More on Corrine Brown's Last Minute Debate Cancellation

As I mentioned earlier this week, Corrine Brown cancelled her appearance at last night's debate, barely 24 hours before it was scheduled to start, even though she had confirmed her attendance weeks ago.

Here's a press release from the Yost for Congress campaign about the last minute cancellation:

____________________________________________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, October 14, 2010

CONTACT:
Jen Millikin
(617) 299-1239
jen.millikin@yost2010.com

Brown Bails on Constituents, Opts Out of CFUL Candidate Forum
Last Minute Decision Affirms: Corrine, Constituents Just Don't Mix

JACKSONVILLE, FL - Mike Yost, candidate for U.S. Representative in the 3rd District, today denounced Democratic Congresswoman Corrine Brown's juvenile approach to denying voters an opportunity to see and hear her at tonight's now cancelled candidate forum.

"After living and working in Florida for the past four years, I remain dazed and confused as to Rep. Brown's approach to public service.  From her lavish stays nationwide at five-star hotels like the Ritz-Carlton, to her refusal to answer basic questions from local reporters and now a last minute decision to bail on a Urban League Candidate Forum.  These are clearly the tactics of a career politician, and in 2010, I think voters in the 3rd Congressional District deserve better.

"As Congressman, I pledge not only to maintain connection with voters using traditional ways, but to also make the most of social media tools such as Tele-Town Halls, Facebook, and Twitter. If you are too busy for constituents because you are gallivanting coast to coast spending thousands of donor dollars and you refuse to answer questions from a well-known and accomplished advocacy group like the Urban League, you're in Washington for one reason, and one reason only: your own well-being.  The time is now for voters to learn after 18-years of lackluster service, it's not Corrine Brown's seat, it's the people's seat."

Sponsored by the Central Florida Urban League (CFUL), tonight's event entitled, "Conversation with the Candidates," was confirmed to be attended by both of the candidates of the 3rd Congressional District prior to a letter received by each on Monday, October 4, 2010 (see attached). When it comes to leading the way with improving district statistics regarding dismal unemployment, education and crime numbers: Where is Corrine Brown?

###

After more than 20-years of serving as a trustworthy neighborhood auto-technician, Mike Yost chose to put his successful career on hold, and literally "walk the walk" knocking on over 12,000 doors to gather signatures necessary to qualify for the August Republican primary ballot.  He and his wife Debra share a home in Jacksonville and have two children and five grandchildren.

Paid for and approved by Yost for Congress

Mike Yost on Ed Dean Radio

Mike Yost was on Ed Dean's Radio Show on Tuesday, talking about his race.

You can listen to the show here:

Ed Dean Radio | October 12, 2010

Mike is on starting at the 0:33 mark...check him out, I think you'll like what you hear.  

...and, oh yeah, I'm on the show too, during the hour right after Mike. :) 

Corrine Brown Chickens Out

This is just so pathetic.  Tomorrow night in Sanford, the Central Florida Urban League had scheduled a candidate forum and debate for the District 3 Congressional race.  This event has been on the calendar for a long time, both campaigns had agreed to the date, time, and format of the debate, and a letter was sent out to both campaigns on October 4th confirming all the details.

Then, earlier today, the Urban League suddenly cancelled the entire event.  Why?  Corrine Brown had backed out at the last minute the day before the event.  Well, Mike Yost was still willing to show up to meet the voters and answer their questions.   No official explanation has been issued by the Brown campaign, but an unnamed source admitted that Corrine Brown apparently doesn't want to debate Mike Yost.

Hmmmm.  I wonder why?  Why is Corrine Brown scared to debate Mike Yost?

Here's Mike Yost giving a speech earlier this month in Orlando (this was an impromptu speech, that he did without any notes or preparation ahead of time):

YouTube | Mike Yost at "Take Back America" Rally

...and here's Corrine Brown giving a speech on the floor of Congress.  She is reading from her own notes, and, ummm, still apparently having problems...

YouTube | Corrine Brown Congratulating the UF Football Team

Representing your alma mater positively: FAIL.  

Have a great day, y'all, and please remember to support Mike Yost, the only candidate in District 3 willing to actually talk to his constituents and answer their questions. 

www.Yost2010.com

Bill Segal's partisan problem

Bill Segal has been running a very confusing campaign for awhile now.  I have always thought he was a nice guy, and he has not governed as any sort of partisan extremist, but his campaign has seemed like one partisan attack after another, especially after the primary election results showed Teresa Jacobs so far ahead.

