Vernon Robinson
Encyclopedia
Vernon Lucius Robinson is an American
candidate for U.S. Congress and former Winston Salem City Council member. He is known for two unsuccessful Congressional campaigns. He has been described as a perennial candidate
in the traditional print press.
(1996), state Senate (1998), state House of Representatives (2002), U.S. Congress (2004, 5th District, NC), Chair of the NC Republican Party (2005), and U.S. Congress (2006, 13th District, NC). He served two terms on Winston-Salem's City Council as one of only two Republicans. In 2005 he was defeated by Democrat Molly Leight, garnering 922 votes against her 1,665. Criticism mounting up to his loss included his 2004 placement of a 1-ton Ten Commandments
and Bill of Rights
monument at City Hall (which had to be removed). Robinson congratulated his opponent and spoke of his service as a councilmember. "I'm proud that I was sort of a watchdog on the council," he said.
According to a November 1, 2005, Winston Salem Journal article, of the 15 public safety committee meetings held during the preceding 2 years, Robinson missed seven, even though he was the committee's vice chair. During the same time period, Robinson also missed 20 of the 22 meetings of the public works committee, of which he was a member.
During the 1990s and 2000s, Robinson crusaded for school choice legislation as a measure to improve North Carolina public schools. As President of an education reform foundation, he authored articles on the topic, which were published in nonpartisan public policy digests.
's 5th congressional district
. He placed first in the July 20 primary before losing a runoff in August; the seat was being vacated by Richard Burr
.
During the campaign, the Winston-Salem Journal
, in an editorial criticizing Robinson, declared: "Jesse Helms is back! And this time, he's black." The Journal was attempting to chastise Robinson by comparing him to the very conservative ex-U.S. Senator, Jesse Helms
. This editorial actually encouraged conservative support to rally around Robinson. Moreover, Robinson's campaign adopted the quote as a campaign slogan.
His 2004 campaign highlighted several issues, especially illegal immigration
. In fact, his campaign really began a year earlier when he was the keynote speaker at an anti-illegal-alien rally in front of the Mexican consulate in Raleigh. His campaign, once underway, included one radio
advertisement that was temporarily removed from radio stations due to concerns regarding Federal Election Commission
and Federal Communications Commission
regulations. The advertisement ended with a message in Spanish which translates to "Yo, gringo
! This episode of 'The Twilight Zone
' was paid for by Robinson for Congress." The radio station, WSJS
, was concerned that the FEC and/or FCC might take issue with the non-English disclaimer, as the rest of the ad was in English. To avoid possibly being construed as biased, WSJS pulled all ads for the 5th District Primary. After Robinson decided to change the disclaimer to be in English with the above text, WSJS restored the modified ad, and with it, all 5th District ads. The guideline with which WSJS was concerned required the organization paying for a political advertisement to be disclosed. In defending his ad, Robinson said, according to the Winston-Salem Journal
, "I think there might be a debate about 'paid for' (being understood), but 'Robinson for Congreso' is clear."
Robinson takes a socially conservative stance on a number of other issues. He campaigned at gun show
s in the 5th District. Robinson frequently charged his primary opponents as being big tax-raisers and homosexual rights supporters. Jack Kemp
initially endorsed Robinson, but withdrew his endorsement when Robinson supported strong enforcement of immigration laws.
In an eight-way primary for the Republican nomination, Robinson pulled 24% of the vote, finishing first and ahead of well-funded candidates but falling short of the 40% threshold required to avoid a runoff. Therefore, in August, Robinson faced off against second-place primary finisher Virginia Foxx
, who also was a social conservative. He polled 45% against Foxx. Foxx went on to win the general election over Democrat Jim Harrell, Jr.
.
. He sought to run against Congressman Mel Watt
in the heavily Democratic 12th Congressional District
. Although he does not live in the 12th, his children go to school in the 12th's portion of Winston-Salem.
