Now that the contentious primary is over, Rick Scott will see if the Republican Party of Florida wants to back a winner. There are serious questions whether this will just be a token effort or sincere support.
The Orlando Sentinel has a great piece about the back-story of Scott and RPOF (http://j.mp/9ThEFH). The usual cast of characters like powerful money lobbyists that oil the wheels in Tallahassee are understandably concerned. They're used to long term good old boy contacts not some newbie they've, ahem, 'never done business with before.'
And while some insiders are concerned with whether Scott can be bought, others like US Sugar, is looking to cash a $197 check from the state for an overpriced land deal. And the fact that they contributed $100's of thousands of dollars to fund anti-Scott commercials, will certainly make for some awkward moments.
But most intriguing of all might be whether RPOF and Republican state leaders would be happy to not strongly support Scott at all, purposely loosing the election for governor. The reasoning runs that if Scott were to win the governorship, it would strengthen him above the traditional RPOF power structure.
Scott could make wholesale changes in the board of RPOF and spoil state legislator's cozy system with lobbyists. No more trains to nowhere (like SunRail), no more sweetheart land deals (like the US Sugar one), and no more having taxpayers foot the bill for a brand new state prison (that was later given to a private corporation for free).
In order to protect all these 'family secrets' it has been suggested by those in the know, that RPOF may have a lot more to lose if Scott ever moves into the governor's mansion. Therefore a loss is preferable to a win.
To be fair there have been some congratulatory comments emanating from some legislators. A meeting is scheduled in Fort Lauderdale between Scott and party chairman John Thrasher. Wonder if Mr. Thrasher will soften his negative campaign rhetoric against Scott! He better.
But talk is cheap. Let's keep an eye on how Florida GOP executives respond to the 'new guy in town.'
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Republicans Counting On Tea Party'er Support To Win Primaries Come Up Short
One lesson coming from last night's Florida primary: if you thought there were legions of tea party voters eager to support 'one of their own' running for office, you are mistaken. In every race with a grassroots candidate in it (speaking statewide here) there is single digit loss after loss. The career politicians and bureaucrats still rule at the ballot box.
But this does not have to be. Many of the mistakes of the tea party movement can be traced to running multiple grassroots candidates in the same race. Congressional District's 8 and 24 in central Florida are great examples of this.
Both had 3-4 conservative/constitutional tea party activists trying to win office for the first time. Pro's know that even winning a primary requires a lot of money AND volunteers. Splitting this up between multiple candidates yields the kind of results we saw last night. Lesson? Next time try and figure out who has the most resources, then persuade weaker candidates to 'get behind a winner'.
Likely these mistakes of underfunding and splitting votes will not be repeated again.
What is more troubling is the apparent lack of tea party voters at the poles. Statewide only about 23% registered voters bothered to go to the polls. In some major Florida counties, turnout was BELOW 20%. Wasn't this supposed to be the year of outraged voters yelling 'I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!'
Sounds more like a whimper to me!!
Well we live and learn. I've talked to several tea party organizers, activists, and candidates. Most are pretty depressed and I can't blame them. When you give you're all to a race and then see dismal results, you have every right to 'not even want to get out of bed the next morning' as one campaign aide told me.
One tea party leader even told me that "the tea party movement in Florida is dead." Say it ain't so! But the dwindling numbers at various state events indicate otherwise.
There's always November. Another battle is brewing. Time to get to work!
But this does not have to be. Many of the mistakes of the tea party movement can be traced to running multiple grassroots candidates in the same race. Congressional District's 8 and 24 in central Florida are great examples of this.
Both had 3-4 conservative/constitutional tea party activists trying to win office for the first time. Pro's know that even winning a primary requires a lot of money AND volunteers. Splitting this up between multiple candidates yields the kind of results we saw last night. Lesson? Next time try and figure out who has the most resources, then persuade weaker candidates to 'get behind a winner'.
Likely these mistakes of underfunding and splitting votes will not be repeated again.
What is more troubling is the apparent lack of tea party voters at the poles. Statewide only about 23% registered voters bothered to go to the polls. In some major Florida counties, turnout was BELOW 20%. Wasn't this supposed to be the year of outraged voters yelling 'I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!'
Sounds more like a whimper to me!!
Well we live and learn. I've talked to several tea party organizers, activists, and candidates. Most are pretty depressed and I can't blame them. When you give you're all to a race and then see dismal results, you have every right to 'not even want to get out of bed the next morning' as one campaign aide told me.
One tea party leader even told me that "the tea party movement in Florida is dead." Say it ain't so! But the dwindling numbers at various state events indicate otherwise.
