Hillary Clinton Causes Cracks in the Gillum Coalition

Everyone is aware by now how Andrew Gillum won Florida’s gubernatorial Democratic Primary.

Winning the bulk of the African American vote and progressive, Bernie Sanders-type voters pushed Gillum across the finish line ahead of his better funded opponents.

Well.

Remember 2016?

Remember the fact that some Sanders supporters felt so strongly that Debbie Wasserman Schultz and the DNC tipped the primary scale in favor of Hillary Clinton?

Clearly, some Florida progressives remember, and they are still mad as hell.

Hillary is coming to campaign with Andrew Gillum.

Uh-oh!

There were already some rumblings in the progressive community that Andrew Gillum was moving to the center.

Those rumblings are now a roar. Social media is abuzz with progressives threatening to pull support from Gillum because of Hillary Clinton.

History has shown us the two groups that “brought it home” for Gillum in the primary, will “stay home” if things aren’t right in the General.

Andrew, are you sure about this?

They are not exactly the “hold your nose” types.

Medicare-for-all is a big issue for progressives. There was a skirmish with Gillum over that.

Corey Booker isn’t a favorite of progressives. There was a skirmish with Gillum over that.

The debate over Israel and Palestine is a hot button item for progressives. There was some pushback with Gillum over that.

Hillary Clinton?

All hell is about to break loose with progressives. 

I think the only other person that would piss progressives off more WOULD be Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

Hillary got some cool points with me when I saw how supportive she was of The Collective PAC, an organization close to Gillum that helps African American candidates bridge the financial gap that exists in politics.

Andrew Gillum can’t win Florida with just the African American and progressive coalition, but he sure can lose it if a sizable chunk of either of these groups stays home.

“Dance With The One Who Brought You” isn’t just a Shania Twain song.

It may become the rallying cry of Florida progressives.

Gillum is going to have to figure out how to straddle that progressive/neo-liberal fence.

Polls are showing Gillum ahead, but remember: Polls don’t vote. People do.