On February 28, the last day to file for office in North Carolina, Robinson withdrew as a candidate in the 12 District and filed to run in the more competitive 13th District
, against incumbent Congressman Brad Miller
. The 13th doesn't include any part of Winston-Salem; while members of the House are not required to live in the district they represent, it has become a strong convention that they do so. Robinson defended his candidacy in this district by saying he had several donors from the 13th in 2004 and that he was motivated by a desire to defeat Miller. Winning 63% of the vote, Robinson won a May 2 primary against two relatively unknown candidates.
Robinson's campaign featured:
In August 2011, Vernon Robinson launched a new official campaign website, announcing his candidacy for the 8th Congressional district in North Carolina. He summarized his positions on the issues on his new site and stated, "I believe there is no more pressing issue regarding national survival than the issue of our exploding national debt. We cannot allow the Obama Administration and Washington insiders to spend money that we do not have with an IOU drawn off the backs of our grandchildren. This is fiscal child abuse and changes our country's motto from "Home of the Brave" to "No Child Left a Dime."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
candidate for U.S. Congress and former Winston Salem City Council member. He is known for two unsuccessful Congressional campaigns. He has been described as a perennial candidate
Perennial candidate
A perennial candidate is one who frequently runs for public office with a record of success that is infrequent, if existent at all. Perennial candidates are often either members of minority political parties or have political opinions that are not mainstream. They may run without any serious hope...
in the traditional print press.
Politics and public service
Robinson's numerous campaigns for office have included runs for North Carolina Superintendent of Public InstructionNorth Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction
The North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction is the elected head of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and oversees the public school systems of the state. The Superintendent is currently an elected member of the North Carolina Council of State, chosen in a partisan...
(1996), state Senate (1998), state House of Representatives (2002), U.S. Congress (2004, 5th District, NC), Chair of the NC Republican Party (2005), and U.S. Congress (2006, 13th District, NC). He served two terms on Winston-Salem's City Council as one of only two Republicans. In 2005 he was defeated by Democrat Molly Leight, garnering 922 votes against her 1,665. Criticism mounting up to his loss included his 2004 placement of a 1-ton Ten Commandments
Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
and Bill of Rights
Bill of rights
A bill of rights is a list of the most important rights of the citizens of a country. The purpose of these bills is to protect those rights against infringement. The term "bill of rights" originates from England, where it referred to the Bill of Rights 1689. Bills of rights may be entrenched or...
monument at City Hall (which had to be removed). Robinson congratulated his opponent and spoke of his service as a councilmember. "I'm proud that I was sort of a watchdog on the council," he said.
According to a November 1, 2005, Winston Salem Journal article, of the 15 public safety committee meetings held during the preceding 2 years, Robinson missed seven, even though he was the committee's vice chair. During the same time period, Robinson also missed 20 of the 22 meetings of the public works committee, of which he was a member.
During the 1990s and 2000s, Robinson crusaded for school choice legislation as a measure to improve North Carolina public schools. As President of an education reform foundation, he authored articles on the topic, which were published in nonpartisan public policy digests.
2004 congressional race
Vernon Robinson was a candidate in the 2004 primary for the Republican nomination for North CarolinaNorth Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
's 5th congressional district
North Carolina's 5th congressional district
North Carolina's 5th congressional district covers the northwestern corner of North Carolina from the Appalachian Mountains to the Piedmont Triad. The district includes Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Davie, Stokes, Surry, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yadkin counties and parts of Forsyth, Iredell, and...
. He placed first in the July 20 primary before losing a runoff in August; the seat was being vacated by Richard Burr
Richard Burr
Richard Mauze Burr is the senior United States Senator from North Carolina and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, Burr represented North Carolina's 5th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives....
.
During the campaign, the Winston-Salem Journal
Winston-Salem Journal
The Winston-Salem Journal is a daily newspaper primarily serving the city of Winston-Salem, North Carolina and its county, Forsyth County, North Carolina. It also features coverage of Northwestern North Carolina and circulates as far west as Tennessee and north to Virginia.The paper is owned by...