There's always November. Another battle is brewing. Time to get to work!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Bill McCollum Continues To Whine That He Didn't Get Office He Deserved
I guess this is how career politicians take their final bow. As the audience boo's at an over-choreographed show, Mr. McCollum steps on stage and blames everyone but himself. Even in his concession speech, he rips Rick Scott with the same mud, oblivious that most people didn't like his summer performance and were actually rooting for the other guy.
But this is what McCollum's part of the Republican party stands for. Shady backroom deals and then closing off any opponents that aren't part of the club.
It took a multi-billionaire to do it, but there will now be open fissures in the Republican Party of Florida. True, our hero does not ride on a white horse, but he vanquished an enemy that we have so long wanted to be broken up.
So there is lots of drama in RPOF. But perhaps this new star will tell a story that rank and file Republicans (and Floridians as a whole) will find more appealing.
The Orlando Sentinel link to McCollum's concession speech. http://j.mp/d4qGAV
But this is what McCollum's part of the Republican party stands for. Shady backroom deals and then closing off any opponents that aren't part of the club.
It took a multi-billionaire to do it, but there will now be open fissures in the Republican Party of Florida. True, our hero does not ride on a white horse, but he vanquished an enemy that we have so long wanted to be broken up.
So there is lots of drama in RPOF. But perhaps this new star will tell a story that rank and file Republicans (and Floridians as a whole) will find more appealing.
The Orlando Sentinel link to McCollum's concession speech. http://j.mp/d4qGAV
One Paragraph Tells It All In Florida's Governor Race
"As the evening wore on, the mood turned grim at McCollum headquarters at a Hilton in Altamonte Springs, just north of Orlando. The candidate and his wife, Ingrid, were sequestered in a suite watching returns. The lobby bar, filled with hopeful Tallahassee lobbyists earlier in the evening, was quiet."
This one paragraph taken from The St. Petersburg Times really speaks volumes about what exactly is ailing the Republican Party of Florida. People have seen the headlines of RPOF corruption recently displayed by last year's chairman being led out in handcuffs. It also entailed a list of dirty tricks that activists don't like.
And those activists are the ones that came to the lightly voted primary. They were saying no to the Tallahassee elite of the GOP. They were saying we want complete change!
Sure, RPOF brought to bear it's full might to crush outsider candidates like they so often have done in the past. This time the activists spoke clearly that they would take a never-tried newcomer to the incumbent that they knew all too well.
Round one is in the books. Let's see if Rick Scott can persuade the rest of the voting populace that he is more than just a protest vote against a corrupt regime.
This one paragraph taken from The St. Petersburg Times really speaks volumes about what exactly is ailing the Republican Party of Florida. People have seen the headlines of RPOF corruption recently displayed by last year's chairman being led out in handcuffs. It also entailed a list of dirty tricks that activists don't like.
And those activists are the ones that came to the lightly voted primary. They were saying no to the Tallahassee elite of the GOP. They were saying we want complete change!
Sure, RPOF brought to bear it's full might to crush outsider candidates like they so often have done in the past. This time the activists spoke clearly that they would take a never-tried newcomer to the incumbent that they knew all too well.
Round one is in the books. Let's see if Rick Scott can persuade the rest of the voting populace that he is more than just a protest vote against a corrupt regime.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Could The Florida Race That No One Is Watching Be The Most Important Of All?
Not mentioned much in Florida's big dollar political slug fests, is Florida State Senator John Thrasher against fellow Republican Charles Perniciaro. What makes this more than just a normal primary, is Thrasher's role as the Republican Party of Florida state chairman.
If Mr. Thrasher were to loose his state senate race, would it not also tarnish his standing as the RPOF chair? Many people think so and are wondering how that race is looking.
Through my network of political activists, it appears the race is trending in Mr. Perniciaro's favor. Volunteers knocking on doors in this Jacksonville-based district are reporting 'high negatives' for Mr. Thrasher. Apparently there is still bad blood flowing from when Thrasher bought his way to victory in a highly contested special election.
The person previously holding that senate seat was Jim King who died unexpectedly prompting the special election. That race had four legitimate contenders splitting the vote. Thrasher narrowly won, but did not receive a majority of the votes cast.
One volunteer I spoke with said, "Most people I talked to were definitely voting against Thrasher. Once in a while a homeowner will say they're for Thrasher, but not many. We are also having success with reaching the undecided's."
Mr. Pernciaro is a medical physician, and has had a lot of financial support lending his campaign more than $300,000 dollars and then raising a million dollars more. Mr. Thrasher has accused the doctor of only recently registering Republican. Pernciaro responded by showing that he has only donated to Republicans.
Keep your eyes out tomorrow for this low profile race with big implications.
