In a previous life, I must have been a hunting dog. It would explain this special knack I have for sniffing out hypocrisy -- and why today I have Gov. Rick Scott treed like a coon in a Florida forest.
It's the governor's Facebook recommendation for president. Hypocrisy-wise, it's off the charts -- so, forgive me if I'm pointing.
The problem isn't Gov. Scott jumping on Donald Trump's bandwagon. Heck, Trump is the GOP frontrunner, the governor is welcome to endorse anybody he pleases, as are we all. It's how Scott does it that has me howling. It's the rationale he gives us. It's the la-de-dah sanctimony of his words that should come home to haunt a governor whose uncool behavior was the polar opposite of "accept(ing) and respect(ing) the will of the voters."
Now Scott thinks we should "coalesce behind" the leader. Really?
Does he mean get behind Trump the way he got behind Blaise Ingoglia?
Remember Blaise? Blaise Ingoglia is today the chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, trying to navigate state Repubs through what may be the most volatile presidential election cycle in many decades.
With absolutely no help from Gov. Scott.
Said Scott in his Facebook posting: "I’m asking all Republicans today to come together and begin preparing to win the general election in November. With his victories yesterday, I believe it is now time for Republicans to accept and respect the will of the voters and coalesce behind Donald Trump."
What about the will of the voters 14 months ago? Where was the coalescence behind Blaise Ingoglia?
On Jan. 18, 2015 Ingoglia was the "outsider" running for the top RPOF office, the one candidate the GOP “establishment” -- especially Gov. Scott -- worked hardest to defeat. When he couldn't do it, when RPOF members voted overwhelmingly for Ingoglia and against his handpicked choice, incumbent Leslie Dougher, did Scott pen a stirring plea for unity, Trump-recommendation style? Did he issue a message of congratulations? Did he try to stop the Senate Majority from pulling its $800,000 out of the RPOF treasury and leaving Ingoglia only $10,000 to work with?
Not only are the answers to those questions "none of the above," but Scott actually directed GOP donors NOT to donate to the RPOF, to put all contributions directly into his own "Let's Get to Work" PAC.
Vengeance is mine, saith the governor.
Scott wrote in his Facebook endorsement of Trump, "The voters are speaking clearly -- they want a businessman outsider who will dramatically shake up the status quo in Washington."
That's what RPOF committee members across the state wanted, too, a shake-up, and why they voted for Ingoglia instead of Dougher.
Wrote Scott on Wednesday, "When I first ran for governor, the political class and party leaders opposed me with great vigor, and some even said if I won the primary they would never vote for me. But the voters had other ideas, and they are the only ones who count."
Yes, it's the voters who count. Ingoglia got 132 votes to Dougher's 90 votes. It wasn't even close.
Well, Scott clean forgot that. He also forgot that he rarely showed at an RPOF function, in fact really hasn't lifted a finger on the party's behalf. And he forgot that a governor is the leader of the state party, and as such tries to be its most effective fund-raiser.
Wrapping up his Trump endorsement, Scott said this: "Here’s what really matters -- we have to elect a Republican in the fall in order to grow jobs, rebuild our military, and put a person who respects the Constitution on the Supreme Court. This is the stuff that truly matters.
"If we spend another four months tearing each other apart, we will damage our ability to win in November. It’s time for an end to the Republican on Republican violence. It’s time for us to begin coming together, we’ve had a vigorous primary, now let’s get serious about winning in November."
"Republican on Republican violence" ... from the man responsible for as much RPOF-directed passive aggressive punishment as I've ever seen, in Florida or anywhere else.
The governor might want to read his Trump endorsement out loud, then rethink his relationship with Blaise Ingoglia and the critically positioned RPOF. The hypocrisy here -- for a whole slate of GOP candidates up and down the state -- is approaching critical mass.
Reach Nancy Smith at nsmith@sunshinestatenews.com or at 228-282-2423. Twitter: @NancyLBSmith
