Tag Archive for sink

The Scott Era is over 100 days old. What if Alex Sink would have won?

April 18, 2011 Uncategorized No comments

It’s hard to believe, it’s already been over 100 days since, Florida Governor Rick Scott has been in office. There are plenty of articles out there right now that are grading his performance, and you’ll see that on this blog at about the 6 month mark. It’s fun to reflect on the “what if’s” in politics and how things would be different today.

What if Alex Sink had won in November?

What if the former Nations Bank CEO had capture those two elusive points in the polls, that would have sat her in the Governor’s mansion and saved her the title of “Worst Candidate of 2010″?

Now, Republicans still have a veto proof majority in the legislature so, the headaches that the Democrats are going through now, wouldn’t completely go away, but there would be a few big differences.

Bring on the trains!: Oh yeah, cha-ching. 2.4 billion dollars of cash-money homie! The stimulus money that Rick Scott turned away would have been happily accepted by, a would be Governor Sink. The bullet train from OIA to Tampa would have been green lit and about half a dozen lawmakers would not have had to flip-flop on the issue.

There wouldn’t be any suspense on Sunrail either. It would proceed as planned, on schedule.

No “tough cuts” on the state budget:This one has probably earned the governor the most enemies on any issue that doesn’t involve a union.

Scott’s budget makes the tough cuts that will negatively effect the disabled, and community programs that assist those down on their luck. Don’t get me wrong, there would still be cuts and she might catch some flak from her own party, but the save/awake the state rallies would never have materialized.

More news from Tallahassee: The Governor can’t stand the media and he’s got the press behind the velvet rope…literally! Sink gave a pretty bad TV interview, but we would still be “more in the know” then we are right now.

Senator Bill Nelson would have a tougher road to re-election:Alright, I know what you’re asking. How does a Florida Governor who’s a Democrat, make the re-election tougher for a U.S Senator in the same party?

This one actually has more to do with Rick Scott, not being in office.

The left, absolutely hates Scott. Partner this with the fact that you’ve got Barack Obama on the ballot and you’ve got a massive, liberal turnout forecasted. None of the existing candidates are strong enough (at this point) to beat Nelson and Rick Scott’s policies will make sure the Democrats don’t take 2012 off.

There you go. Democrats can dream, Conservatives can shiver. It’s fun to think about those political “what if’s”. That’s why politicians spend millions to get out the vote. We were only a few votes away, from a drastically different political reality in Florida.

The Year's End: Top Quotes from Florida Politics in 2010

December 28, 2010 Uncategorized No comments

Yeah, we’re gonna do another list post, but this one is going to be one of my favorites. I’m going to run down some of the most popular, funny, and controversial quotes from Florida’s politicians over the last year. These are in no particular order, so I’m just gonna line up them up.

Here we go!

“The Taliban has been there for years and years, I mean, hundreds of thousands of years.” – Kendrick Meek during the Senate Debates- One of my favorites, after I heard it I was laughing for the next 20 minutes

“I will not accept, nor will I seek the head coaching position at Florida” – Orange County Mayor Richard Crotty, 10 minutes after Gator coach Urban Meyer resigned.- Great timing by the Mayor

During a forum from two candidates for OC Commissioner:
“I pray to god everyday, to help lead me into a better future with my wife and children”- Mayor Doug Kinson

“I prayed to god and he told me to run for Orange County Commission”- Ted Edwards

——-
“Personally, she has no children and lives with her 60-year-old eye-doctor boyfriend.”- John Stemberger on the now Attorney General-elect Pam Bondi- Not very Christian or smart, Stemberger..

“Sandy Adams has some strange ideas”- Suzanne Kosmas attack ads- I’ll make sure to bring that up after she’s sworn in….the most ineffective attack ad of the year

“College kids don’t care about Bill Clinton, they’re worried about Twilight Vampires and Katy Perry”- myself during a FOX 35 segment

“He’s a good boy”- Ester Scott -Absolute Money…probably won her son the election…

“The reason Pine Hills isn’t getting any money is because my opponents have spent all of it, in the Emerald city (Orlando) on (performing) art centers” Matt Falconer during the Pine Hills OC Mayor Debate-

““I think you will find that I am the most even tempered, mom type, that you could put in to office and will do exactly that what you want me to do, you won’t see me veered away by special interests”- Former Commissioner and OC Mayor Candidate Linda Stewart- A first class commissioner all of the way.