If Mr. Thrasher were to loose his state senate race, would it not also tarnish his standing as the RPOF chair? Many people think so and are wondering how that race is looking.
Through my network of political activists, it appears the race is trending in Mr. Perniciaro's favor. Volunteers knocking on doors in this Jacksonville-based district are reporting 'high negatives' for Mr. Thrasher. Apparently there is still bad blood flowing from when Thrasher bought his way to victory in a highly contested special election.
The person previously holding that senate seat was Jim King who died unexpectedly prompting the special election. That race had four legitimate contenders splitting the vote. Thrasher narrowly won, but did not receive a majority of the votes cast.
One volunteer I spoke with said, "Most people I talked to were definitely voting against Thrasher. Once in a while a homeowner will say they're for Thrasher, but not many. We are also having success with reaching the undecided's."
Mr. Pernciaro is a medical physician, and has had a lot of financial support lending his campaign more than $300,000 dollars and then raising a million dollars more. Mr. Thrasher has accused the doctor of only recently registering Republican. Pernciaro responded by showing that he has only donated to Republicans.
Keep your eyes out tomorrow for this low profile race with big implications.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Was Mike Huckabee Ready To Sell His Endorsement to Rick Scott for $250,000?
I have spoken with a reliable source telling me that a little over a week ago, Mike Huckabee approached the Rick Scott campaign and made overtures that his endorsement could be had for $250,000 dollars.
A heated exchange occurred between Rick Scott and his campaign staff whether to pay-for-play for Huckabee's endorsement. Scott made the final call saying that, 'we're not going to have that kind of a campaign.'
My source is inside the Scott campaign and cannot be disclosed. Suffice to say they are on the payroll.
Once the offer was rejected, Mike Huckabee obliged establishment candidate Bill McCollum with the endorsement.
A heated exchange occurred between Rick Scott and his campaign staff whether to pay-for-play for Huckabee's endorsement. Scott made the final call saying that, 'we're not going to have that kind of a campaign.'
My source is inside the Scott campaign and cannot be disclosed. Suffice to say they are on the payroll.
Once the offer was rejected, Mike Huckabee obliged establishment candidate Bill McCollum with the endorsement.
The Vested Powers Have Spoken: We Control The Election Process/Newcomers Need Not Apply
Judging from the latest polling in the Florida governor's race, it appears that the party insiders have taken the lead. Both Jeff Greene and Rick Scott have been condemned by the power brokers as 'not one of us, so you can't trust them.'
Let's set aside the charges of fraud leveled at these upstart candidates (no one has been indicted, let alone convicted of anything). More often than not, when you hear accusations of bad business practices coming from career politicians you can bet the elected official has a hidden agenda.
The fact of the matter is that you will need to be a multi-billionaire to upend the wishes of the state leaders of Democrats and Republicans. And to amass this much wealth, you're going to have to engage in some ruthless business practices.
The real issues facing voters are quickly fading into which power club is going to run our state. I'm not real comfortable with this and here's why.
The huge amounts of money that the Democrat and Republican party's rely on to mold public opinion come from lobbyists and special interests. This is not good because they are then beholden to the sources of this cash and that obscures the debate on issues.
The answer to this payola scheme is not more laws. We've been writing them for decades and nothing has changed.
What needs to happen is we MUST get involved (read takeover) the Democrat and Republican state party's. That means gaining voting rights for your favored group via their local county executive committees.
I will shortly be launching a website that will detail how this can be done. The window for this insurgency is quite short. Please add me as a friend on Facebook (Nick Egoroff) so I can keep you informed.
Till then, good luck with the mudslinging and accusations.
Let's set aside the charges of fraud leveled at these upstart candidates (no one has been indicted, let alone convicted of anything). More often than not, when you hear accusations of bad business practices coming from career politicians you can bet the elected official has a hidden agenda.
The fact of the matter is that you will need to be a multi-billionaire to upend the wishes of the state leaders of Democrats and Republicans. And to amass this much wealth, you're going to have to engage in some ruthless business practices.
The real issues facing voters are quickly fading into which power club is going to run our state. I'm not real comfortable with this and here's why.
The huge amounts of money that the Democrat and Republican party's rely on to mold public opinion come from lobbyists and special interests. This is not good because they are then beholden to the sources of this cash and that obscures the debate on issues.
The answer to this payola scheme is not more laws. We've been writing them for decades and nothing has changed.
What needs to happen is we MUST get involved (read takeover) the Democrat and Republican state party's. That means gaining voting rights for your favored group via their local county executive committees.
I will shortly be launching a website that will detail how this can be done. The window for this insurgency is quite short. Please add me as a friend on Facebook (Nick Egoroff) so I can keep you informed.
Till then, good luck with the mudslinging and accusations.
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