Thoughts on the primary results (UPDATED)

I woke up this morning with some of the strongest conflicted feelings I can remember after an election.  Extremely happy about some races, accepting of the results in others, and heartbroken over a few.  Here's some of my thoughts... 

GOVERNOR - REPUBLICAN PRIMARY 

OMG we elected Voldemort.

Seriously though, readers of this site know I was supporting Bill McCollum.  Many of us in Central Florida have known McCollum for years.  He was never very flashy but I was impressed with his anti-gang task force and work fighting against consumer fraud and internet predators.  This race frustrated me immensely because Rick Scott's negative campaigning included so many exaggerations and, in my opinion, misrepresentations.  To claim that McCollum was implicit in the whole Jim Greer debacle was beyond misleading, considering that McCollum was one of the people pushing Greer out of the RPOF chairman's position, and even those recorded phone calls between Greer and Delmar Johnson showed Greer viewed McCollum as an adversary, not an ally.  

I also am hesitant about the idea that our elections are for sale.  There isn't a single person out there who believes Scott would have been taking a photo with confetti raining down on his shiny head if not for the $50 million he invested in his TV and direct mail blitzkrieg campaign.  Here's just a little something fun I made this afternoon as I was thinking about the race (click image for full-size view):

All uses of ebay and RPOF trademarks are for parody or satirical purposes.
It's just a joke, people.

Bottom line, Bill and Ingrid McCollum are good people who have done a lot for our state and the Republican Party, and I am honored to have been able to get to know them and to have voted for Bill McCollum this year.  I really believe he was a better candidate and would have had an easier time beating Alex Sink.

That being said, there is no way I am going to support Alex Sink, and I encourage all other Republicans to hop on the Scott bandwagon with me now.  Do it for these two reasons: the Governor's veto power can block many legislative efforts, and the influence over the redistricting process.  I was hesitant on Scott before because he has very little track record to know what to expect from him, but can only continue to hope that he will stick to his conservative campaign promises and be a good leader for our state and our party. 

ORANGE COUNTY COMMISSION - PRIMARY 

There will be a runoff in District 4, but Jennifer Thompson seems to have a substantial lead.  She has worked very hard in this race and has been knocking on doors and meeting with district residents for several years now.  She has shown she is willing to spend time to do the research and fully understand the issues, and I believe she will be an asset for the County Commission, and a great representative for the people of Orange County.  I congratulate her on the job well done so far and predict a solid victory in November. 

DISTRICT 33 - REPUBLICAN PRIMARY 

Very happy to see Jason Brodeur get the "W" last night.  Beyond just supporting a fellow Gator, I've known Jason for years through his work with the Young Republicans and have always found him to be a stand-up guy.  Say what you want about Seminole County politics, anyone who knows Jason knows what kind of person he is.  Hopefully he will prevail in November, and I look forward to seeing him in Tallahassee. 

SEMINOLE COUNTY COMMISSION - REPUBLICAN PRIMARY 

Very, very happy to see John Horan victorious last night.  Nothing personal against McLean, as I've said, I've only met the guy once and he seems friendly enough, but I've known Horan since 2002 and know him to be smart, ethical, honest, a dedicated conservative, and just all-around good guy.  

I know the campaign spent a lot of time and effort doing the grassroots work, and looks like it paid off - I heard that he won every precinct where the campaign walked.  I called last night to congratulate him and he was so happy and humbly appreciative of the community support.  This is a guy who really cares about Seminole County and I think he'll do a great job on the Commission. 

MORE COMMENTS COMING LATER...I know which races I've left out...don't worry...will update post soon... 

OK, here's an update... 