For some reason, Segal decided to come by our Orange County Young Republican meeting last night.  Most of the membership did not know he was coming and I think a lot of people were shocked that he was there.  I give him credit for being willing to take the heat and answer a lot of tough questions, but I have to question the campaign strategy here.  

Segal tried to claim he had run a nonpartisan campaign, but the Sentinel has diligently tracked down all of the Segal campaign's clumsy attempts to tie Jacobs to Sarah Palin and call her a right-wing extremist (See Sentinel blog posts here and here).  He admitted he was a Democrat and then claimed that he had "supported McCain eight years ago."  I assume he meant to say ten years ago, in 2000, but I don't see how he could have supported McCain against Bush in 2000, when he would have been unable to vote for a Republican in Florida's closed primaries as a Democrat.  

Segal then was asked if he had supported Obama, and he said yes, and continued on with something about how he thought Obama had a great message of hope, good ideas, etc.  Ummm, what was he thinking?  The average independent voter on the street is not excited about Obama right now, and you are in a room of Republican activists, campaign workers, RPOF staffers, and volunteers.  Understanding your audience FAIL.

Frank Torres was at last night's meeting too and has a great blog post on his take on all this.  You really should be reading Frank's blog anyway, he's got a great take on Central Florida Politics:

Frank Torres | Central Florida Politics | Bill Segal's clumsy pandering crosses party lines

...and I have to agree with Frank, I was a bit shocked when Segal called Frank an "entertainer."  I don't know what Segal's intentions were, I can't read minds, but it sounded condescending and dismissive to me, and I heard a number of other people in the room sharply draw in a breath or say "Oh!" at that little comment.

Again, I have to just question the strategy of the Segal campaign.   It's like the campaign is being run by Tweedledee and Tweedledum Tweedledumb and Tweedledumber.

This whole visit was nothing more than a big waste of time for them.  Segal and two of his top campaign staffers spent almost three hours at GrayRobinson (most of it sitting in the lobby), they didn't raise a dime in campaign contributions, didn't win a single vote, and managed to anger a lot of the OCYR membership.  If the group wasn't already firmly on Team Teresa, they sure are now.  Plus, I'm pretty sure the multiple people in the room that pulled out video phones and cameras when Segal popped in, now have some sound bites that will not help Segal win votes with Republicans, or Democrats for that matter.

 

Why Kendrick Meek won't drop out, and why it doesn't matter even if he does

Ever since this article appeared in the Wall Street Journal last week, there's been a lot of chatter about whether Kendrick Meek will drop out of the Senate race, presumably to support Charlie Crist and help him defeat Marco Rubio.  I am not worried about this, for several reasons.

First of all, I seriously doubt Meek is going anywhere.  I disagree with him - strongly - on almost all of his policy positions, but I have to respect the hard work he has put into this race.  Meek qualified by petition, a significant accomplishment in any race but even more impressive considering the number of signatures needed for a statewide race.  

Meek is not a guy who is running just for vanity [cough cough Jeff Greene cough cough] or to prove a point, this is a guy who is running because he truly believes in what he's doing and the causes for which he is fighting.  Like I said, I don't agree with him but he's a true believer and I grant a lot more respect for that than I do Charlie's flip-flopping pander-monium (see what I did there?  A little wordplay with "pandemonium" using "pander," Charlie's favorite word.  I'm surprised he hasn't trademarked it yet.  OK, I'm done patting myself on the back for a semi-clever pun).

Anyone who watched the last debate can see that Meek is serious about his campaign and very passionate about his beliefs.  I just don't see him pulling a Nick Saban ("No, I swear I'm not leaving this team!").  The Meek campaign's statement denying any intention to drop out sounded absolutely serious to me, Bill Clinton is scheduled to campaign with him in Central Florida later this month, and Obama himself is recording a radio ad for Meek.  No way a former president and a current president would waste their time or political capital on a candidate who couldn't convince them he was committed to the race.

It's important to consider what Meek stands to gain or lose from staying in versus dropping out.  I'm not sure what sort of plum appointment he could be offered that would really be worthwhile.  Meek doesn't really have the resume for the economic advisory type positions (of course, I never expected a tax cheat like Tim Geithner would get appointed either, so I could be wrong), there's no open seats in Florida to which he could be appointed, so what's left?  An ambassadorship to some itty-bitty country that most of us can't pronounce or find on a map without Google?  I just don't see Meek going for any of this.  

