‘I’m the majority…’
(Ben Sellers, Liberty Headlines) Just as the Left claimed that President Donald Trump’s win had inspired its supposed grassroots political uprising in the 2018 election, Democrats’ own over-reach has led to the unlikely political rise of conservative up-and-comers like Mark Robinson.
Robinson, who had planned on becoming a teacher until two years ago, decisively won the Republican primary for lieutenant governor in North Carolina, despite a crowded field of contenders and a shoestring campaign budget.
His charisma helped the Greensboro native stand out from the pack, along with a viral 2018 Youtube video in which he took on the local city council’s effort to enact radical gun-control measures.
“When are you all gonna start standing up for the majority,” he asked councilors in the video. “And here’s who the majority is—I’m the majority.”
According to Robinson’s campaign website, the video has been viewed more than 150,000,000 times. It led him to be featured on “Fox and Friends” and invited to serve on the NRA National Outreach Board.
Reshaping Conservatism
Robinson has since formed ties with prominent GOP leaders—including Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara, who has been instrumental in leading the president’s North Carolina campaign operations.
Like Trump, who started as an anti-establishment underdog during his historic 2016 primary upset, Robinson’s message resonated not only because of the issues he advocated but the way he advocated for them.
“I think that standing for the 2nd Amendment was crucial, not only to protect the rights of law abiding citizens to bear arms, but also because it showed that Mark was willing to fight for our Constitution and would protect the rule of law,” Robinson’s campaign manager, Conrad Pogorzelski, told Liberty Headlines.
“People want someone that will fight for [them], and by standing strong for the 2nd Amendment, he proved he is indeed a fighter,” Pogorzelski said.
Robinson also caught the attention of conservative activist Candace Owens, a leader of the Blexit movement to court African–Americans and other minority groups away from liberal ‘plantation politics’ by enlightening voters about the Left’s manipulative rhetoric and tactics.
Robinson’s own identity and upbringing helped him deliver a message about how to uplift the black community through conservative values.
“One thing that Mark talked about on the campaign trail was how a lot of black voters were conservative at home, in places of work, and when discussing issues with their friends, but there seemed to be a disconnect when they went to vote,” Pogorzelski said.
Robinson’s personal values have been consistently conservative, according to his online biography.
Despite growing up in poverty with an abusive, alcoholic father, he was instilled with a strong Bible-based religious foundation, courtesy of his mother.
He spent early years in the Army reserves and worked in a factory until his job was cut by the Bill Clinton-brokered NAFTA deal. However, he and his wife, Yolanda, went on to start a day-care business.
“Mark believes very much that we have an opportunity to reach the black community, not by changing what we talk about, but simply talking about the issues with truth and reason, and showing the contrast between Republicans and Democrats,” Pogorzelski said.
‘A True Grass Roots Movement’
Pogorzelski said all those experiences came to bear on the message Robinson delivered to conservative voters in Tuesday’s primary, which now will shift its focus toward reaching all North Carolinians in November’s general election.
“It’s hard to single out a single aspect of our message,” he said. “I think really it was about the whole package. Mark took a strong stance on protecting life, defending the 2nd Amendment, ending indoctrination in our schools, standing up for law enforcement, and setting the gold standard for veteran’s care.”
Looking ahead, one big change will be Robinson’s ability to focus on one opponent instead of nine.
Pogorzelski said he was extremely proud of Robinson and his campaign staff for cracking nearly a third of the entire vote in the crowded field.
“[I]t just shows how incredibly strong our campaign was, and how much our message resonated with voters,” he said.
While expanding its reach, the campaign hopes to retain several of its winning strategies: among them a “huge ground game” and a focus on micro-targeting likely supporters through data analysis in order to stretch its campaign funds to the maximum.
“We managed to not only build a campaign, but a true grass roots movement,” Pogorzelski said. “We did not purchase a single TV or radio ad, but through supporters getting out in their communities, posting on social media, and working the polls, we were able to get our message out.”