When you’re running for governor, what you say matters. Expect questions about it.

Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson showed up at the North Carolina Legislative Building to present a first-of-its-kind award on Wednesday.

Credit Robinson for coming up with the award, which honors first responders who “performed great acts of heroism while under threat of personal risk to safety, beyond the call of duty in the field.”

The award went to Lt. Lyndsey Moses-Winnings of the Craven County Sheriff’s Office for her involvement in stopping a shooter who injured another officer. What a deserving honor.

I know this because of a story by The News & Observer’s Kyle Ingram and Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi that we posted Wednesday with this headline: “Mark Robinson presents inaugural police award, dodges question about ‘killing’ comments.”

Our story led with the award.

But as astute readers know, Robinson is running for governor. And because what he says matters to you — as an N&O subscriber, state resident and likely voter — what Robinson says typically becomes news.

So, after Robinson presented the award, CBS 17 reporter Michael Hyland did what any good reporter should do and asked a question. Hyland does his job thoroughly and without flashiness. He questioned the potential governor about a June 30 speech at a Bladen County church, where Robinson gave his views on democracy while referencing the United States’ response to the Germans and Japanese during World War II.

Statement attracts attention and questions

It’s this statement at the end of Robinson’s speech that became the latest sound bite in what’s become a sloppy spitting contest to become governor: “Get mad at me if you want to. Some folks need killing.”

Is anyone surprised that Robinson’s statement — whether in context or otherwise — attracted attention and questions?

No sooner had The N&O’s story posted, Robinson’s campaign communications director emailed a slew of our journalists with a tsk-tsk-schoolmarm undertone.

Yes, we’re in North Carolina where the ode to pork products remains relevant, but I usually don’t bore y’all with the so-called sausage making that goes into our journalism.

But I feel empathy and a bit of worry for Mike Lonergan, who serves as communications director for the Robinson campaign.

Let’s be real. Poor Mike has a temporary job like anyone in a campaign with an early November end date. Any dude who cleans the fryers at Bojangles’ has better job security beyond the holidays.

Plus, Poor Mike has the task for being a communications director for a candidate with a track record of not communicating with communicators. The Robinson playbook is to say something any logical person would construe as controversial — and then get offended when journalists ask follow-up questions.

Poor Mike. His job is as fulfilling as being the lieutenant governor’s attendance coordinator at the Legislative Building.

Poor Mike. He must have the early stages of carpal tunnel syndrome from sending so many emails of indignation to the media, including cc:ing all of those reporters’ bosses and bosses’ bosses. To quote wise family man Mike Brady to silly stepdaughter Cindy: ”By tattling on your friends, you’re just telling them that you’re a tattletale. Now is that the tale you want to tell?”

Dodging, diverting and declining to answer

Poor Mike didn’t like that we wrote “dodges question” in the headline. But search ANY definition of “dodge,” and Robinson dodged.

Poor Mike. This was WRAL’s headline: “Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson declines to answer reporter questions, says ‘you should be ashamed.” And here is what CBS 17 posted: Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson calls CBS 17’s question regarding ‘killing’ comment ‘shameful.’

Poor Mike has to counsel a candidate with a tendency to dodge, divert, deny, pirouette and port de bras. It’s truly a balletic performance (sans tutu) on the ever-interesting NC political stage.

Poor Mike shouldn’t be blamed for trying to divert this communications crisis that can’t decide if it’s a dumpster fire or flea circus. So when in doubt, throw shade.

Poor Mike’s email included an awkward transition of explaining why he included N&O Capitol Bureau Chief Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan in the email. He wrote: “I’ve copied Dawn on this email because she’s lazily parroted these Democrat talking points as well.”

Dawn wasn’t at Robinson’s June 30 speech in Bladen County but pulled news and information from a variety of credible sources —including extended word-for-word context on what Robinson said (and what Poor Mike wanted to lecture us about).

Now, those who know are chuckling because lazily describes everyone compared with Dawn. Poor Mike was very clever in using the verb version of parrot. Educated folks know that parrots are intelligent, gregarious problem-solvers. And that describes Dawn.

Dawn often is the first to ask questions when the governor holds press conferences — something worth knowing for any aspiring gubernatorial types — and both Republicans and Democrats know she can be trusted for off-the-record backgrounders.

Indeed, the verb version — to be “Dawn Vaughaned” — exemplifies why press freedoms are in the first paragraph in any discussion about democracy.

So, thanks, Poor Mike, for your support of The N&O.

You’ve redefined the phrase “I Mike Lonerganed Up.”

Bill Church is executive editor of The News & Observer.