Now, contrast that with the benefits of staying in the race.  Meek has earned nationwide press attention from this race (even though most of the attention has been on Marco vs. Charlie, Meek's name still gets mentioned in the articles), and has earned respect from a lot of people for the dedicated and ethical way he has campaigned.  When compared to Crist's daily changes of opinion, Meek looks even more principled.  If Meek continues through the election and loses gracefully, he will be in a great position to run for some office in 2012.  Keep in mind that Charlie Crist is our governor right now due in no small part to his past strategy of running a "graceful loser" statewide campaigns to help build name recognition before the election where he actually won.

The other issue here is, if Meek does drop out, does it do anything to change the result?  I doubt it.  One of the big reasons is that time has simply run out to make a difference in this election.  Not only are the ballots printed, but absentee ballots have been mailed,  many people have already voted, and early voting starts next week.

Remember, there are no campaign materials allowed inside the polling places.  For Meek's withdrawal to actually benefit Crist, Meek would have to drop out, have a press conference to get as much media attention as possible, immediately and enthusiastically endorse Crist, and hope the media carried the story more than just that day.  Again, it only works if Meek sincerely and loudly endorses Crist.  Any wavering or hesitation, and the media is going to tear it apart as a cynical political maneuver and the voters will not trust it.  Frankly, after a year of Meek loudly criticizing Flip Flop Charlie, I doubt Meek's supporters are inclined to support Crist no matter what is said now.

The Crist campaign would also have to launch an expensive new voter outreach plan to mention that Meek was no longer in the race, bombarding voters with mail, robocalls, TV and radio ads, as well as people stationed at the polls during early voting and on election day.  As the campaigns all heat up in the final weeks of this election season, the fight for attention will be increasingly difficult, and every dollar and every minute spent telling voters not to vote for Meek is a dollar and a minute that can't be spent convincing voters to vote for Crist.  Yes, Charlie is still sitting on a big ol' pile of cash, so he theoretically should have the resources to do this, but any campaign consultant worth their salt can tell you that it is difficult to convey multiple messages at the same time, especially late in a campaign.

Honestly, if Meek does drop out, I expect that some of his supporters will turn to Crist, but I also expect that many of them will lose enthusiasm for this year's election and consider staying home.  The Republicans are looking like a lock for the Cabinet races (knock on wood!), many of the  state's Congressional races are getting settled (Cook Report just downgraded Grayson's chances of re-election from "Toss Up" to "Lean Republican"), and if Scott manages to widen his narrow lead over Sink, then there just won't be any top-of-the-ticket races left to entice the Democrat faithful to show up at the polls.  There isn't anyone out there who is bold enough to say that every Meek vote would definitely go to Crist, and I've seen a number of other commentators remark that the most likely effect of a Meek withdrawal from the race would be a depression of the black voter turnout.   

What do you think?  
 

Bert Endorses Ernie

To no one's surprise, the St. Pete Times has endorsed their hometown boy, Charlie Crist.

First thing that popped into my head when I saw this headline was that, considering the St. Pete Times has been in the tank for our Oompa Loompa Governor from the get-go, this endorsement was no more surprising than seeing "Bert endorses Ernie."

Roommates, best friends, and...politicians?

Anyway, I was getting ready to write something scathing about this super-pander of an endorsement, when I saw this brilliant post over at Practical State:

Practical State | The St. Pete Times: "Crist for Senate and Pass The Crack Pipe."

The St. Petersburg Times, considered by many to be the PREMIER Deadwood Press paper in Florida, demonstrates once again why Newspapers are dying off in droves.  They endorsed Charlie Crist for Senate...

...St. Pete Editorial guys:  PUT DOWN THE CRACK PIPE…Think about it.  You just endorsed one of the most opportunistic, self absorbed and  hypocritical men in American Politics for the Florida US Senate Seat and you are trying to make the case that this is a “Good Thing“.  Why don’t go you go ahead and endorse John Edwards to be the next Pope while you are at it?

Well said, guys.  The only thing that makes less sense than a Floridian who actually cares about this state supporting Charlie for Senate, is a baseball team who actually likes winning picking Charlie to be their pitcher.

