Article #46: Politics

Mayor Gillum, what are you doing?

For those of you who don’t know, Andrew Gillum is the U.S. Democratic Party nominee for Governor in the great state of Florida.  He had an amazing, unexpected primary victory and the bulk of the Left side of the political isle was ecstatic about his candidacy.

Oh what a difference a month makes.

Now Andrew Gillum is looking more and more like Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) than Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).

How?

Because you can see that he’s ‘pivoting’ in his policy verbiage.

Why?

Probably because some high-paid, disconnected, clueless political consultant told him to do so once he got to the general election.

As actress Julia Roberts’ character said to that one woman at that high end clothing store who was super rude, condescending, and dismissive to her in the legendary movie ‘Pretty Woman,’ “Big mistake.  Big.  Huge!”.

Now the ‘fake Progressive’ spidey senses of the true Progressives, who came out in droves and got Gillum the primary win, are now starting to tingle because there are red flags starting to pop up all over the place regarding him.

Here’s a rough ‘then and now’ timeline of some of those red flags:

• First, he ran as a Progressive in the primary, especially on Medicare for All, but now, in the general election, he said on Twitter®, “’Affordable’ healthcare is a right.” So Mike Figueredo from The Humanist Report rightfully trolled and corrected the obvious error in his statement for him:

Exactly, Mike.  Healthcare is a right, not “Affordable” healthcare is a right.

• Gillum also posted a ‘pivoting’ tweet about strengthening the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, when that wouldn’t even be needed if we had Medicare for All by itself:

• Gillum even did a ‘supposed to be cool’ video with one of the most corporate-owned and disliked-by-the-people Senators in the land, Sen. Cory Booker, that probably made 70% of the people who watched it cringe and scream at the screen, “STOP WITH THE FAKE POLITICIAN BULLCRAP, CORY!! YOU…ARE…NOT…OBAMA!!  UGH!”

• Also, Gillum got an absolutely pivotal endorsement in the primary. From whom, you ask?  None other than the great Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who is, in virtually every national poll, the most beloved politician in America.  You heard me correctly.  Not the most beloved senator.  The most beloved politician.

Now, in the general election, guess what Gillum turns around and does a month after his stunning primary win?   Decide to go campaigning with Sec. Hillary Clinton.  Yes, THAT Hillary Clinton.

Do we even have to begin to tell you the list of why that’s the worst possible thing he can choose to do politically right now? 

• She’s the most hated politician in America.

• She lost the state of Florida in the last presidential election to the current President of the United States; a president who endorsed Gillum’s opponent and a president after whom that same opponent fashioned himself.

• Clinton’s a lightning rod that the GOP repeatedly uses to stir up the Republican base, which means more right-wing voters will come out to the polls for Gillum’s opponent.

• Clinton depresses the Progressive vote because Progressives will not come out to vote for Gillum in droves when he’s downgrading not just from Progressive to Liberal in his verbiage, but now maybe even from Liberal to Neoliberal with borderline warhawkish tweets like this regarding Venezuela:

TRANSLATION: Andrew Gillum might be the new Obama; campaign Progressive, then govern Centrist.  Unfortunately for him, people had enough of that ‘hope with virtually no change’ switcharoo with former President Obama, and are not, we repeat, NOT falling for it again.

So, with all of that being said, hey Mayor Gillum, listen up and listen up closely:

You’re up by about six points against a crazed opponent named Ron DeSantis.  Whoever it is giving you advice that has you shifting your positions, fire them IMMEDIATELY (yes, we know you can’t because it’s so close to the election, but they’ve gotta go afterwards).  Then come on back to the far Left where the majority of the country statistically resides policy-wise.

Don’t say we Progressives didn’t warn you, Mr. Mayor.  Don’t say we didn’t warn you.