It was a telling moment during the recent gubernatorial debate when Democratic candidate Andrew Gillum was challenged for having a more-than-cordial relationship with radical activist group the Dream Defenders.
The devastation in the Florida panhandle left in Hurricane Michael's wake has been heartbreaking. Lives are in chaos, and any help that can be sent is needed and welcome. That's why questioning what's behind Sen. Bill Nelson’s motives to drive donations to the area has been difficult for me. Nobody, least of all myself, would want to curtail dollars sent in to help the storm victims of the panhandle.
With the rapid development of Hurricane Michael in the Gulf of Mexico, most Floridians saw an imminent life-and-death threat to the panhandle and Big Bend region of their state.
It has been a tougher-than-expected start to the general election campaign for gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis. Since stumbling out of the gate following his solid primary win, the polls have shown his opponent, Andrew Gillum, consistently leading, albeit usually within the margin of error. With a month to go before the election, that is a bridgeable gap, and one DeSantis is now working to cover.
If you've paid attention even the slightest to the Senate confirmation hearing/roundup/clown show/fiesta-fiasco surrounding Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, then you are aware of the numerous dramatic hysterics that have been attached. Following a moderately contentious hearing, suddenly a rush of “surprise” witnesses have come forward claiming various levels of impropriety by the nominee in his youth -- with one bearing a connection to South Florida.
Interest and concern has surprisingly welled up in a Miami area region where longtime Clinton cabinet member Donna Shalala once was thought secure in flipping a red U.S. House seat. But Latin newscaster Maria Elvira Salazar has been remarkably efficient in using her name strength in Congressional District 27 to her advantage, and has turned this into a competitive race.
The campaign season's thermostat is turned up during the sprint to November, and as the TV ads and yard signs spread like political kudzu, so too are the tactics the candidates employ. Like most campaigns closely battled, some contentious accusations are getting tossed about in the U.S. House race between seated Rep.Carlos Curbelo, the Republican, and his Democratic challenger, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell.
Sometimes you don't see the remembrance coming.
Look, I understand the Florida Democratic Party faces a difficult challenge in the gubernatorial race.
There was a moment during the enjoyably bad Dwayne Johnson film “Rampage” that stood out for me. In an early scene space canisters with a serum crash to Earth and one lands in the Everglades, becoming devoured by an alligator that eventually grows gargantuan and tears apart Chicago. I joked with friends how proud I was to see a local performer in a major motion picture.
