# The Florida insiders get face-planted **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 29, 2018, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-insiders-get-face-planted/820472 "2018-08-29T14:33:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2018, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-insiders-get-face-planted/820472/101 "2018-08-31T01:11:30Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > Funny, someone made this statement upthread. And none of the more “liberal” posters has addressed the thesis that in choosing the more liberal candidate, Florida’s Democrats have most likely given away the election in the fall. A poll has come out that puts Gillum ahead. Take with a huge lump of salt though since this was done by a Democratic polling firm not to mention it is early and polls can be dicey. Still, as a data point, it suggests Gillum is not being outright dismissed and his lead with independents…even if half that…is huge and important for the general election. > [@](#): > > Forty-eight percent of the 743 voters surveyed chose Gillum, the current mayor of Tallahassee and a self-styled progressive, in the match-up, while 43 percent said they would cast their ballots for DeSantis. > > Among independents — a massive voting bloc in the state — Gillum leads DeSantis by 34 points, the poll found. > > Gillum also beats out DeSantis in favorability among Florida voters. Forty-five percent said they have a favorable opinion of the Tallahassee mayor, while 41 percent reported a favorable view of DeSantis. > > SOURCE: [http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/404423-first-post-primary-poll-shows-gillum-leading-desantis-by-5-in-florida](http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/404423-first-post-primary-poll-shows-gillum-leading-desantis-by-5-in-florida) ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2018, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-insiders-get-face-planted/820472/102 "2018-08-31T09:46:28Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Yep. Plus, > > 1. A talented candidate can convince the voters to shift their own ideology his way. In fact, that’s how leadership in public service _works_. > > 2. Yes, and on down the ballot too. Not just blacks, either - there are hundreds of thousands of new Florida voters who were Puerto Ricans until recently, and few of whom would have much reason to sympathize with a Trumpist. Actually, Rick Scott doesn’t seem to have anything to fear from heavy Latino turnout. Nelson leads him by only 2-4 among Latino voters. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2018, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-insiders-get-face-planted/820472/103 "2018-08-31T09:48:38Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > A poll has come out that puts Gillum ahead. > > Take with a huge lump of salt though since this was done by a Democratic polling firm not to mention it is early and polls can be dicey. Still, as a data point, it suggests Gillum is not being outright dismissed and his lead with independents…even if half that…is huge and important for the general election. PPP is a Democratic firm, but also a very high quality pollster. ---
**Author:** ![drivekiller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@drivekiller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drivekiller)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2018, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-insiders-get-face-planted/820472/104 "2018-08-31T15:37:06Z")
> [@EscAlaMike](#): > > I’m not sure how you’re defining irony (it has several different applications you know), but if you don’t see any irony in a person using a tool that is basically digitized and materialized capitalism, and using that very tool to demand that socialism be implemented, then I don’t know how I can help you. The irony here is that the iphone is a device that turns its purchasers into a commodity to be consumed by corporations. Using labels like Capitalism and Socialism in 2018 is a bit like clinging to Newtonian physics. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2018, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-insiders-get-face-planted/820472/105 "2018-08-31T16:38:08Z")
Has there _ever_ been a black elected Governor in the South, _even one_? (Recall that Pinckney B.S. Pinchback, Governor of Louisiana for five weeks during Reconstruction was elected Lieut. Governor and stepped up only while Gov. Warmoth was undergoing impeachment trial.) I’m trying to recoup the losses from my last bet here, _ **so will bet that American racism prevails** _. If the stakes are to be .sig’s let me first check whether 2-line sigs are allowed here. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2018, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-insiders-get-face-planted/820472/106 "2018-08-31T16:55:37Z")