JUDICIAL RACES 

I was pleased to see Rand Wallis and Michael Rudisill re-elected to the bench.  In my opinion, if a judge hasn't done anything unethical, then that judge should be retained.  There is an unfortunate practice of running against judges to settle a grudge, prove a point, or, in one race a few years ago, to get revenge against the judge for unfavorable rulings.  A judge is not supposed to worry about being popular, but only about being fair, honest, fair, ethical, fair, unbiased, and did I mention, FAIR.  The role of the judge is to review the facts and evidence, apply the law consistently, and make a ruling based on that.

It is completely ridiculous that Judge Clayton Simmons even drew an opponent, much less was defeated yesterday.  He is so well-respected in the legal community and has done a wonderful job during his years on the bench. Simmons' son was campaigning at the same precinct in Oviedo with me yesterday and was working so hard for his dad, my heart is just breaking for their family.  I do not know Linda Schoonover, I've never met her, but she made some disparaging comments about Simmons on her website, quoting a Sentinel article to insinuate he had done something improper.  Not true...and so disappointing to see a judicial candidate engage in that kind of behavior.

Regarding the Group 5 County Court race, I am so proud of Amir Ladan and all our wonderful volunteers who gave countless hours walking neighborhoods, phone banking, and surviving Tuesday's downpour to campaign at the precincts.  I really loved working with Amir's family too, and feel honored that I got to be a part of their lives these past few months.  Amir's dad has such an inspirational story, and mom Zelda is just so awesome, I don't have words for it.  His wife, Trish, was such a dedicated supporter of her husband, and daughter Ashley is so darn sweet, and asked such neat questions about the elections process.  She asked me last night when we would know the results, and when I told her that her daddy had lost but could run again sometime, her response was "well, maybe not right away.  I like having him at home."  So cute.

Amir was a first time candidate battling against opponents with better name ID and the ability to self-finance their campaigns, but he worked very hard and ran a positive ethical campaign.  I am disappointed in one of the opponent's negative mail, and disgusted with some of the ugly attempts to spread false rumors by certain people.  I believe very strongly that Amir was the most qualified for the seat, and that he will go on to one day soon wear those black robes.

In general, I am left feeling extremely dissatisfied with judicial elections.  There are so many restrictions on what events the candidates can attend, what they can say, what they can do, that it just exacerbates the confusion and disinterest most people have for the judiciary.  It is extremely challenging for a judicial candidate to get their message to the voters, and it seems the only way to do it is to throw a big pile of money around.  Mike Thomas summed it up well in a blog post earlier discussing his predictions right before the polls closed:

Various judge races: Who knows? Who cares? You know, we shouldn’t elect judges. I think it is a very dangerous thing. I think if I had $100,000 I could become a judge.

Sigh...sad thing is, it's pretty true.  Drop $100K in a campaign account, and unless there are photos out there of you kicking a puppy or engaged in some sort of odd sexual fetish, you can probably get elected judge.   

CONGRESS DISTRICT 8 REPUBLICAN PRIMARY 

I voted for Kurt Kelly, but I have no problem with Dan Webster.  If he had gotten in the race earlier, I would have happily endorsed him out of the gate.  My hesitation was due to his hesitation in getting in the race.  Other candidates, notably Kelly and O'Donoghue, sacrificed a lot to get into the race because Webster had not jumped in: took a financial hit on their businesses, time away from their families, enduring the glare of the media spotlight, and Kelly gave up his State House seat, which was considered a safe bet for reelection.

Still, Dan Webster has an established conservative track record.  We know what we are getting with him, and I am confident that he would continue that same great record in Washington.  I am happy to officially endorse him today and will be voting for him in November without reservation.  I believe he will be a great replacement for our train wreck of a congressional representative, Alan Grayson.

 CONGRESS DISTRICT 24 REPUBLICAN PRIMARY 

I am just devastated and heartbroken about this race, and still shocked and horrified over the desperate and unethical way that Craig Miller ran his campaign.  The ridiculous and repetitive misrepresentations about Karen Diebel's record were one thing, but his last minute mailer full of lies and personal attacks from the vicious liberals Beth Dillaha and Margie Bridges was a new low.  I have never been so disappointed and disgusted in a [so-called] Republican candidate.  