Yesterday's Ed Dean Radio Show

Here's a link with my appearance on yesterday's Ed Dean's radio show:

Ed Dean Radio Show | October 8, 2010

I'm on during the first hour.  Talking about the rumors that Meek may drop out of the U.S. Senate race, the Orange County Mayor's race, and the free speech issues related to those evil nasty people who protest military funerals...and a little bit of making fun of Charlie Crist...because it's Just. So. Dang. Easy.

 

Sometimes the jokes write themselves...

Here's our Oompa Loompa Governor Charlie Crist, throwing out the first pitch at the Tampa Bay Rays playoffs game against the Texas Rangers yesterday...yikes...

YouTube | Charlie Crist's Comically Bad First Pitch

Seriously, Tanman, not the best move during a week where you desperately need some positive PR.

A still photograph taken at the game doesn't help redeem his image:

Somewhere there is a female schoolteacher stuck in the 1980s who wants her pants back.  I didn't know they still sold pleated khakis anymore.  Actually, these are so baggy they are almost Hammer Pants.  If he added suspenders, Steve Urkel could sue him for trademark infringement.  

Tell you what, gotta give Charlie credit...he accomplished something I had thought impossible...he makes Obama's mom jeans look tough.

There are so, so many easy ways to make fun of Charlie's sad little attempt at throwing a ball. Here's what popped in my head, please add your own in the comments:

That's the last time we'll ever see Charlie intentionally go to the right.

Throwing like a girl on national TV isn't the best way to dispel those pesky rumors.  Expect lots of newly scheduled appearances with Mrs. Crist next week.

This is just another shameless attempt by Charlie to kiss up to Obama.

The latest group to abandon Charlie's Senate campaign?  Girls' softball teams. 

The latest insult girls' softball teams use to trash-talk each other?  "You throw like Charlie Crist!"

Tomorrow's polls will, inexplicably, show a sudden surge in Charlie's popularity among band geeks and chess club members.

Are we sure that all of the RPOF credit cards were confiscated?  Because it sure looks like Charlie may have gotten into some of his buddy Greer's favorite scotch.

I'm honestly surprised Charlie didn't take a poll before the game to make sure he wouldn't be more popular wearing a Rangers shirt. 

We really should applaud Charlie for managing to throw the ball forward at all.  Based on the past few months, I was under the impression that  the only motions he was able to do were spin, lunge left, or slide downhill.

  

Happy Birthday Fox News

Fourteen years ago today, the network that liberals love to hate and conservatives obsessively-compulsively follow was launched.

Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes first launched the Fox News Channel on October 7, 1996, a few cable stations at a time, gathering momentum to become the top-ranked cable news channel, eventually even beating the network news programs.

For a fun look back, Mediaite posted a slideshow of photos of Fox News personalities, then and now.  Gotta love the changing hair styles.  (UPDATE: Bill O'Reilly just said he was wearing a toupee back in the day.  Nice.)

(Hat tip: The HotJoints)

YouTube | Jeff Atwater "Chalk Talk" ad

Jeff Atwater seems to be channeling Glenn Beck in his latest ad...check out all the fantastic multi-colored chalk action...

YouTube | atwaterforCFO | Chalk Talk - Jeff Atwater

I like Atwater's message here. I've heard him speak at several events this past year and like his practical approach to Florida's financial issues.

Meet Mike Yost

Mike Yost is running for Congress in District 3...yes, the seat currently held by Corrine Brown.  This is a reeeeaaaaallllly interesting race, and it's definitely not a "safe seat" for the Democrats.  I've seen the recent polling data (including cross-tabs and sample size - I'm satisfied that it was a fair and accurate poll) and Mike is within single digits of defeating an 18 year incumbent.  

The battle for District 3 is important for many reasons.  District 3 is one of the poorest in the entire country - highest crime and unemployment rates in Florida, and third highest in the U.S.  These problems go back way before the current recession.  The people of District 3 have been suffering for a long time with a stagnant economy, lack of job diversity, and some of Florida's lowest-performing schools.  Corrine Brown has been a huge disappointment, focusing her efforts on Washington insider politics instead of the people she is supposed to represent.  Corrine Brown is an egregious abuser of the earmarks process, sponsoring almost $700 million dollars in earmarks over the past 2 years alone, a whopping 70% of which were for projects outside the district!