, in an editorial criticizing Robinson, declared: "Jesse Helms is back! And this time, he's black." The Journal was attempting to chastise Robinson by comparing him to the very conservative ex-U.S. Senator, Jesse Helms
Jesse Helms
Jesse Alexander Helms, Jr. was a five-term Republican United States Senator from North Carolina who served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 1995 to 2001...
. This editorial actually encouraged conservative support to rally around Robinson. Moreover, Robinson's campaign adopted the quote as a campaign slogan.
His 2004 campaign highlighted several issues, especially illegal immigration
Illegal immigration to the United States
An illegal immigrant in the United States is an alien who has entered the United States without government permission or stayed beyond the termination date of a visa....
. In fact, his campaign really began a year earlier when he was the keynote speaker at an anti-illegal-alien rally in front of the Mexican consulate in Raleigh. His campaign, once underway, included one radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
advertisement that was temporarily removed from radio stations due to concerns regarding Federal Election Commission
Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission is an independent regulatory agency that was founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the United States. It was created in a provision of the 1975 amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act...
and Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
regulations. The advertisement ended with a message in Spanish which translates to "Yo, gringo
Gringo
Gringo is a slang Spanish and Portuguese word used in Spanish-speaking and Portuguese-speaking countries in Latin America, to denote foreigners, often from the United States. The term can be applied to someone who is actually a foreigner, or it can denote a strong association or assimilation into...
! This episode of 'The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone is an American television anthology series created by Rod Serling. Each episode is a mixture of self-contained drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist...
' was paid for by Robinson for Congress." The radio station, WSJS
WSJS
WSJS is a radio station based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina that broadcasts at 600 AM. It has a news/talk radio format and its slogan is "The Triad's News Radio", where "Triad" refers to the Piedmont Triad.-Programming:...
, was concerned that the FEC and/or FCC might take issue with the non-English disclaimer, as the rest of the ad was in English. To avoid possibly being construed as biased, WSJS pulled all ads for the 5th District Primary. After Robinson decided to change the disclaimer to be in English with the above text, WSJS restored the modified ad, and with it, all 5th District ads. The guideline with which WSJS was concerned required the organization paying for a political advertisement to be disclosed. In defending his ad, Robinson said, according to the Winston-Salem Journal
Winston-Salem Journal
The Winston-Salem Journal is a daily newspaper primarily serving the city of Winston-Salem, North Carolina and its county, Forsyth County, North Carolina. It also features coverage of Northwestern North Carolina and circulates as far west as Tennessee and north to Virginia.The paper is owned by...
, "I think there might be a debate about 'paid for' (being understood), but 'Robinson for Congreso' is clear."
Robinson takes a socially conservative stance on a number of other issues. He campaigned at gun show
Gun show
A gun show is a temporary exhibition or gathering in the United States where firearms, firearm accessories, ammunition, literature, knives, jerky, militaria, and miscellaneous collectibles are displayed, bought, sold, traded, and discussed. Gun shows also often include exhibitions related to...
s in the 5th District. Robinson frequently charged his primary opponents as being big tax-raisers and homosexual rights supporters. Jack Kemp
Jack Kemp
Jack French Kemp was an American politician and a collegiate and professional football player. A Republican, he served as Housing Secretary in the administration of President George H. W. Bush from 1989 to 1993, having previously served nine terms as a congressman for Western New York's 31st...
initially endorsed Robinson, but withdrew his endorsement when Robinson supported strong enforcement of immigration laws.
In an eight-way primary for the Republican nomination, Robinson pulled 24% of the vote, finishing first and ahead of well-funded candidates but falling short of the 40% threshold required to avoid a runoff. Therefore, in August, Robinson faced off against second-place primary finisher Virginia Foxx
Virginia Foxx
Virginia Foxx is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. She is a member of the Republican Party. The district takes in much of the northwestern portion of the state and a portion of Winston-Salem....