All the information and feedback I'm getting is that the mailer did not help Miller at all, but did throw enough mud and confusion around that Sandy Adams was able to just stand by and reap the benefit of seeming above the fray.  I am somewhat gratified to see Miller come in third.  I do hope that the Adams campaign sends Miller a nice thank you note for knocking Karen out of Sandy's way.

Mark my words, today's simpering endorsement of Adams is the last we'll hear of Craig Miller.  We never heard a peep from him before this race, and I will faint and fall to the ground if he actually gets out there and works for Adams or any other Republican candidate, or does anything for the party other than maybe writing a check.

I am extremely proud of Karen Diebel and the wonderful team that worked on her campaign.  It was a privilege and an honor to work with these dedicated conservatives and downright fun people.  I've gained some treasured new friends through this campaign, and will always respect Karen for her strength in the face of adversity, her genuine kindness, her focus on her goals, her respect for other people.  I am honored to call her a friend.

Some have questioned Karen's delay in endorsing Sandy Adams.  Let's all calm down and not lose our minds over a few hours.  The sole and only reason for the delay was that the campaign was getting reports from the Orange SOE and I think the Brevard one too that there were some factors present that might trigger the statutorily required automatic recount.  No one was making any accusations of fraud or improper activity related to the election and there was never any discussion about filing suit or otherwise following in sore loser Al Gore's footsteps.  There was just simply an extremely close race and a desire to let the system work as it is supposed to.

Earlier today, the Diebel campaign issued the following press release, congratulating Sandy Adams and wishing her the best in the effort to take District 24 back from Kosmas:

For Immediate Release
August 25, 2010

Former Winter Park Vice-Mayor, businesswoman, and former candidate for US Congress District 24, Karen Diebel congratulates Sandy Adams on winning the Republican nomination for Congress.

“I will never stop championing the values I fought for in this campaign – border security, lower taxes, the right to life, and market-based solutions to our health care system. The first step in the battle is unseating liberal Suzanne Kosmas and restoring conservative representation to our district. Throughout the next couple of months, I will support Sandy in her efforts to take back this seat,” said Diebel.

Diebel, whose campaign came within one percentage point of victory, is very appreciative of all those who supported her throughout the past year.

“This campaign was a hard-fought effort and one that we can all be proud of. I want to thank my family, friends, staff, and volunteers for their love and support and dedicating countless hours to our effort. I also want to thank the many conservative leaders who stood strongly behind our campaign, especially Gov. Mike Huckabee, Bay Buchanan, Congressman Dick Schulze, Winter Park Mayor Ken Bradley, Mat Staver, and Concerned Women for America PAC,” Diebel concluded.

ORANGE COUNTY MAYOR 

Left this one for last because I really wanted to end on a happy note.  In case you missed it, here are the results in this race:

Teresa Jacobs - 42%

Bill Segal - 23%

Linda Stewart - 19%

Matthew Falconer  - 15%

...leaving Jacobs and Segal in the runoff for November.  Oh yeah, and Matt Falconer dead last.  I'm glad to see that the people of Orange County were smart enough to not fall for Falconer's outlandish ideas, personal attacks on his opponents, and constant lies.  

Contrast Falconer with Linda Stewart, who should be proud of herself for running a positive and ethical campaign where she was vastly outmatched financially.  I disagree with many of her political positions, but she is a nice person and her grassroots campaigning was impressive.

From the Sentinel:

The strong finish for Jacobs, a Republican, indicates voters accepted her as a reformer and fiscal conservative in the campaign.

She overcame the nearly $1 million raised and spent by Segal and outside business groups backing his campaign. Jacobs said her strong support showed that the "hearts and minds and votes" of Orange residents "cannot be bought."

"I don't think you can buy passion and commitment," said Jacobs, who spent $217,000 on her campaign.

