It was a good try, governor. But it seems you don’t have the touch for politics. Democrats and few Independents ever supported you. Now, Republicans don’t want to be seen with you. Time to go.
I strongly suggest you do not run for reelection — it would be embarrassing. Let a fresh face, like Marco Rubio, run for the office. It would be a good pre-presidential warm up for his 2016 race for the White House.
Just in case you don’t believe me, let’s run over some of the boo boos you have committed in the last year.
You so strongly believe in the extreme right that you gave your blessing to an effort to remove three justices from the state Supreme Court. You defied all precedent by backing an advertising campaign to have the public vote to “do not retain” justices Barbara Pariente, Peggy Quince and R. Fred Lewis. It backfired on you. The three justices received more “retain” votes than if you left it alone.
Both Democrats and Republicans asked, many begged, to return to the two-week early voting procedure. You knew that the ballots in Miami-Dade and other counties would be super long. The voters needed time to understand the ballot. You felt, I believe, that with long lines only the dedicated supporters of your political philosophy would stay in line, brave the many hours in the sun, and vote for your goals.
You knew that many members of our black churches voted, in large numbers, following their Sunday services proceeding Election Day. So you cut off Sunday voting. It backfired on you, didn’t it?
Education: You know that an educated Florida is a strong Florida. Yet you cut back funding education so you would have the room to cut corporate taxes. Teachers and parents reacted by voting against everything you support. Then on top of that, you wanted to divert public education funds to fund private charter schools. The concept of charter schools is good — but not at the expense of public education.
Did you really think the voting public is so dumb they would not see through your cutting funding to schools and then trying to look like a hero by putting half the cut back? Education cuts backfired on you, Mr. Governor.
We all know cutting taxes does not put the saved dollars into hiring new employees. The only thing that increases employment is public demand for more goods and services than the current workforce can produce. Then employers hire. I understand you want to increase corporate profits, but don’t use the thin guise of increasing job opportunities to put more profits into corporate bank accounts. Again, it backfired on you.
Why did I say backfire, Mr. Governor?
Just look at how popular you were during the last presidential campaign. I saw many pictures of Governor Romney surrounded by well-liked and well-respected local elected and former office holders in Florida. I saw Marco Rubio, in many pictures, standing next to Romney, accepting accolades from the public. Former Governor Jeb Bush, respected on both sides of the aisle, accompanied Romney around the state encouraging voters to support him in his race for the White House.
Where were you?
I think, really I am sure, that the Romney campaign knew that many Republican voters, and for sure the Democrats and Independents, do not believe in you. Standing next to Romney would only lose him votes. Why, even Senate hopeful Connie Mack didn’t invite you to join him in campaigning. As a matter of fact where were you during the Republican National Convention held here in Florida? I think a retirement party would be more useful in your near future than a reelection committee. Sorry, governor, I have supported and voted for many Republicans — starting as far back as Dwight Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan. But I just know you are definitely not looking out for the best interests of most Floridians.
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