Vernon Robinson Under Attack In N.C. Runoff

The Charlotte News & Observer ^ | August 13, 2004 | Bob Christenson

[Clintonfatigued]

Robinson's aggressiveness divides, becomes issue

[mykdsmom]

The newspaper you posted from is the Raleigh News & Observer (vile, liberal rag that it is), I'm sorry to say, I know it well.

MKM

[flashbunny]

another episode of 'when rinos attack'.

Rino's love reagans 11th commandment when it protects them. Any time they're questioned on geing quasi-libs, they scream bloody murder. But they believe they should get a free pass when attack the conservative members of their party.

[Conservative Firster]

"Foxx has a reputation in Raleigh as a mainstream conservative Republican. Mainstream=RINO

[southernnorthcarolina]

The News and Observer is actually a Raleigh, not Charlotte, paper. An easy source of confusion, as the paper in Charlotte is the Charlotte Observer. And to add to the confusion, the afternoon paper in Charlotte, which ceased publication a couple of decades ago like so many other afternoon papers was, you guessed it, the Charlotte News.

The News and Observer and the Observer are not related in any manner, but they're ideologically similar. The N&O at least makes no pretense of non-partisanism, and has fact bragged about its status as the house organ of the NC Democrats. The Observer tries to sell itself as more bipartisan, and has even been known to endorse a Republican now and then -- usually one who has the race locked up, anyway. But their heart, too, inclines to the left.

[fabriclady]

Robinson will get my vote.

[Huber]

"Foxx has a reputation in Raleigh as a mainstream conservative Republican. Mainstream=RINO

Well put!

[Feiny]

I live in CA, but I sent him $50.

[Clintonfatigued]

That's a good point. Unfortunately, there is evidence in other North Carolina publications that Foxx is pulling ahead in the race. Three candidates who didn't make the runoff, including conservative Nathan Tabor, have endorsed her. The website www.politics1.com was mistakenly quoted in a Robinson mailer. In response, the website's founder (Ron Gunzberger) said in response "While we're flattered that Robinson thought the Politics1 brand name had enough political street cred to use as a weapon against an opponent, the willful deceitfulness clearly shows that Robinson lacks the integrity to serve in Congress." Also,
an organization which donated to Robinson broke campaign finance laws, and now his honesty is now being attacked as a result. Lately, the North Carolina press has been unrelenting. In fact, one Republican official publicly claimed that Robinson was so damaged, he could lose to Surry County Commissioner Jim Harrell in the general election. I hate to say this, but the runoff is not going well. Be prepared for bad news this Tuesday.

[Clintonfatigued]

My mistake. Thanks for pointing it out.

[nickcarraway]

Tabor endorsed the ACLU?

[Kuksool]

If Vernon loses, then black GOP candidates go 0 for 3. Sad. Je$$e and the other race hustlers would be most pleased. However publicly, they would claim that Herman Cain, Vernon Robinson, and Dylan Glenn were the victims of GOP racism.

[THE MODERATE]

I can not speak for the two candidates in GA but if Robinson loses it will not be to GOP racism, it will be to mainstream GOP fear. Robinson has a following through out the state and the district and it is mostly white voters. Most polls will verify this although I do not have a link. I am willing to bet that most black Republicans in the fifth, and they are not many black voters in the fifth let alone Republicans, will vote for Foxx, Robinson has a following of the more conservative Republicans. As for the mainstream Republicans, call them what you will, in 1992 Governor Jim Martin endorsed only one Republican primary candidate it was Tina Little, wife of 2004 Governor candidate George Little, Tina Little is a pro choice, pro lottery, anti voucher Republican, running for the public instruction, education, seat her opponent was Vernon Robinson. However I think this race will be close and do not count Robinson out. His supporters are very dedicated to him and Foxx supporters are not as dedicated to her just against Robinson and a positive force can beat a negative one, I also am skeptical that Jim Harrell Jr. will beat Robinson in November, this is a very Republican district.

[Kuksool]

Agreed that the winner of the runoff will win the general. The NC-05 is the most GOP district in NC, let alone the nation. Bush won 66% - 33% in 2000. This is why the NC-05 primary has been so mean-spirited. The candidates can afford to smear each other and not be held accountable in the general election.

[THE MODERATE]

I actually think the tenth is more Republican in NC and maybe even the ninth, and the tenths runoff is equally as nasty but this time the "mainstream" group is ganging up on David Huffman, but I also think saying that Robinson will lose in November is a scare tactic.

[deport]

Question......... if you know.

Is Connie Hair still managing the Robinson campaign or has she flew the coop for the playing fields in Illinois?

[southernnorthcarolina]

Is Connie Hair still managing the Robinson campaign or has she flew the coop for the playing fields in Illinois?

Sorry, deport, no idea... The 5th Congressional District is about 100 miles from me at its nearest point, and I'm not up on the details of the campaign. Certainly it's a safe GOP seat, which is why the primary was contested so fiercely, and why the mud is flying in the runoff. Ditto the 10th CD, a bit closer to me.

[JohnnyZ]

Robinson has a following through out the state and the district and it is mostly white voters. Most polls will verify this although I do not have a link.

NO **** SHERLOCK. Most of Robinson's following is among Republicans. Most Republicans are white.

Who ever said Vernon was the hero of millions of black Democrats?

He does do better among blacks than other Republicans, though.

I am willing to bet that most black Republicans in the fifth, and they are not many black voters in the fifth let alone Republicans, will vote for Foxx,

Brilliant, so now you think black Republicans hate Robinson.

[JohnnyZ]

In response, the website's founder (Ron Gunzberger) said in response

Ron Gunzberger is a liberal Democrat and seems to have a particular hatred for at least this particular black Republican.

No one has denied that the piece Vernon cited was posted on Politics1, probably by someone on the blog.

And it is hardly surprising that some of the other candidates endorsed Foxx after Vernon basically called them all liberals. Did you read Tabor's endorsement of Foxx? He was practically in tears 'cause he thought Vernon had been mean to him, LOL.

Neither of those things is evidence that Foxx is pulling ahead. Vernon's campaign style does make it difficult, IMO, to get from 24% to 50%, although he's helped by Virginia being outside the population center and her attempts to hide her couple of liberal skeletons.

[southernnorthcarolina]

OK, let me revise my previous post -- the southern edge of the 5th CD is more like 50 miles from me. I forgot that it extended so far down into Iredell County. Here are North Carolina's Congressional Districts:

I live in Union County, in the 9th; in fact just about where that blue 9 is... yikes, I can see it out my window!

As others on this thread have noted, the 5th, 9th, and 10th CDs (and, I would add, the 6th) are all safe Republican districts. The western Piedmont of NC is pretty strongly GOP anyway, but when you carve out a "black district" along Interstate 85 for Mel Watt, inevitably adjacent districts become safer for Republicans.