The article also mentions some petty sour grapes from Falconer, who stated that he would not endorse Jacobs or Segal.  Apparently he's still believing that he was "the only conservative in the race!"

I spoke to Teresa's husband Bruce earlier today and they are both so thrilled and humbled by how many people voted for Teresa and have continued to support her during the campaign.  She is so happy and ready to continue the fight all the way to November.  Teresa and her daughter Lisa waved signs this morning at the corner of Curry Ford and 436:

Teresa's sign says "Thank You" (click to enlarge)

Bill Segal's campaign sent out an email earlier today, wasting no time in attacking Teresa, saying that voters had a choice between Segal or "a lobbyist who ran to the far-right to rally social conservatives to her cause."  C'mon, Bill, you're better than that.  You know darn well that's not accurate.  As I wrote last Friday:

Let's be clear.  Teresa Jacobs has never been a lobbyist.  She's also never been a Olympic synchronized swimmer or a ninja or a pomegranate whatever other silly things one could imagine.  

And I just simply have not seen any "running to the far-right to rally social conservatives."  The only time Teresa addressed any of those kind of issues was to speak out against Matthew Falconer's lies that she was a liberal and pro-abortion.  Teresa did not proselytize on the topic, merely pointed out that her personal beliefs are pro-life.  I think a dose of reality is needed here...abortion is simply not an issue that county commissions would be expected to address or have power or influence over.  There is no need to worry that she would turn the Orange County Commission into some sort of vehicle for social conservative crusades. 

Teresa Jacobs ran a great campaign and her large margin of victory shows she has great name ID and high popularity in our community.  I am looking forward to continuing to support her campaign and cheer her to victory in November.    
 

Don't say I didn't warn you...

I have had several people tell me that they enjoy reading the blog, love the snarky humor, but also said, "I hope I never end up on your bad side!"  Well, fear not.  Nixon had an extensive "enemies list," but it's really easy to stay off my "list," two simple rules:

Rule #1: Don't lie.  If you do say something that's not true, then admit it, say you're sorry, and correct the mistake. 

Rule #2: Don't be a jerk.  Criticizing political opponents based on their voting record, the feasibility of their campaign promises, and their statements and actions is legitimate, and a valid way to illustrate differences between candidates.  Misrepresenting an opponent's record so you can call them a "liberal" or issuing personal attacks, not cool.    

So there you go.  Two simple rules.  Follow them, and you can sleep well at night without worrying I'm going to "target" you.  

Craig Miller got my attention after he misrepresented Karen Diebel's record on taxes and spending, and attempted to distort his own record on immigration.  Matthew Falconer gets attacked frequently here because it seems like every word out of his mouth is either a false attack on someone or a misrepresentation about local government.  As for Doug Guetzloe...wow, where to even begin with him and his Fake Tea Party?  Here's one example: at the recent Central Florida Tiger Bay Club debate between the Orange County Mayoral candidates, one of the few issues upon which all four candidates agreed was that they all publicly denounced Guetzloe and denied that they were working with him or would work with him.        

About two months ago, I wrote a post about Seminole County Commissioner Mike McLean's purchase of about $9,000 of new furniture for his office right after running a campaign claiming he was a "fiscal conservative."  Shortly after the post went up, I got a call from McLean's campaign manager, worried that I was planning a series of "hit pieces" on McLean.  I said, no, I didn't have any major issue with McLean, I actually had never even met him.

I also explained that I had known John Horan since I had a summer internship with his law firm back in 2002, and knew him to be a dedicated Republican and all-around good guy.  I had written the article about the furniture issue because I just thought it was kind of funny and there was a news article that easily verified the facts and details for me.  Doing a detailed "hit piece" on a county commissioner regarding specific votes, statements at county commission meetings, and policy positions requires a lot of time and energy to properly research, and I lacked the time or interest to scour over McLean's record like that.