“Son, who are you working with this year?” “I’m working with the Republicans, Dad” …”Hell no, son! I knew I should have been around more, when you were growing up!”- My dad

The Charlie Crist Section (Yes, he gets his own section): I could have done a whole post on just his quotes.

“I’m a Jeb Bush Republican”

“I don’t caucus with Republicans or Democrats, I caucus with the people of Florida”

“I’m not on either team. I’m a free agent, a free agent for the people of Florida”

“That’s hurtful, you don’t know me. You don’t know whats in my heart”- after Rubio’s “You didn’t go Independent because of your beliefs you went independent because you took a poll”

“I married a nice Jewish girl”- referring to his lovely wife Carole Crist

The Guv and his wife, Carole

“Today I am calling this legislature, The do nothing legislature”

“I’m an old Quarterback, when you walk up the line, you got to call an audible” ”

“You can find me on line 9 of your ballots”- oh boy…

I really could go on and on…

“(Don’t) Submit to me”- Dan Webster in maliciously edited Taliban Dan ad by the Alan Grayson campaign- When Alan Grayson finally went too far..

“Die Quickly” and “Republicans want you to die”- Alan Grayson during the health care debates

“Alan Grayson isn’t going to decide how this race goes, I’m going to decide how this race goes”- Dan Webster at the West Orlando Tea Party Forum

“The Rent is too damn high”- NY Governor Candidate Jimmy McMillan- Ok, not in Florida, but I felt the need to include it

“I think they were tone-deaf,”- Alex Sink on the White House’s political approach during the election year.

“It’s a good thing you didn’t start shouting Polo or we’d all be in trouble”- Marco Rubio during his victory speech

“Bi-partisanship is a fallacy” – Congressman Alan Grayson- You can’t think that way…

“So, we can have notes, we can have people that work for us give us messages?”- Rick Scott during Textgate aka Debate Gate vs. Alex Sink

Textgate would probably be my choice for biggest political moment of the year..

“I will not drop out of this race for any reason,” Meek said. “I am nominated by the Democrats of the state of Florida. I am in this race to run to be the next United States senator. And no, I am not running for second.”- Kendrick Meek

“I can’t promise you I am going to run for office (get elected) and then go and break the law, I have to follow the law, and the state sets the laws.”- Teresa Jacobs- Orange County Mayor-Elect

“It doesn’t matter if your dad was a bartender or if your mom was a maid. You can accomplish anything if you work hard and play by the rules” – Marco Rubio

“Your an entertainer right?” – Commissioner Bill Segal to myself during an OCYR meeting- and it looks like that is going to stick…Hey at least it’s a great conversation starter at parties!

and I could go on and on…..it has been a great year for political quotes and I could have easily doubled the quotes in this post easily….I’ve enjoyed writing about it.

This is going to be my last post for 2010. This has been such a great year for me and this blog. Thanks to all of my family, friends, the media here in Orlando, and to the readers. Keep an eye out for me on television as we move closer our new lawmakers taking office at the beginning of the year. God Bless…

“Let’s Get To Work”- Governor Elect Rick Scott

The Year’s End: Top Quotes from Florida Politics in 2010

December 28, 2010 Uncategorized No comments

Yeah, we’re gonna do another list post, but this one is going to be one of my favorites. I’m going to run down some of the most popular, funny, and controversial quotes from Florida’s politicians over the last year. These are in no particular order, so I’m just gonna line up them up.

Here we go!

“The Taliban has been there for years and years, I mean, hundreds of thousands of years.” – Kendrick Meek during the Senate Debates- One of my favorites, after I heard it I was laughing for the next 20 minutes

“I will not accept, nor will I seek the head coaching position at Florida” – Orange County Mayor Richard Crotty, 10 minutes after Gator coach Urban Meyer resigned.- Great timing by the Mayor

During a forum from two candidates for OC Commissioner:
“I pray to god everyday, to help lead me into a better future with my wife and children”- Mayor Doug Kinson

“I prayed to god and he told me to run for Orange County Commission”- Ted Edwards

——-
“Personally, she has no children and lives with her 60-year-old eye-doctor boyfriend.”- John Stemberger on the now Attorney General-elect Pam Bondi- Not very Christian or smart, Stemberger..

