Columns

For someone trying to demonstrate that the judiciary is not political, getting into a political fight with the president sure is a funny way to do it.

Democrats had a good Election Day in most of the nation but, despite some close statewide races, they stumbled again in Florida and now face a major power vacuum. 

Traditionally, CHQ has posted a Thanksgiving message lauding the history of Thanksgiving and asking our readers and friends to join us in the traditions and quintessentially American spirit of the holiday. And we extend that greeting and good wishes again this year to our readers and friends.

To the surprise of many following the debacle of the machine counts, the state-mandated hand counting of ballots went relatively well. By the weekend the process was completed in near-competent fashion and the races were declared over. Though he did concede in private with winner Rick Scott, departing Sen. Bill Nelson also gave a farewell video message.

I find the vilification of nationalism to be appalling. It is being depicted as some sort of Fascist, racist, unpatriotic institution. The reality is, nothing could be further from the truth.

When polarity defines us, it's easy to lose sight of our common humanity.

You must win before you can govern.

I know it's probably a losing proposition to take political advice from a candidate who couldn't even clear her party primary. But sometimes the wisdom (or lack thereof) is too much to simply walk past. Sometimes you do have to point out the farcical theory being offered.

You have to hand it to Everglades Foundation CEO Eric Eikenberg.  The man knows how to work a con. He could play Harold Hill in “The Music Man” without anyone ever seeing the band uniforms. 

At the Heritage Foundation’s 2018 Antipoverty Forum on Thursday, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., called for a revival of the dignity of work in America in order to preserve the American Dream for future generations. A partial transcript of Rubio’s remarks is below:

Republican Gov. Rick Scott leads Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson by 12,562 votes in the Florida Senate race. A margin of victory that large has never be overturned in a recount. According to FairVote, the average vote shift in statewide general election recounts is a meager 282 votes. "The biggest swing came in Florida's 2000 presidential election recount, when Al Gore cut 1,247 votes off George W. Bush's lead, ultimately not enough to flip the state to his column," according to a FiveThirtyEight report on what FairVote found.

The rhetoric is always pointed, and the emotions so quickly brought to the surface. Frequently, if not outright consistently, the accusation from Democrats is that the GOP often engages in voter suppression, vote tampering, or voter fraud. These charges are leveled by politicians, and they are echoed fervently by the media. Note the lack of application of evidence, or lack of curiosity of the rules. Frequently the call for election officials to follow the law is what is signaled as “suppression”. 

It has been long rumored that the Republican Party has a woman problem, so much so that a few years ago GOP congressmen sent aides to classes on how to talk to and about women.

Conspiracy theories are bad, but conspiracies are worse. 

Elections are the foundation of our democracy, and without faith in the process, our American system of government and way of life are at stake.