Yeah, not taking that one. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2018, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-insiders-get-face-planted/820472/107 "2018-08-31T16:59:26Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > Has there _ever_ been a black elected Governor in the South, _even one_? [Douglas Wilder](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Wilder), Governor of Virginia 90-94. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2018, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-insiders-get-face-planted/820472/108 "2018-08-31T18:07:41Z")
He might lose for reasons other than race. If you are going to bet that “racism prevails”, you’ll have to prove that his loss was due to racism, not political affiliation or some other factor. That would be a meaningless bet. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2018, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-insiders-get-face-planted/820472/109 "2018-08-31T18:11:10Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > He might lose for reasons other than race. If you are going to bet that “racism prevails”, you’ll have to prove that his loss was due to racism, not political affiliation or some other factor. That would be a meaningless bet. Wouldn’t the racist Desantis winning be enough proof that “racism prevails”? ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2018, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-insiders-get-face-planted/820472/110 "2018-08-31T18:29:48Z")
:smack: I knew of Governor Wilder but was so busy Googling for 19th-century Governors that I overlooked him. > [@John\_Mace](#): > > He might lose for reasons other than race. If you are going to bet that “racism prevails”, you’ll have to prove that his loss was due to racism, not political affiliation or some other factor. That would be a meaningless bet. That’s our **John**! If I bet on a football game and write “because Ryan Tannehill will prevail” the bet is on even if Tannehill doesn’t start and depends only on the game’s final score. The “because” line(\*) is just commentary. Some bettors may “_IF_ the quarterback” but that has to be explicit. And let me save **Mr. Mace** a click and disclaim right now that Yes, I’m aware I didn’t _explicitly_ write “because” in my post. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2018, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-insiders-get-face-planted/820472/111 "2018-08-31T18:30:59Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > He might lose for reasons other than race. It’s not easy to imagine what they might be, though. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2018, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-insiders-get-face-planted/820472/112 "2018-08-31T21:42:11Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > It’s not easy to imagine what they might be, though. Wow, the perfect politician. Amazing! Oh wait. He was endorsed by Bernie Sanders. Isn’t that supposed to be the kiss of death? ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2018, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-insiders-get-face-planted/820472/113 "2018-09-01T01:52:08Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Oh wait. He was endorsed by Bernie Sanders. Isn’t that supposed to be the kiss of death? Paging dalej42! Is this true?!? ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2018, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-insiders-get-face-planted/820472/114 "2018-09-01T16:45:56Z")
I’m not sure exactly how much credit to give Sanders for the win, but I’ll give him some. Every little bit helps in a 3 (major) candidate primary race held at the end of August. It does look like Black turnout certainly boosted Gillum, quite similar to Stacey Abrams. A lesson for Bernie: Note how Gwen Graham immediately endorsed Gillum rather than pouting, whining about conspiracies, and making demands for her support. Gillum seems quite interesting. I’m going to need to study up to see if the role of Mayor of Tallahassee has changed since I lived there. It used to be a ‘weak’ Mayor role with mainly ceremonial power. I am hopeful that the combination of Gillum and Nelson can feed off each other. Nelson is one of the most vulnerable Democrats and in a very expensive state. Scott has endless money and will get all the dark PAC money he needs to throw everything at Nelson and try to help the Republicans keep the Senate. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2018, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-insiders-get-face-planted/820472/115 "2018-09-01T21:42:52Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > …A lesson for Bernie: Note how Gwen Graham immediately endorsed Gillum rather than pouting, whining about conspiracies, and making demands for her support. > > Gillum seems quite interesting. I’m going to need to study up to see if the role of Mayor of Tallahassee has changed since I lived there. It used to be a ‘weak’ Mayor role with mainly ceremonial power. > > I am hopeful that the combination of Gillum and Nelson can feed off each other. Nelson is one of the most vulnerable Democrats and in a very expensive state. Scott has endless money and will get all the dark PAC money he needs to throw everything at Nelson and try to help the Republicans keep the Senate. ^Agree with all this. Rick Scott is a plausible answer to the oft-asked question, ‘what would happen to the US if a _smart_ Trump made it to the Presidency?’ Scott has a history of corruption (Medicare fraud and more\*), and though no one calls him a genius, he’s definitely got quite a few IQ points on Trump. And he’s definitely using the Senate as a steppingstone to, you know, Ultimate Power. So, yes: Democrats need a big turnout, and there’s hope that people who might not normally vote in a midterm, will come out for Gillum–and vote for Nelson, too. - > [@](#): > > Rick Scott ‘oversaw the largest Medicare fraud’ in U.S. history, Florida Democratic Party says [PolitiFact | Rick Scott 'oversaw the largest Medicare fraud' in U.S. history, Florida Democratic Party says](https://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2014/mar/03/florida-democratic-party/rick-scott-rick-scott-oversaw-largest-medicare-fra/) Rated “mostly true” because Scott’s fraud wasn’t limited _just_ to Medicare: > [@](#): > > A Justice Department spokeswoman said that officials refer to [Scott’s] Columbia/HCA as “largest health care fraud” rather than the more narrow term “Medicare fraud” because it involved defrauding other government programs such as Medicaid rather than Medicare exclusively. _ibid_ ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2018, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-insiders-get-face-planted/820472/116 "2018-09-02T00:05:56Z")
Served his time, right? Paid his debt to society? ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2018, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-insiders-get-face-planted/820472/117 "2018-09-02T15:39:04Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Actually, Rick Scott doesn’t seem to have anything to fear from heavy Latino turnout. Nelson leads him by only 2-4 among Latino voters. Nelson’s Latino outreach has been abysmally late and underwhelming. Also, the Hispanic vote, which includes Cuban, is fundamentally different and more moderate or Republican-friendly than the Hispanic vote in California or even more friendly than in other red states like Texas or Arizona. Nelson’s in trouble. Normally he’d have incumbency and fundraising as an advantage, but Rick Scott knows how to win races. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2018, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-insiders-get-face-planted/820472/118 "2018-09-02T17:19:13Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > I’m trying to recoup the losses from my last bet here, _ **so will bet that American racism prevails** _. If the stakes are to be .sig’s let me first check whether 2-line sigs are allowed here. Florida is a lot more than “South Alabama.” The state has more than one good reason to feel burned by the anti-environmentalist tendencies of the modern GOP. The morale is high on the “Resistance” side. And the progressives are emboldened by Doug Jones’s win in 'Bama. I think you’re wrong on this one. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2018, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-insiders-get-face-planted/820472/119 "2018-09-02T19:19:06Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > Florida is a lot more than “South Alabama.” The state has more than one good reason to feel burned by the anti-environmentalist tendencies of the modern GOP. The morale is high on the “Resistance” side. And the progressives are emboldened by Doug Jones’s win in 'Bama. > > I think you’re wrong on this one. The FBI investigation into Tallahassee corruption is going to tarnish Gillum’s gubernatorial campaign, no matter how many times he says they have assured him he is not a target of the investigation. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2018, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-insiders-get-face-planted/820472/120 "2018-09-02T22:10:42Z")
DeSantis says[he didn’t know](https://www.snopes.com/news/2018/08/31/ron-desantis-leaves-racist-facebook-group-says-unknowingly-member/) he was a moderator or even a member of a Facebook page devoted to deplorability. Okay. If you say so, Ron. I’m sure you had no contact with the people sending [these robocall](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/09/01/an-appalling-robocall-racism-invades-floridas-governors-race-second-time-this-week/)s, either. And that it will never happen again. > [@](#): > > “Well, hello there,” the call begins as the sounds of drums and monkeys can be heard in the background, according to the New York Times. “I is Andrew Gillum.” > > “We Negroes . . . done made mud huts while white folk waste a bunch of time making their home out of wood an’ stone.” > > The speaker goes on to say he’ll pass a law letting African Americans evade arrest “if the Negro know fo’ sho’ he didn’t do nothin’." [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-insiders-get-face-planted/820472.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-insiders-get-face-planted/820472.md?page=7)