, who also was a social conservative. He polled 45% against Foxx. Foxx went on to win the general election over Democrat Jim Harrell, Jr.
Jim Harrell, Jr.
James Andrew "Jim" Harrell, Jr. was the Democratic nominee for U.S. House of Representatives from in 2004. He won 41 percent of the vote to Virginia Foxx's 59 percent. The seat had been open after the retirement of Richard Burr, who left to run a successful campaign against Erskine Bowles to...
.
2006 congressional race
In early 2006, Robinson announced he would again seek to become a member of the Congressional delegation from North CarolinaUnited States Congressional Delegations from North Carolina
These are tables of congressional delegations from North Carolina to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives.-United States Senate:-House of Representatives:-Key:...
. He sought to run against Congressman Mel Watt
Mel Watt
Melvin Luther Watt is the United States House of Representatives for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life, education and career:...
in the heavily Democratic 12th Congressional District
North Carolina's 12th congressional district
North Carolina's 12th congressional district is located in central North Carolina and comprises portions of Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Lexington, Salisbury, Concord, and High Point...
. Although he does not live in the 12th, his children go to school in the 12th's portion of Winston-Salem.
On February 28, the last day to file for office in North Carolina, Robinson withdrew as a candidate in the 12 District and filed to run in the more competitive 13th District
North Carolina's 13th congressional district
The Thirteenth congressional district of North Carolina was re-established in 2002 after the state gained population in the 2000 United States Census. Previously, the state had 13 districts from the first election following the 1810 United States Census until the reapportionment following the 1840...
, against incumbent Congressman Brad Miller
Brad Miller (congressman)
Ralph Bradley "Brad" Miller is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. District 13 includes all of Caswell and Person counties, and parts of Alamance, Granville, Guilford, Rockingham and Wake counties...
. The 13th doesn't include any part of Winston-Salem; while members of the House are not required to live in the district they represent, it has become a strong convention that they do so. Robinson defended his candidacy in this district by saying he had several donors from the 13th in 2004 and that he was motivated by a desire to defeat Miller. Winning 63% of the vote, Robinson won a May 2 primary against two relatively unknown candidates.
Robinson's campaign featured:
- immigration issues, including a radio ad that features mariachiMariachiMariachi is a genre of music that originated in the State of Jalisco, in Mexico. It is an integration of stringed instruments highly influenced by the cultural impacts of the historical development of Western Mexico. Throughout the history of mariachi, musicians have experimented with brass, wind,...
music - his opponent's personal life
- challenges to Miller's priorities, accusing him of "deny[ing] our soldiers the body armor they need" and "instead of spending money on sickle-cell research", voting to spend "money to study the sex lives of Vietnamese prostitutes in San Francisco"; FactCheckFactCheckFactCheck.org is a non-partisan, nonprofit website that describes itself as a consumer advocate' for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics." It is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the Annenberg School for Communication at the University...
"found the ad misleading on several counts." - a soundbiteSoundbiteIn film and broadcasting, a sound bite is a very short piece of a speech taken from a longer speech or an interview in which someone with authority or the average "man on the street" says something which is considered by those who edit the speech or interview to be the most important point...
from Bill CosbyBill CosbyWilliam Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show, I Spy. He later starred in his own series, the...
in an ad called a "lesson in tough love" that ends with the assertion that "the biggest problem facing blacks today isn't slavery or racism, it's the destruction of the family; the answer isn't racial quotas or a government handout, it's personal responsibility"
In August 2011, Vernon Robinson launched a new official campaign website, announcing his candidacy for the 8th Congressional district in North Carolina. He summarized his positions on the issues on his new site and stated, "I believe there is no more pressing issue regarding national survival than the issue of our exploding national debt. We cannot allow the Obama Administration and Washington insiders to spend money that we do not have with an IOU drawn off the backs of our grandchildren. This is fiscal child abuse and changes our country's motto from "Home of the Brave" to "No Child Left a Dime."