I have continued to get messages from McLean staffers and supporters, worried about my involvement in the race, trying to argue with me about the minutiae of Seminole County Commission budget issues and McLean's voting history.  I don't know how many more times I can say this without turning blue in the face, but I am not working for the Horan campaign.  I've knocked on some doors once or twice, but that's it. 

It never ceases to amaze me how a certain mythology has risen up regarding me, this blog, and my political activities.  People have accused me of working for candidates I've never even met.  If I was working on even half of the campaigns I've been accused of working for, I'd be a millionaire.  Remember, campaign finance reports are public record.  If I'm working for a candidate, you'll see it eventually.  My work shows up on the reports as either my name or "Caffeinated Campaigns" or "Caffeinated Campaigns & Consulting, LLC." 

Since writing that article, I have met McLean at a recent HobNob event, and he certainly seemed like a friendly and affable fellow, exactly as I have heard him described.  Unfortunately, this nice and friendly-seeming guy has also made some extremely questionable and disappointing decisions regarding his campaign messaging.

The McLean campaign sent out a mailer comparing John Horan with Barack Obama and attempting to paint Horan as an amnesty-loving liberal.  Scott Maxwell doesn't always get his stories straight, but I think he has this one pegged pretty well:

Just by looking at [the McLean mail piece], one obviously assumes Mr. Horan is some sort of liberal, amnesty-loving Democrat who wants to take his open-border, Obama-loving ways to Washington, D.C.

Except he’s not.

Horan is a Republican. And the office he’s seeking isn’t federal. It’s for Seminole County commissioner — one that has virtually nothing to do with immigration.

But who cares? Immigration is the scare tactic and wedge issue of the day. So Seminole County Commissioner Mike McLean (who’s apparently a little nervous about his ability to retain his seat) decided to opt for scare tactics … whether they are relevant or not.

I don’t know John Horan. But I know McLean. He’s an affable enough guy — but also one who has a series of enough bone-headed (and sometimes ethically questionable) moves from his past that he’s right to be nervous.

But I don’t think he’s right to play these silly scare games. County commissioners have about 1,000 things more relevant to their jobs than immigration.  

Want proof? How about the fact that McLean’s been on the board for four years and hasn’t done a single thing regarding immigration. (He said he once tried, but the county attorney said his effort his proposal was unnecessary.)

That means that, if voters in Seminole elect a guy who does absolutely nothing with regards to immigration, they will have selected a guy who’s done precisely what McLean has accomplished when it comes to immigration: nothing.

I asked McLean about his mailer, and he said: “I stand by it and feel it is important for voters in the upcoming Republican Primary to be informed on my opponents views on key Republican issues.”

It’d probably be more important for them to be informed of you and your opponents’ views on Seminole County issues.

...Perhaps McLean’s nervous about the embarrassing headlines he’s made during this past term — including the time he reimbursed himself with almost as much taxpayer money for local mileage as the entire rest of the county commission combined.

There was also the time when — fresh off campaigning as a fiscal conservative — he spent more than $8,000 in taxpayer money redecorating his office … including $1,200 for a high-back chair. (McLean said he felt an obligation to make the office look nice, because it really belongs to the taxpayers.)

And then there was the time McLean  used county records to get the addresses of county employees, so he could solicit them for his insurance business. (His excuse? Just “trying to make a living.”)

Maybe you can see better now why McLean wants to distract voters. The question is: Will they fall for it?

Mike McLean should be ashamed of himself.  This despicable mailer is nothing more than a pathetic attempt to distract from his own record.  The Orlando Sentinel was right to endorse John Horan: 

Mr. McLean's early tenure on the commission was marred by episodes of poor judgment. He ordered more than $8,800 worth of new furniture for his county office. He obtained a list of hundreds of county employees to solicit as customers for his insurance business. He billed the county almost as much for travel in his first year as the other four commissioners combined.