Clearly, the people of District 3 deserve better than Corrine Brown, and based on recent polling, they recognize that fact.  The race and Mike's amazing progress have been getting a lot of press attention recently: 

Florida Times-Union | The Momentum of Mike Yost
Can This Mechanic Help Repair America? 

Dick Morris was in town recently for the "Take Back America" rally sponsored by the West Orlando Tea Party, and has become a very enthusiastic supporter for Mike.  You can watch videos of the entire event here, including remarks from Mike Yost and Dick Morris, and other local tea party movement leaders and Republican candidates.

Dick Morris has declared Florida's 3rd Congressional District as a "race to watch," and a race that is "definitely winnable" for the Republicans.  He talked about the campaign on Hannity last night (I am looking for video of this, I have it saved on my DVR but if anyone has a link to a legal copy, please post in the comments, thanks!)


UPDATE: Here is a link to a YouTube video of Dick Morris talking about Mike Yost.  He mentions Mike at about the 1 minute mark.

You can meet Mike Yost in person at the Orlando campaign office this Friday, at 7:00 pm.  The address is 672 N. Orange Ave., Orlando, FL 32801 (right across the street from the Orlando Sentinel building).  There is a parking lot behind the building.

Also, the campaign is recruiting volunteers to help with the final month of phone banking, neighborhood walks, etc.  If you have any time to help, please contact the campaign Field Operations Director, Steve Borum, at steve.borum@yost2010.com.

AND OF COURSE...Mike could really use your financial support.  Please donate any amount you can. 

Mike Yost Campaign website
Mike Yost on Facebook
YostforCongress on Twitter

Thanks y'all!

I'm on the Ed Dean Radio show today

I'll be on Ed Dean's radio program again today.  The show runs from 2:00 to 4:00 pm.  Other guests include Dave Ginsburg and Jim Tolley discussing the Firefighters' Unions and their endorsements.  I'll be on at 3:00 pm with Amy Tidd to discuss bullying in school and, of course, politics politics politics.  It's that time of year, you know! :)

You can listen in at 90.3 FM on the East Coast, 89.3 FM on the West Coast, or online at http://eddeanradio.com.

UPDATE: here is a link to the audio from today's show (I'm on during the second hour):

Ed Dean Radio Show | October 5, 2010

Amy Tidd is a Democrat and we differ on many of the issues, but after sharing this hour on the radio with her, I definitely have a lot of respect for her.  She does not share many of the extreme and radical positions that I dislike in many Democrats, like Alan Grayson...and even Amy admitted Grayson is a "radical left" liberal.  If the Democrats supported more candidates like Amy Tidd and less candidates like Grayson and Corrine Brown, they would be having an easier time in the polls right now.

Amy, I'm not going to support you but I applaud your honesty and common sense, and willingness to appear on a conservative radio program and hold your own...and I really do wish your party would put more people like you in charge.  I enjoyed the opportunity to debate the issues with you today, and appreciated your sincere views  even where I disagreed.  Political discussions these days too often turn to nasty attacks and ugly lies, so being able to debate with someone who is fair and respectful is a wonderful change of pace.

Mayra Uribe caught lying about her endorsements

Mayra Uribe is running against Jennifer Thompson for Orange County Commission, District 4. Apparently Uribe has realized that she can't outwork Jennifer Thompson - Jennifer's been working hard to earn the votes of District 4 residents for years and almost won the four-way primary outright - and so Uribe has resorted to desperate and dishonest tactics in an attempt to save her floundering campaign:

Mayra Uribe endorsements questioned: Orange commission candidate Mayra Uribe endorsement claims questions - OrlandoSentinel.com

The short story is that Uribe has made claims, in print advertisements, and in speeches and press interviews, that she had the endorsements of Belle Isle Mayor Bill Brooks and Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings, even though neither elected official actually endorsed her candidacy.

Uribe's excuse is that she made a "mistake" and that she "misunderstood" about the endorsements.

Ummm...no.  Sorry, dahling, but that is not how it works.

Florida law is simple and clear on this issue. Chapter 106 of the Florida Statutes requires that candidates not only get their endorsements in writing but that they get specific permission to mention the endorsement in an advertisement. The law even explicitly states that a contribution to a candidate's campaign is not authorization to claim that the contributor has endorsed the candidate.

Mayra Uribe is either running her campaign in deliberate ignorance of the elections laws, or she knew the law but deliberately violated it.  Or maybe she's just amazingly stupid.

