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17 Comments
Nancy Smith

Rick Scott Didn't Deserve a Cheap Shot from his Hometown Newspaper

August 23, 2017 - 6:00am

When Gov. Rick Scott says he misspoke, why would anyone who's listened to him mangle words for nearly seven years -- especially his hometown Naples Daily News -- not give him the benefit of the doubt?

I'll tell you why: because they don't want to.

There can be no other reason. God knows, they've hung out for enough of his gobbledegook gaggles and speeches over the years.

The Naples Daily News, now a Gannett newspaper, apparently has joined the rest of Florida's liberal media who wouldn't give Rick Scott a break if Florida suddenly boomed on his watch. Oh, wait a minute ... Florida DID boom on his watch.

I Beg to Differ

I'm guessing the newspaper wanted to punish Scott for his friendship with Donald Trump. What else could it be? Scott's verbal faux pas during remarks he made in Fort Myers Monday about Charlottesville gave the paper a chance to paint the governor and the president in the same gaudy light

It's ridiculous.

On Sunday, Aug. 13, President Donald Trump was quoted by virtually every paper in the land calling white supremacists and neo-Nazis “very fine people” and claimed “many sides” were responsible for the violence that left three people dead.

Scott fired out a statement of his own, saying, "“There is no place in our country for racism, bigotry, the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists." Then he added, “There is no moral equivalence between the two sides.” Perfectly delivered in written form.

But on Monday, in an effort to repeat his previous statement, Scott turned the phrase "moral equivalence" into "moral authority," altering its meaning, some say.

In a story headlined, "Gov. Rick Scott misspoke about Charlottesville violence, his staff says," the Naples Daily News turned Scott's lip-slip into a "change of policy."

"Diverging from an earlier position," the story began, "Gov. Rick Scott on Monday echoed President Donald Trump's claim that 'both sides' bore the blame for the recent racially charged violence in Virginia, saying, 'there's no moral authority on both sides.'"

Huh?

Instead of introducing the possibility the governor committed one of his patented speech misfires, the story stayed with its we-caught-ya theme by claiming Scott's "press shop started to walk his comments back."  

If that had happened, say, to Adam Putnam -- using the word "authority" instead of equivalence" -- I can see where anyone might conclude the phrase was deliberate. Putnam is ultra-precise and is a master of public speaking. But Scott is anything but. He's improved since 2010, but like clockwork, he sill trips up when he speeds his delivery.

Scott said this: "On both sides was -- the, what happened to that young lady was horrible." He said his father fought Nazis in World War II and called on elected officials around the country, including Trump, to "talk about how we bring this country together together again," saying "I oppose racism" and "bigotry."

My guess is, Scott's crime is, he's consistently brushed off questions when reporters ask him to analyze and condemn Trump's remarks.

“You can ask President Trump what he said," Scott has said. "I've been clear."

Apparently if you don't want to psychoanalyze or  put words in the president's mouth, you aren't smart or considerate -- you're like-minded.

Certainly the Florida Democratic Party loved the Naples story. They made a damning email out of it, claiming "Florida families deserve better from Rick Scott."

The Daily News story really was a cheap shot.

Reach Nancy Smith at nsmith@sunshinestatenews.com or at 228-282-2423. Twitter: @NancyLBSmith


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Comments

Seems like the LEFT - in any form (Democrat, Liberal, Socialist, Communist, etc.) Spend most of their time using a Microscope to Nit-Pick ANYTHING coming from Conservatives (in general). Seems that Obama succeeded in setting up a legacy to "Divide, Conquer, and Destroy" the "Union of American States - the UNITED States" of America. If you REALLY want to lose your RIGHTS, (Freedom, Liberty, Justice)..... MAKE YOUR PLAY, OR START USING YOUR BRAIN!

Another deadline met! WTG, Nancy!

Pay no attention, Nancy. You write things the rest of the clowns in your business don't have the gumption to write. I like the way you meet your deadline. Keep on truckin.