These episodes would be easier to overlook now if Mr. McLean were more contrite. Instead, he dismisses them as having occurred during "different times," when public money wasn't so tight — as if it's OK to gouge a healthy budget.

And Mr. McLean has chosen to go after Mr. Horan for a 2008 guest column in the Sentinel that called on Congress to secure the nation's borders and permit "a market-driven flow of legal immigrants needed for the American economy."

Pretty reasonable stuff. And yet, Mr. McLean's campaign has likened him to President Obama. This is silly, and it's irrelevant in a county commission race.

We endorse John Horan.

So there you go.  Don't lie, and don't be a jerk, and you won't have a problem with me.  If Mike McLean or his campaign has a response to this, please email me or post a comment.  I would hope that the response would come with an apology, but I won't hold my breath.  

Cool updates from my endorsed candidates

Here's some updates from some of my endorsed candidates:

Jason Brodeur, running for State House District 33, Lori Halbert, running for State House District 31, John Horan, running for Seminole County Commissioner, Teresa Jacobs, running for Orange County Mayor, David Simmons, running for State Senate District 22, and  Jennifer Thompson, running for Orange County Commissioner, have qualified for the ballot by petition.  This is a showing of true grassroots support and a well-organized campaign.  Congrats!

Karen Diebel, running for Congress (District FL-24), and Mike Horner, State House 79, both announced this week that they had received the endorsement of Mike Huckabee and Huck PAC.

A.A. Ladan, a former prosecutor running for Seminole County Judge, received the endorsement of Ninth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Lawson Lamar.

Karen Diebel, Mike Horner, Marco Rubio, and Jason Brodeur all won the Orange County Young Republican straw polls held in the past two months.

Sounds like a waste of money to me

This is just ridiculous.  McLean ran for office as a fiscal conservative, and then pulled shenanigans like this.  About nine thousand bucks for unnecessary office furniture...may not be all that much, but I think it betrays a philosophy that is incompatible with being a true fiscal conservative.

Taxpayers needed my office makeover, new official says - Orlando Sentinel

Like most candidates in this fiscally conservative Republican stronghold, Mike McLean campaigned on a platform that was clearly pro-business and low taxes when he ran for office last year.

Some of the literature in his successful campaign for Seminole County Commission even included a promise to make government "live within its means."

So what did the county's rookie commissioner do two months into his term? He asked for $8,883.28 in new office furniture, including a $1,200 high-back leather chair and a $1,100 credenza.

The county staff obliged, though the existing furniture -- a cherry-stained desk, table, bookshelves and traditional Queen Anne-style chairs -- is in good repair except for minor scratches and dings.

McLean defends the request, saying the 10-year-old furniture, while functional, is out of date.

What?!  Are you kidding me?

For one thing, I'm glad my grandfather isn't around anymore to hear someone say that cherry-stained, Queen Anne furniture is "out of date."  Umm, sorry McLean, but that's called "classic" and remember, "good taste never goes out of style." 

And as far as "minor scratches and dings" go, that is no reason to throw out good wood furniture.  Four generations of Rumpfs have made and restored wood furniture, and my house has several treasured items made by my father or grandfather, or that I've salvaged and repaired myself.  "Minor scratches" are easily fixed with touch up marker kits.  Here's my favorite brand:

I've got a set and used them successfully on my furniture at home.  It's a special type of marker that seems somewhat paint-like, a little thicker than regular marker ink, applies easily and permanently covers up scratches.

Eight bucks, McLean!  Just eight bucks, and your furniture could have been nice and pretty again.  Amazon even offers that free super saver shipping if your total order is at least $25!  May we suggest some reading material?

Finally, McLean's argument that there was some pressing need to update the furniture is just pathetic:

This office isn't my office.  It's the citizens of Seminole County's office. I have an obligation to make it as up to date as possible.

Furniture does not become obsolete like computers or other technology.  Having slightly older furniture isn't going to interfere with meeting with constituents or otherwise doing the job of a commissioner.