More Voter Fraud Problems in Florida

Sigh...these stories just make me sick.

FOXNews.com | Florida Case Puts Focus on Issue of Absentee Ballot Fraud

...The Daytona Beach probe started when an elections supervisor noticed that as many as 90 absentee ballots had been requested from two e-mail addresses, and that they came from a single computer. (It is illegal in Florida for anyone other than a family member to help in requesting an absentee ballot.)

Volusia County Election Supervisor Ann McFall said she grew suspicious “because 40 requests arrived in one batch on the night of Aug. 6, and another 15 the next day. 

“The absentee ballots had no phone numbers on them, and my first concern was to get them in compliance. I emailed the sender and when I got no response checked with the Daytona Beach clerk, because all the requests were from Zone 5 and he didn’t recognize the address. Then I handed it over to the sheriff’s office,” she said.

...Voting experts say the case could be the tip of the iceberg. Absentee ballots, they say, are the Achilles heel of the electoral system, and nowhere more than in Florida, which has a long history of absentee ballot fraud...

The problem, as the article points out, is that publicly available (and easily obtained) records allow anyone willing to spend a little time researching can easily get all the information needed to make a fraudulent absentee request.  You can make a request online without knowing the voter's driver license number, social security number, or phone number.

This is another area of election law that the Florida Legislature desperately needs to address.  Absentee ballots are a vital part of every election, allowing people to vote who would otherwise not be able to do so because they are physically unable to get to the poll or out of town, but the integrity of the voting process must be protected.  Our current system does a dangerously inadequate job.

See an earlier post I wrote on the subject of voter fraud here:

Sunshine State Sarah | Voter Fraud: The Risk is REAL 

"We Came, We Saw, We Suck"

The Daily Show's Jon Stewart discusses how the Democrat Party seems to be circling the drain lately...

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Indecision 2010 - Democratic Campaign Woes
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Rally to Restore Sanity

Sarah on Ed Dean Radio

On Wednesday, I was invited to be a guest on the Ed Dean Radio show (http://eddeanradio.com).  Had a great time talking about everything from Alan Grayson's latest obnoxious false attack ads (and how it's backfiring on him), the role of independents in this year's election, Charlie Crist's flip-flopping and floundering Senate campaign, and other issues related to the 2010 election.  Thanks, Ed, for the plugs for my little website, much appreciated.

You can listen to a webcast of the show here:

Sunshine State Sarah on Ed Dean Radio Show

The "Sunshine" starts at the one hour mark.  You can listen to Ed's show Monday through Friday, 2 to 4 pm, on 90.3 FM on the East Coast, 89.3 FM on the West Coast, or listen online on his website.

I've talked with Ed about making regular appearances on the show and will try and let y'all know beforehand next time I'll be on.  Have a great Friday, and hope to see many of you at the West Orlando Tea Party's Dick Morris event today.

The new Orlando Arena

I think there's definitely room for debate on the timing and expense of this construction project, but I have to admit it's a beautiful building.  I think I'm going to be stubborn and old-school and still call it the "O-Rena," just like the original building was named back in the day before the corporate sponsors.  Nothing against the people at Amway, I bet they're very nice, it's just that "Amway" doesn't make me think of basketball.

Anyway, the Magic released this time-lapse video of the construction and I thought it was pretty neat to watch.  Sort of looks like little ants are doing the work from this angle.

OK, so the Orlando Sentinel's "embed this video" button is only posting a tiny version of the video here for some reason, so here's the link where you can watch it directly on the Sentinel's website: 

Orlando Sentinel | Time lapse of Amway Center Construction

How the Fake Tea Party is like Justin Bieber

OK, I know that's a little bit of a wacky post title, but hang in there with me...

This morning I have another article for you from Res Publica about the Florida Tea Party Fake Tea Party, specifically Victoria Torres, who is running for a state representative district in Pinellas County, even though she lives in Orlando:

SHAM: Who the H*** is TEA Party Candidate Victoria Torres and Why is She Running in My District? | RES PUBLICA

Let's think about this for a little bit.  Florida law requires a candidate for state representative to live in the district, but not until election day.  Anyone want to take any bets about whether Ms. Torres will have a moving truck in her driveway on the first Tuesday of November?   