I'll vote for Scott over Bill Nelson any day. Nelson sat idly by and allowed Obama to shut down our space program and we're now paying RUSSIA millions of $'s to send our astronauts in space. Nelson voted for Obama's $800B stimulus that was used to pay off unions, donors, shore up unfunded State and union pension plans, etc.. He voted for Obamacare that took $500B out of Medicare to make obamacare revenue neutral. He voted for obamacare because he thought he made a good deal on the Medicare Advantage and Medicare drug benefits that benefitted AARP's United Health Care and probably Nelson's campaign coffers. Typical liberal. This is why we need term limits.

Enough! On both sides, enough! This constant accusation game, as though you know one way or another what lies in the heart of a person, is exhausting. The personal attacks - not just for those who's policy positions we may not support - but even amongst and against the "comment crew" on sites like this one. Have you no decency? Is it simply your ability to HIDE behind your desktops/laptops that makes you so brave? I enjoy reading differing opinions on policy matters, and surely there are plenty of opinions that differ. But because you may not like the Governor's policies, to attack him personally is beneath us all. I will not defend Rick Scott before he became governor - I can't as I, like the rest of you, don't really know the facts. I know the outcome and can only take a person at their word. What I can judge Rick Scott on is the last 7 years as our governor - a job that not only does he NOT MAKE MONEY on, but actually LOSES MONEY performing. If you'd like to assign the motivation that he is simply helping his rich friends get rich, ok, so a bit of a personal shot, but fair to a person in public office. Well, fair ONLY if there is proof. There is no proof - heck, there really is no chatter about Governor Scott's lack of ethics since taking office. What the facts say is that he did what he said he would do, and things have gotten better in Florida. If you want to give him credit for that, great. If not, great too - your decision to make. I have grown so thoroughly tired of each side attacking the other side in a very personal manner. I would encourage you to spend a little more time looking for ways to make real improvements in our community/state/nation/planet, and a whole lot less time disparaging those who are one step ahead of you on the pathway to try to make a positive difference. That goes for Morgan, Graham, Gillum, Putnam, Corcoran, Latvala etc. These are all people who are stepping up, offering themselves and their ideas to the rest of us. We can make our best decision based on the candidate's policy proposals without trying desperately to tear down those we choose not to support. Surely, we can do better. There! Now I feel much better - thanks for letting me get that off of my chest. Have a great Wednesday.

He deserves whatever he gets, either for being a criminal for stealing Medicaid dollars at HCA, or for constantly associating with and supporting Trump the Chump, the "fake president".

Another peice of butt hurt liberal trash commie jew foaming at the mouth move to liberty city or overtown.

Curious why you post under "truth" when you consistently make remarks that seem to come from Karl Marx? I can only assume you are a true leftist who would prefer Socialism...

sometimes Tampachump "the truth hurts"

What do you expect from that carpetbagger? I'm a Republican and have not and will not vote for that person with more than questionable ethics.

"Carpetbagger"? Haven't heard that term used for 50 years. You might want to "Catch up" on Politics of TODAY.

"Good catch" Nancy...! "Words" ONLY matter when Liberals 'construe' them... ( a tenet of "Liberal Journalism 101.1" )

shut up tool and go back to NY...

Pray I never find out who you are

I wish you would Grandpa, been a while since I whipped a fake Marine, but am always willing...

Scott expects Floridians to shut up, play dumb, and let him and his associates (up and down the chain) do their worst. Perhaps his home town newspaper just had enough.

Robert warner?? Newspapers had enough? How about enough of the lying ass. Zionist jew crap control of the media .kinda like how the orlando slantinel had trayvons ass on the front page for eight months straight. To stroke white guilt white trash liberal guilt .at first they pics of trayvon as alil kid they show Zimmerman. Asthis big guy. Old pics when in fact Zimmerman. Hadlost a bunch of weight and trayvon had filled out . I called the liberal shit rag and asked about the apparrent deception a they claimed oh well thats the only pics we had of trayvon!!!???? U liberals r in a class all by urself defiying the odds of idioticism

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nancy smith
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