“Sandy Adams has some strange ideas”- Suzanne Kosmas attack ads- I’ll make sure to bring that up after she’s sworn in….the most ineffective attack ad of the year

“College kids don’t care about Bill Clinton, they’re worried about Twilight Vampires and Katy Perry”- myself during a FOX 35 segment

“He’s a good boy”- Ester Scott -Absolute Money…probably won her son the election…

“The reason Pine Hills isn’t getting any money is because my opponents have spent all of it, in the Emerald city (Orlando) on (performing) art centers” Matt Falconer during the Pine Hills OC Mayor Debate-

““I think you will find that I am the most even tempered, mom type, that you could put in to office and will do exactly that what you want me to do, you won’t see me veered away by special interests”- Former Commissioner and OC Mayor Candidate Linda Stewart- A first class commissioner all of the way.

“Son, who are you working with this year?” “I’m working with the Republicans, Dad” …”Hell no, son! I knew I should have been around more, when you were growing up!”- My dad

The Charlie Crist Section (Yes, he gets his own section): I could have done a whole post on just his quotes.

“I’m a Jeb Bush Republican”

“I don’t caucus with Republicans or Democrats, I caucus with the people of Florida”

“I’m not on either team. I’m a free agent, a free agent for the people of Florida”

“That’s hurtful, you don’t know me. You don’t know whats in my heart”- after Rubio’s “You didn’t go Independent because of your beliefs you went independent because you took a poll”

“I married a nice Jewish girl”- referring to his lovely wife Carole Crist

The Guv and his wife, Carole

“Today I am calling this legislature, The do nothing legislature”

“I’m an old Quarterback, when you walk up the line, you got to call an audible” ”

“You can find me on line 9 of your ballots”- oh boy…

I really could go on and on…

“(Don’t) Submit to me”- Dan Webster in maliciously edited Taliban Dan ad by the Alan Grayson campaign- When Alan Grayson finally went too far..

“Die Quickly” and “Republicans want you to die”- Alan Grayson during the health care debates

“Alan Grayson isn’t going to decide how this race goes, I’m going to decide how this race goes”- Dan Webster at the West Orlando Tea Party Forum

“The Rent is too damn high”- NY Governor Candidate Jimmy McMillan- Ok, not in Florida, but I felt the need to include it

“I think they were tone-deaf,”- Alex Sink on the White House’s political approach during the election year.

“It’s a good thing you didn’t start shouting Polo or we’d all be in trouble”- Marco Rubio during his victory speech

“Bi-partisanship is a fallacy” – Congressman Alan Grayson- You can’t think that way…

“So, we can have notes, we can have people that work for us give us messages?”- Rick Scott during Textgate aka Debate Gate vs. Alex Sink

Textgate would probably be my choice for biggest political moment of the year..

“I will not drop out of this race for any reason,” Meek said. “I am nominated by the Democrats of the state of Florida. I am in this race to run to be the next United States senator. And no, I am not running for second.”- Kendrick Meek

“I can’t promise you I am going to run for office (get elected) and then go and break the law, I have to follow the law, and the state sets the laws.”- Teresa Jacobs- Orange County Mayor-Elect

“It doesn’t matter if your dad was a bartender or if your mom was a maid. You can accomplish anything if you work hard and play by the rules” – Marco Rubio

“Your an entertainer right?” – Commissioner Bill Segal to myself during an OCYR meeting- and it looks like that is going to stick…Hey at least it’s a great conversation starter at parties!

and I could go on and on…..it has been a great year for political quotes and I could have easily doubled the quotes in this post easily….I’ve enjoyed writing about it.

This is going to be my last post for 2010. This has been such a great year for me and this blog. Thanks to all of my family, friends, the media here in Orlando, and to the readers. Keep an eye out for me on television as we move closer our new lawmakers taking office at the beginning of the year. God Bless…

“Let’s Get To Work”- Governor Elect Rick Scott

Five Funny Things for a Monday (Not a Politician was stirring edition)

December 27, 2010 Uncategorized 2 comments

It’s tough being a political blog during the week leading up to the New Year. All of the lawmakers have put away their weapons for the holidays and are resting for the craziness that awaits them in 2011. This will be a politically light edition of Five Funny Things for a Monday and here we go…

5. The Christmas Tree at Lake Eola gets blow over!:Oh, where to start? Let’s see, I guess the Big Bad Wolf was a Boston Celtics fan and when he stumbled out of the Amway Center after the Orlando Magic victory to take a walk. He got ticked off and went to work on the tree here, and the rest is history. Were the winds really that bad? We couldn’t throw some 45 pound weights at the base of that thing or something? What the heck has been going on with Lake Eola park, Buddy Dyer?! The fountain’s lights were all busted, we’ve got swans being stolen and now Christmas trees are flopping around like plastic grocery bags. Let’s get it together!

