11.05.18- Glad It’s Almost Over
This campaign season, going back to before the Primary officially launched, has been the ugliest in my time in Brevard. Lies, deception and some really stupid moves by candidates and supporters have been the rule and not the exception.
It’s as if we have turned the campaigning process over to children who, when allowed to play unsupervised, eat their crayons to see what colors they can spew out onto campaign material after digestion.
They have not received or may have not listened to advice from those established in the political game and, being left on their own, have begun to ruin the process.
Antics like this will cause good folks to shun the political realm and leave it to the children who, as children do, consider their own selfish needs instead of those of the people they serve.
As one friend put it, rulers vs leaders. It’s that simple.
11.06.18- Polls…meaningless jabbering
Today (Tuesday) is the day. It’s the day we hear the meaningful numbers starting at about 7:02 this evening. As I write this I have no idea what the results will be.
Polling over the last few years has become unreliable as sampling methods and inclinations of pollsters come into question.
The candidates have done their jobs, good or bad, and the results will tell us a lot about Florida.
Will we continue a positive trend we have seen over the last 8 years or will we begin to dismantle an economy that has been growing?
The differences in the candidates are stark. The passions of the voters are stoked and in the balance lies the future of our kids, our grandkids and our state.
What’s it going to be? Only you get to decide how you vote. We all have to live with the results.
11.07.18- The Results Are In
Kermit the Frog sang it’s not easy being green. And while the election season held hope for voters on both sides of the political aisle, I am thinking our next song will remind us that it ain’t so easy being purple, either!
It may as well be official. Florida is not politically red or blue, it’s purple. That mixture that isn’t quit one or the other, but isn’t pretty either.
Both the US Senate and Governor’s races were within one point. Republicans won, or appear to have won for now, both jobs. But, talk about narrow, these victories were.
It’s similar nationally as Republicans lost the House of Representatives and gained some Senate seats. We may see lessons in balance of power in the congress. We could also see gridlock.
What’s it tell us about the political future? Messaging will be important. Success will be important and the races in future elections will be just as hard fought.
I just hope they are fought more honestly.
11.08.18- What…Leadership? You Betcha!
It is so gratifying to see after the lack of decorum and professionalism in many campaigns, candidates and elected officials over most of the last year.
After winning a squeaker election for the governorship, Ron DeSantis demonstrated the best leadership we have seen in months, if not years in Florida politics.
In his victory speech DeSantis noted the difference in campaigning and governing. He knows governing is different and said it’s about getting things done on behalf of the people of the state, keeping the economy growing, improving water quality, the environment, education and supporting law enforcement.
He did that without belittling anyone or posting one video of poop flowing in the streets. How novel an idea is that?
Let’s hope the folks who have taken the tone the wrong way pick up on the leadership and follow Ron DeSantis.
He’s setting a good example.