Mark Robinson hasn’t learned his lesson. Hopefully the GOP has. | Opinion

Mark Robinson is back. Or at least, he wants to be.

After months of silence, the former lieutenant governor reemerged this week on TikTok and a friendly podcast — saying he’s 100 pounds lighter and sounding like a man gearing up for a comeback.

Robinson blamed his blowout loss in last year’s governor’s race on consultants, the media, “cowards” who abandoned him, the people who wouldn’t let Mark be Mark. Everyone but himself.

“I was a lot smarter than most of the people who worked on my campaign,” he told conservative pastor John Amanchukwu. “I came out swinging at the beginning. I should have swung that way all the way to the end.”

That’s not reflection. That’s delusion. Clearly, Mark Robinson hasn’t learned a thing. The bigger question now is whether the Republican Party has — especially with an open U.S. Senate primary about to begin.

Political calculations

From the moment he burst onto the political scene with a viral speech to the Greensboro City Council, Robinson was a phenomenon. On the stump, he was electric: blunt, unapologetic, and seemingly authentic. It’s exciting to hear somebody “tell it like it is,” and Robinson delivered.

That’s the perfect recipe for winning a Republican primary, and that’s exactly what he did in 2020, earning the nomination for lieutenant governor with just over 30% of the vote. Then he edged out a weak Democratic candidate in the general election.

In a down-ballot race like that, nobody looks too closely, and you can get away with a lot. But running for governor is different. It’s a test of character, not just charisma. There’s more money, more scrutiny and a lot more at stake.

Republican leadership knew Robinson was a gamble. Some tried to nudge him toward a congressional run instead. But once it became clear he would win the primary, party leaders fell in line. They figured they could raise some money, avoid a civil war and worry about the general election later.

They made a political calculation. And when the numbers turned, they made another one.

As Robinson’s favorability collapsed in the suburbs, as fundraising dried up, as internal polling showed him dragging down the entire ticket, the same party leaders started walking away.

“I got some senators who’d burn my phone up wanting me to come to their fundraisers,” Robinson recalled on the podcast. “They wouldn’t even look me in my face in that Senate building. Walked right by without saying hello. That’s how deep the cowardice runs in that place.”

In some ways, he’s right. What changed wasn’t Robinson — it was the math. You could call it betrayal or cowardice. But more than anything, it was politics.

People love you when you’re useful to them. Robinson should have learned that. He didn’t.

Robinson is in his Hillary Clinton era

After losing to President Donald Trump in 2016, Hillary Clinton published a book called “What Happened,” laying blame on everyone from James Comey to sexism to the Russians. She acknowledged a few missteps, sure — but the core message was clear: this wasn’t really her fault.

That’s exactly what Robinson sounds like today. Now he’s teasing a new podcast and hinting at wanting another political run. He needs the money and craves the attention.

That makes this a dangerous moment for Republicans. Robinson still commands a loyal base. With U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis announcing he won’t seek re-election, Robinson could have a real shot at the Republican nomination if he jumps in.

That’s why Republicans need to be clear-eyed about what happened: Robinson didn’t lose because the party abandoned him. The party abandoned him because he can’t win.

Character matters

Voters will forgive a lot — but not if you act like you’re owed their support. You can be loud, you can be controversial, but you can’t be a hypocrite.

Robinson spent years blasting others for their failings, only to get caught in scandals of his own. He offered no mercy in his speeches, but then expected grace when he stumbled. That’s not how the world works.

But this was never just about him. It’s about the kind of leaders Republicans choose — and what they’re willing to overlook to win.

You can have a candidate who’s unapologetically conservative, but they also need to be fundamentally serious. Someone who wants to govern, not just perform. Robinson has shown, again and again, that he’s not that candidate. He never was and never will be.

Substance matters. Competence matters. But most of all, character matters. The heart is the first place to look. Is a candidate in it for themselves — or in it for the people they want to serve?

As Robinson reenters the spotlight, he’s made that answer even more obvious.

He hasn’t learned his lesson. Hopefully, the GOP has.

This story was originally published July 2, 2025 at 5:00 AM.