Orlando's new postcard...Wish you were here..

4. Jesus loves us all, but he really loves Tim Tebow: One of my favorite football tweets yesterday came from ESPN’s Trey Wingo “Tebow parts defense, walks into endzone, Broncos take lead, choirs sing”. The former Gator’s QB led the lowly Denver Broncos’ comeback victory over the Houston Texans. I’m telling you guys, I know football and Tebow has no business having this much success in the NFL. It’s so unusual that it just has to be supernatural. God is looking out for Tim Tebow.

3. Squirrel vs. Power Lines at Disney.. Power Lines Wins: A squirrel rubbed up against some power lines the wrong way and caused a power outage for about a half hour yesterday in the Disney area. Just some quick thoughts. “I’m sure Progress Energy will find some way to bill us for this”. “The Squirrel was some kind of terrorist.”. “Maybe he should have been wearing little leather gloves?” Okay, that last one was a little mean. My condolences to the Squirrel’s brother…Rocky…

and now for something completely different..

2. My adventures in shopping for a hair straightening iron on Christmas eve: It’s bad enough shopping at the very last minute for the holidays, it’s even worse when your shopping for a ladies hair product when 1. You’re a dude and 2. You have no hair. Ultimately, I went with the “Go” model over the “Helen of Troy” straightener.

1. Alex Sink’s farewell interview with The Miami Herald: In what is a pretty well written interview, you want to wince at some of the things Sink says and ask “You didn’t know that during the campaign?” Here are some bullet points.

“So losing sucks. No matter how much you lose by, it sucks.”

“Rod (Smith) and I both came across people – particiulary form the most conservative areas of North Florida where he and I both had done well before, who just said I’m not voting for no Democrat this year, I don’t care who you are. If you have Democrat behind your name, I’m not voting for you.”

“In the past, the only way I could make news and get my word spread was to go to the press…Now, as we have seen, you can totally bypass all that. Why should you go to an editorial board when you can bypass all that?”

MSNBC political analyst Chuck Todd labeled Sink the worst candidate of the year, saying on his show, “The Daily Rundown”: “Think about it. You lost to a guy who defrauded Medicare. In Florida! Okay? More people are on Medicare in Florida than maybe any other state.”

But Sink said she didn’t care what Todd said: “What I think about one person who doesn’t live in Florida and wasn’t here is that I’m ignoring him.”
————–

You know I kinda wish she would have shot back at Chuck Todd, but she didn’t and maybe it was that kind of hesitation that lost her those 62,000 votes.

Have a great Monday…

Naples Daily News Article- Pay whatever it takes to get next to the Governor

December 14, 2010 Uncategorized No comments

I’ve had the chance to speak with reporters from all over, since the elections have ended (its part of my work). Last week, I had the chance to speak with Rick Scott’s hometown newspaper.

From the Naples Daily News,

UPDATE: It was picked up by the Treasure/Palm Coast paper as well.

I threw some heat at the donors for this inauguration, because some of them were holding Alex Sink signs 45 days ago. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m happy that the leftovers will be going towards Operation Wounded Warrior and I want Governor-elect Scott to succeed and succeed quickly. We need to get people back to work.

I’m also hoping his communications team can return volley better than a one word E-mail.

————————————————————–
NAPLES — The money is rolling in and some political experts say Florida should be prepared for an inauguration like one they may not have seen before.

Gov.-elect Rick Scott, a Naples businessman, had raised more than $1.15 million as of Dec. 6 for his Jan. 4 inauguration, according to recent contribution reports. That money will be used to pay for a variety of festivities – a youth concert on Jan. 3 and an inaugural ball on Jan. 4 – surrounding his inauguration.

“It’s a higher price than past inaugurations you saw,” said Frank Torres, an Orlando-based public affairs consultant.

Gov. Charlie Crist in 2004 shifted plans from a $2.4 million inauguration to more low-key events, after he was criticized for approving a plan to solicit donations of up to $500,000 for the celebration. Crist said in 2004 he instead planned to keep the costs below $1 million.