Also, does anyone actually think that an Orlando resident can be a good representative for people in PInellas County?  Now, I live in Orlando, and I certainly don't have any problem with the St. Pete area, it's very nice and I know a lot of very charming people who live there.  But having made the drive on I-4 to the Gulf Coast several times recently, I can tell you that there is no way in H-E-double hockey sticks that I would want to make that commute on a daily, or even weekly basis.  Yeccchhhh.  I'd love to hear Ms. Torres justify her  candidacy for this seat and actually give an honest answer about how many times she's been to the district in the past year. 

Let's get real.  We all know what's going on here.  Ms. Torres is just part of a larger pattern of these Fake Tea Party candidates.  The Fake Tea Party candidates for state representative are not serious candidates, they are not going to debates, they are making no effort to actually campaign, or even meet voters at all.  

It is my firm belief that they are on the ballot for one reason, and one reason only: to split the conservative vote and help the Democrat win in close races.  Even Fred O'Neal, the Fake Tea Party chair, has made statements to the press that the party was seeking to punish Republican legislators who didn't vote the way they wanted.  

Let's consider a hypothetical legislative district that normally gets a fairly even split between Republican and Democrat votes, with the Republican usually winning 52% to 48%.  In most years, that's a comfortable enough margin, and if the Republican doesn't do anything unethical while in office and works hard on the campaign, the Republican will probably be re-elected without much stress.  But if there is a third party candidate on the ballot who appeals to conservative votes, through legitimate means or trickery, and that third party pulls 3 or 4%, now the Republican's margin of victory is wiped out, and the race could easily go to the Democrat.

I have no problem with people who legitimately and honestly want to start or join a third party.  Viva la First Amendment, y'all.  It's a free country, good for you.  However, with the Fake Tea Party, we have a party that is draping itself in the mantle and insignia of conservative politics and the tea party movement, but lacks any actual conservative heart and soul.  Remember, the party chair is a Democrat, as well as a number of the candidates, and the party's actions seem calculated to help elect more Democrats, not any conservatives.  

And again, I highlight the almost-totally-incognito-where's-Waldo-style of campaigning that most of these candidates are running - if they were truly legitimate candidates with legitimate political goals, they would show up, somewhere.  They would be trying to fundraise and doing their best to get into the public eye.  Look at the temper tantrums that Alex Snitker (Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate) throws every time the media won't let him in the debates with Rubio, Crist, and Meek.  I don't support Snitker but I definitely respect him as a candidate who is working extremely hard, spending a lot of time meeting people, and openly discussing his ideas and priorities. 

Remember, all these Fake Tea Party candidates will show up on the ballot as "Doe, John (TEA)."  The purpose is to look like candidates supported by the popular tea party movement, even though not a single tea party movement organization in Florida supports or endorses this third party effort (in fact, many of them are currently engaged in litigation with the Florida Tea Party over the use of the name, or have received threats of litigation from the Florida Tea Party).

...now to explain the Justin Bieber reference...no, it's not just to improve my Google page ranking, hahaha...

The Florida Tea Party's use of the tea party name is equally as dishonest as if I changed my last name to Bieber, told people Justin Bieber was my cousin, and tried to get money and favors from them.  Sure, I can legally change my name to Bieber, but I have no right to the identity and reputation of Justin Bieber.  LIkewise, the "Florida Tea Party" may argue that they have the legal right to call their party by that name, but they have no right to claim the identity and reputation of the tea party movement.  

Justin Bieber does not endorse this website...or the Florida Tea Party

The way to solve this problem is difficult and easy at the same time.  There are a lot of people to reach, a lot of people who need to be informed, but the information really is simple and easy to explain.  Tell your friends, tell your relatives, tell your neighbors and co-workers: "TEA" on the ballot does not mean "tea party movement."  "TEA" on the ballot is nothing more than a few Democrats and guys who got kicked out of the Republican Party, along with a handful of people that they hand-selected to run against Republicans.

Now you know.  And as every kid who grew up in the 1980s can tell you, knowing is half the battle!

Knowing IS Half the Battle!  GI Joe!  Yeah!

Recovery Summer?

From the NRSC...

YouTube | TheNRSC | Recovery Summer?

Remember our own Republican Senate candidate, Marco Rubio. Sign up to volunteer or donate and help elect Florida's next senator!

November is coming

Oh, this is just awesome, awesome, awesome. Watch, and then forward to your friends:

YouTube | benhoweblog | The Last Best Hope