decide elections, are tired of angry showmen.

Josh Stein, the Democrat running for Governor, is liberal. But he’s polite, not angry – and certainly doesn’t ‘tap dance on the graves of children.’ If Mark Robinson ends up as the Republican candidate for Governor that’s bad news for Republicans – and good news for Josh Stein.