Crist also canceled his ball because “with the state of the economy he said it wouldn’t have been appropriate,” Torres said.

While the ball is back on for 2011, officials with the inauguration said it won’t be an entirely glitzy affair. Instead, Francis Rooney, former United States ambassador to the Vatican, told the Daily News in November the inauguration will be an inclusive and broad-based event.
The Honorable Francis Rooney and his wife Kathleen Rooney at their home in Port Royal in Naples on Nov. 17, 2010. The couple has been chosen to put on the inauguration for Rick Scott in Tallahassee.

The Honorable Francis Rooney and his wife Kathleen Rooney at their home in Port Royal in Naples on Nov. 17, 2010. The couple has been chosen to put on the inauguration for Rick Scott in Tallahassee. Greg Kahn/Staff

But an event of that scale comes at a cost, and Scott’s inauguration is on track to exceed the amount that Crist had intended to spend in 2004. While the Scott camp set a $25,000 contribution cap, the inauguration still has a bevy of big-name donors contributing to the festivities.

Thirty-seven contributors – including Rooney, who serves as chairman of the inaugural committee – each have contributed $25,000 to the event.

But Peter Bergerson, a political science professor at Florida Gulf Coast University in Estero, said Floridians shouldn’t expect to see too many individuals on the inaugural contribution list.

“Lots of companies and corporations (contribute), some that have direct association surrounding the inauguration themselves,” Bergerson said. “You’re going to have lots of different categories.”

Another popular category of donor, Bergerson said, is the one that is “contributing to have some degree of access to the governor.”

Bergerson said a business like U.S. Sugar Corp., which donated $25,000 to the inauguration, could fall into that category. A “contribution to Scott inaugural festivities gives them an entry to have their voice heard,” Bergerson said.

U.S. Sugar isn’t the only big contributor. Several health-care related companies — like Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida and Naples-based Health Management Associates — have donated $25,000.

But the health-care industry isn’t the only one contributing to the Scott inauguration. Several Florida corporations, such as Tampa-based energy company TECO; Florida Crystals Corp., a West Palm Beach-based sugar producer and the Florida Optometrists Association have contributed to the inauguration.

Those corporate contributions often are construed as a way to get close to the governor or other members of the executive branch.

“Scott campaigned that he wouldn’t be beholden to special interests,” Bergerson said. “So supporting inaugural festivities is a way … in which corporations that have business with the state have a way to present their side of the issue.”

More simply, Torres said, these corporate contributions are “political greasing of the wheels at its finest.”

“It is to buy support, and to look at it any other way is naive,” Torres said.

Officials with the Scott camp say that assertion is incorrect. When asked if contributors were donating because they were looking for an “in” with the governor or other members of the executive branch, Scott spokeswoman Bettina Inclan answered with an unequivocal “no.”

“My comment to your question on the contributions is ‘no,’” Inclan said in an e-mail.

The inaugural committee hasn’t set a fundraising goal, but Inclan said no public funds will be used for the dozen or so events surrounding the Jan. 4 inauguration. Any money left over once all the inaugural bills are paid, Inclan said, will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project, which provides programs for wounded service members from recent global conflicts.

The powers that be will pay whatever it takes to get close to him...

Five Funny Things for a Monday (Arctic Blast Edition)

December 13, 2010 Uncategorized No comments

It’s pretty cold outside (for Florida, anyways). Here are Five Funny Things to get your Monday thawed.

1. Metrodome collapses under the weight of Brett Favre’s ego” That was one of the “Top Tweets” on Twitter yesterday. Now, if you haven’t seen this remarkable video yet, then take a look (video attached). I agree with the notion that it looks a lot like flour. The fabric of the roof tore and it just came pouring in. Now as a bitter Chicago Bears fan (whose team just took a beating yesterday), I can tell you, that Dome was an accident waiting to happen. It’s as old as Brett Favre and in just as bad of shape. Let’s get these guys somewhere new to play.

Florida Gators hire Will Muschamp: The Gators go from Urban Meyer, to Will Muskrat? Are you kidding? You could have had Bob Stoops, or any of the talented NFL assistants available, you could have approached and had a serious discussion with any legitimate coaching candidate and you bring back this guy?

Is he going to deliver in Gainesville?

