Morning After Musings

OK, I'm not asking for responses here, as this is an opinion piece, not a data driven rant as many of mine are.

        Before you moan and groan re: yesterday’s off year elections, consider this. Again, if this offends you, sorry, but I have seen a shitload of elections occur in my 76 years and there are some observations which are constant and consistent. First. There will always be anomalous results which confound us. The Rick Scott Gubernatorial election 8 years ago was one such. Additionally, except for POTUS and VPOTUS races, contests are intensely regional and some who are electable in one state couldn’t even get on the ballot in another. This is especially true in Florida which has an historically toxic mixture of Deep South racism overlaying a lot of hidden but potent northern money infused in the last half century. Many don’t really process that Florida is a haven for wealthy northerners, especially those escaping bankruptcies.

        My first point: Nominate personally and philosophically electable candidates. I get that we have primaries, and I get that there are many fresh-faced idealists who work very hard to change “the system” in the initial phases of the election “season.”  I also get that there are candidates with actual state-wide experience and without the lurking knowledge of an FBI corruption investigation, the explanation of which was badly handled by the would-be candidate at the time. I also understand that when you’re running against a man with many of the “boxes” checked (veteran, former federal office holder, etc.), mayor of Tallahassee (a relatively small town, relatively far from centers of population) right out of college essentially, is hardly a bulging portfolio of qualifications. In summary, there were better candidates, defining better as “electable.” Andrew Gillum still did well but candidates should be, as Caesar’s wife, beyond reproach. I’m still not sure he was.

        Right up front, I would have been delighted had he won, but also a bit surprised. While some will disagree, angrily, no doubt, the political positions attributed to Gillum, especially his stated intent to raise corporate taxes, better left unsaid during the campaign in my opinion, all figured heavily in RNC sponsored attack ads. Follow the money.

        Those who blame racism certainly have some grounds for that position, but there are other, I think more potent factors, which trod directly on the toes of the real money in this state.  In a perfect world race would be irrelevant and, based just on FB posts alone, I think race was a significant factor on both sides of the aisle in this election. A vote for a candidate based solely on race is equal in every aspect to a vote against that candidate on the same basis. The same is true for gender-based decisions. If you are screaming “racism” this morning, a bit of introspection might be in order when considering why you voted as you did. My Gillum vote was based on promise, philosophy and character, with a hint of nagging concern over the lobbyist connection. That said, he wouldn’t have been my first choice as a candidate, and my choice didn’t run, so there you go.

         Strictly as a personal opinion, I believe Gwen Graham has several characteristics making her more electable, none the least of which is name recognition, federal Congressional experience and a more centrist political position.  I also believe that, had the state Democratic party approached John Morgan, he would have made a very viable and electable candidate. He would have had my strongest support.  

        Second to this, most Americans are political dullards when it comes to philosophies. All, or most of the Red Hat mob see “Socialism” as Communism, so they campaign or run against that, and their attack ads re: Andrew Gillum also did that. If you think this was bad and would like to witness it on a national scale, nominate Bernie Sanders!  As long as there are Cold War vets around, Socialism by name, even when it’s so painfully right, as in national health care, will be a really tough sell and easy to run against. In fact, the deep pocketed RNC ran nationwide ads proclaiming that “A vote for any Democrat is a vote for Socialism.”

       Of course, what is mind numbingly painful is the realization, by some of us, that a lot of these folks are, by and large, already beneficiaries of two great American social programs, Social Security and Medicare. If you want to watch a conservative old fart’s head explode, interrupt their rant re: “Socialism” and remind them of this. The first response will be “But I paid into it.”  They just don’t get that that’s how it works in all those countries with national healthcare.   

        In the Senate race, for better or worse, we Floridians had a visible (shithead criminal probably, but visible) candidate, Rick Scott, running against an incumbent who had done nothing over the last 6 years to attract any sort of attention. Compounding Bill Nelson’s problems were scurrilous attack ads run by the RNC, lack of anything to really point to as an accomplishment other than having ridden a Space shuttle mission 32 years ago, and his age, 76, an age at which some (most) of us have been retired for years.  

        On a brighter note, the shift in Congressional House majority puts the control of committee chairmanships and of the national purse strings in Democratic hands. Now if the Democrats really want to hurl a curve at the Trumpists, they’ll elect someone, anyone, but Nancy Pelosi as Speaker in January. I say this, not because of any animus whatsoever toward Ms. Pelosi, but because during and after her tenure as Speaker, she has been portrayed as a contentious political figure, with Republican candidates frequently trying to tie their Democratic opponents to Pelosi (see recent attack ads doing just that) and with moderate Democrats seeking to show their moderate bona fides by expressing opposition to Pelosi. This has fostered some party divisiveness. At age 78, like Bill Nelson, she needs (deserves) to rest. Even with her huge electoral margin in district again in 2018, She might serve our Democratic party better as a mentor and committee chair, while being less of a focal point for negative propaganda from across the aisle.

        I reiterate, these are only my opinions about this election in general and Florida’s in particular. If yours differs, so be it. While this may see semi apocryphal to many, especially the younger voters, it isn’t the first time and it won’t be the last. As a historian I am well aware of that fact.  The Republic will endure.