He acts like a crazy wildman on the sidelines, Gator players have been getting in trouble on a regular basis up there, and your bringing in this dude to lead them. I’m being harsh, but hey if they win, I can write how wrong I was a year from now.

3. “I’m not a witch” quote of the year:Christine O’Donnell is back in the news. The library at Yale gave the former Delaware Senate candidate’s infamous video that, replied to allegations from her past concerning Witchcraft top honor’s as quote of the year. This video was one of the worst replies to a political attack, that I’ve ever seen and got spoofed everywhere, but hey O’Donnell will still be a fixture on the talk circuit and rake in the money.

I'm not a witch- was the quote of the year

4. Miley Cyrus’ new “Hobby”: Miley Cyrus was being videotaped taking bong hits at a party in her Los Angeles home. Ugh, what a PR mess. Sources say that it was not Marijuana, but do you believe that the parents who buy, her merchandise for their kids, actually care? This is a crisis communications scenario for a publicist and I can certainly tell you, that she’ll get an earful from “her people” and she will shrug and keep on , keeping on. Take my advice, you want an abbreviated career in entertainment, take Miley’s lead on this one.

Charlie Crist and Alex Sink among worst candidates on MSNBC:Come on, MSNBC!? Wow, we really know how to turn them out in Florida, don’t we? Worst candidates in the country? I believe its more along the lines of the candidates they didn’t like. Here is the presentation

So yeah, it was a bitter Funny Five this week. This blends in well with the freezing temperatures we’re going to be experiencing this week. See you tomorrow.

The Top Ten Political Rivalries of Central Florida – Part 3

November 12, 2010 Uncategorized One comment

Here we are, it’s Friday, hopefully we have some energy leftover, rolling into what looks to be a beautiful weekend. I’ve enjoyed this series of the Top Ten Political Rivalries in Central Florida. Part 2 and Part 3 can be found at those links and I’m sure you guys are wondering what other rivalries had me shouting at the TV. Here is the final part of the 3 part series.

4. Florida Politicians vs. British Petrol aka Beyond Petroleum or as we all know them BP: Finally a rival that Republicans, Democrats and Independents can all rally against!. The worst environmental disaster in the history of the country provided the opportunity for all of the politicians here in the Sunshine State, to flock to the Gulf Coast in their Ralph Lauren wear for a photo op, to heroically stare out at the surf. The hardliners took the chance to attack the President on his leadership throughout the disaster ala W. during Hurricane Katrina.

It destroyed any plans for drilling off the coast of Florida in the near future but, I still see the possibilities slowly creeping back to life. A statement in the paper here, a blurb during a press conference there. It’s not over and we have short memories.

Who Won?:Well, no one really..

This is going to look great Mr. President! Look at how cool we look!

3. Florida Democrats vs. The President:Alex Sink basically blamed him for her loss, Suzanne Kosmas was almost completely absent from any rally for her party. Alan Grayson who stood completely by the administration’s policies was handily beaten last week. All of the Democrats running statewide races for the cabinet were all linked to the President and were easily beaten.

Is it fair? Especially, for Alex Sink who did everything short of slamming the President. No, and a lot of Florida Democrats spent almost as much time defending their parties decisions as they did attacking their opponents.

Who won?: Republicans and the Tea Party. They turned it into a referendum on the Obama administration and it worked.

2. Bill McCullom vs. Rick Scott:It was suppose to be Bill McCullom vs Alex Sink in one of the most boring races, I could think of but, then came the former Health Care CEO with the 1.7 Billion….yeah, yeah, you probably already know all of that. He turned everything over, with his massive ad buys and the catchiest tag line of the year “Let’s get to work”. The powers that be from the GOP came to the longtime legislator’s aid, but in the end it wasn’t enough and to add insult to injury there were poll numbers that showed a McCullom surge, after he pushed the immigration issue.

Those polls didn’t take into account early voting and absentee ballots and in the end?

Who won?:“Lets get to work” and Billy Mac had to watch all of his longtime allies unite behind a guy, they tried to destroy 72 hours earlier. He would go on to endorse Scott in a statement that had about as much enthusiasm, as a trip to the dentist.

Finally, the #1 political rivalry, I saw in Florida this year.

1. Charlie Crist vs. The Republican Party of Florida:They cut off his cable?!Charlie Crist couldn’t even go home and watch coverage of is own press conference, declaring his departure from the Republican Party. RPOF made sure of that.

I suppose, what made it so remarkable, was how gradual the shift was. Crist by 15, Crist by 12…..10..7…3..Uh oh…1. What the heck is this!? Charlie Crist on a FOX news debate, promising that he won’t leave the Republican party. Charlie Crist being asked to drop out. “Hey Charlie, you know we’ll take a look at taking on Bill Nelson in 2012″ “We’ll find something for you Governor, were not going to let you disappear”.

Then he went Independent and his world turned against him.

I remember recalling with a Rubio supporter how everyone flocked from his table to the Governor, during an RPOF quarterly meeting. Those days were gone. All of the Governor’s men that stood by his side, were now intent on destroying him. Lawmakers withdrew their endorsements, donors started demanding their money back. Senator George Lemieux, the man he put in that seat, endorsed his opponent!!! How exactly did the Jim Greer spending scandal become his problem when he didn’t even have a credit card? It felt like the middle of “Minority Report” When Tom Cruises team tries to take him down after he goes rouge.

Charlie Crist didn't fare as well in his pursuit for the Senate

Who Won?: Marco Rubio went on to win easily, and I’ve brought up this point a dozen times, that Governor Crist would have lost by the same margin in a Republican primary and he would’ve had a lot more friend at him Christmas party this year too. The whole thing had a mafia feel to it and the message was, you’d better think twice before going Independent in this state.

Summary: I look through this list and the constant theme, I see here are surprises. No one knew 8 months ago that Rick Scott would shock the state and defeat two of the favorites for Governor or that a life long conservative like Charlie Crist would go from being a “Jeb Bush” Republican to an Independent, for the purpose of political survival. A few months back, Dan Webster said he wasn’t going to run for Congress, now he’s on his way to Capitol Hill.

I see another theme, and that’s a win at any cost mentality. If it means abandoning your political party or a slow jog away from the press corp, you’ve got to win right? Your donor’s investment is at stake and you can’t let a text message during a debate or the decisions your party’s leader throw you off the path to victory. The American people will see through the massive ad buys, and “spin and push” facts of your opponent, because in the end, the candidate that is most qualified with the best ideas always win…

Don’t they?

The Top Ten Political Rivalries in Central Florida this year – Part 1

November 9, 2010 Uncategorized 4 comments

It was a pretty brutal election cycle. We had it all.. nasty mailers, sensational ads, and interrupted press conferences. Name calling, attacks by billionaires, and implied “insider” connections to the President.

In other words, it was business as usual.

I saw a lot of things on the trail…some of it was funny, some of it was mean and a lot of it was just complete madness. Here is my list of the 10 biggest political rivalries, that I saw in Central Florida and throughout the state, this election cycle.

10. Kendrick Meek vs. Jeff Greene: Kendrick Meek was fighting with name recognition, when out of nowhere billionaire Jeff Greene jumped into the Democratic primary in the Florida Senate race. Jeff Greene who ran as a Republican in California a few years back, and had convicted felon Mike Tyson as a best man at his wedding was a complete mess as a candidate, but he pushed a cash-strapped Kendrick Meek into an ad war. The first introduction to the people of Kendrick Meek was the Congressman from South Florida who made bad deals, and had his mom driving around in a corrupt Escalade.

Who won?:Kendrick Meek soundly defeated Greene at the polls, but it brought up the doubts that Meek could beat Republican Marco Rubio and newly Independent Governor Charlie Crist. Those doubts were correct.

Kendrick Meek really could have done with out a Billionaire primary challenge

Alex Sink vs. Her Smart Phone: This was one of the silliest controversies I saw this year. When Alex Sink received an unauthorized text from a member of her campaign staff, Rick Scott called her out on it and the media in attendance had a blast, in what became a national story. You can check out the video at this link. It’s still one of the funniest moments of the year.

Who Won?: This incident basically drowned out the issues, during the last week of the campaign and after a close race, Rick Scott will be the next Governor of Florida.

Teresa Jacobs vs. Matt Falconer: Man, I must have seen these two go back and forth a dozen times. It all started when Scott Maxwell from the Orlando Sentinel wrote a polite article about Teresa Jacobs before she jumped in the race. Falconer immediately identified her as a threat and went on the attack all the way until the primary.

Who Won?: Teresa Jacobs easily won her primary and run-off with Bill Segal. She will be the next Mayor of Orange County. Falconer, however has hinted at moving the Tea Party against her administration early.

She's the new Mayor, but expect to see Falconer (looking on behind) continue their rivalry

That was the 1st of 3 parts, we’ve still got more to go into. I haven’t even mention Alan Grayson or BP yet!

Take Care!

Alex Sink calls White House “tonedeaf” and she’s probably right…

November 7, 2010 Uncategorized One comment

“I think they were tone-deaf,” “They weren’t interested in hearing my opinion on what was happening on the ground with the oil spill. And they never acknowledged that they had problems with the acceptance of health care reform.”

“They got a huge wake-up call two days ago, but unfortunately they took a lot of Democrats down with them,” Sink said in an interview with Politico, adding, “They just need to be better listeners and be better at reaching out to people who are on the ground to hear about the realities of their policies as well as politics.”

Alex Sink was right, when she said that you know. A lot of people from her party might run to defend the White House, but there is little doubt that America’s uneasiness with the President’s policies was the difference between victory and defeat in the Florida’s Governors race. Let’s take a look at some of Governor-elect Scott’s favorite phrases.

“Thats Obama math” – When referring to Sink’s economic policies
“You supported Obama care”- Self-explanatory
“Your an Obama Liberal”- when referring to everything else that didn’t fall under the President’s unpopular policies.

Rick Scott wasn’t the only one to play that card during the election season.

Attorney General-elect Pam Bondi’s ad,connecting Dan Gelber’s refusal to continue the lawsuit against the President’s health care plan. “No” on loop during the entire commercial when answering the question, during an appearance on Greta Van Susteren. Our future CFO, Jeff Atwater chose a different pitch and connected Loranne Ausley to Nancy Pelosi.

It was happening all over the country of course, Democrats being retired because of President Obama’s lackluster track record with working with Republicans.

What really fired me up was the reply that was given.

Well she got caught up in the text thing, during the debate and she just didn’t do a good job with her campaign.

Give me a break, White House! Alex Sink didn’t lose by 8 points, she lost by a few thousand, because you guys fell back on your campaign promise for bi-partisanship in Washington and President Obama even pledged to work with Republican leadership, at a press conference the day after the elections.

Democrats in all 50 states were thinking the same thing, Alex Sink was one of the few, who had the guts to say it.

A lot of Democrats won't like what Alex Sink said, but it was true.

Alex Sink calls White House "tonedeaf" and she's probably right…

November 7, 2010 Uncategorized One comment

“I think they were tone-deaf,” “They weren’t interested in hearing my opinion on what was happening on the ground with the oil spill. And they never acknowledged that they had problems with the acceptance of health care reform.”

“They got a huge wake-up call two days ago, but unfortunately they took a lot of Democrats down with them,” Sink said in an interview with Politico, adding, “They just need to be better listeners and be better at reaching out to people who are on the ground to hear about the realities of their policies as well as politics.”

Alex Sink was right, when she said that you know. A lot of people from her party might run to defend the White House, but there is little doubt that America’s uneasiness with the President’s policies was the difference between victory and defeat in the Florida’s Governors race. Let’s take a look at some of Governor-elect Scott’s favorite phrases.

“Thats Obama math” – When referring to Sink’s economic policies
“You supported Obama care”- Self-explanatory
“Your an Obama Liberal”- when referring to everything else that didn’t fall under the President’s unpopular policies.

Rick Scott wasn’t the only one to play that card during the election season.

Attorney General-elect Pam Bondi’s ad,connecting Dan Gelber’s refusal to continue the lawsuit against the President’s health care plan. “No” on loop during the entire commercial when answering the question, during an appearance on Greta Van Susteren. Our future CFO, Jeff Atwater chose a different pitch and connected Loranne Ausley to Nancy Pelosi.

It was happening all over the country of course, Democrats being retired because of President Obama’s lackluster track record with working with Republicans.

What really fired me up was the reply that was given.

Well she got caught up in the text thing, during the debate and she just didn’t do a good job with her campaign.

Give me a break, White House! Alex Sink didn’t lose by 8 points, she lost by a few thousand, because you guys fell back on your campaign promise for bi-partisanship in Washington and President Obama even pledged to work with Republican leadership, at a press conference the day after the elections.

Democrats in all 50 states were thinking the same thing, Alex Sink was one of the few, who had the guts to say it.

A lot of Democrats won't like what Alex Sink said, but it was true.

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