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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Demings to challenge Rubio

Demings to challenge Rubio

by Betty Cracker|  May 18, 20218:05 am| 94 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads, Politics

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Demings to challenge RubioApply the usual caveats due to the shitty gossip rag source (Politico), but it sounds official: Rep. Val Demings will take on Lil’ Marco for a U.S. Senate seat from Florida next year:

ORLANDO, Fla. — Florida Rep. Val Demings is planning to run for the U.S. Senate, rather than governor, providing Democrats with a big-name candidate to take on Republican Sen. Marco Rubio next year.

For months, Demings mulled which statewide office to pursue, but decided she could do the most good by taking on the two-term senator, according to several Democrats familiar with her thinking…

A top adviser to Demings compared her personal biography to Rubio this way: “She’s the daughter of a maid and a janitor who became the first Black woman police chief in Orlando. He’s the son of a maid and a bartender who’s a career politician.”

I like the way the advisor contrasted the biographies. Another potential differentiator: when talking about his background, Rubio always sounds as if he’s marveling at how far he rose above his parents’ station in life. The most generous interpretation of his preciously reverent tone is that he believes himself to embody the American dream, but it has always sounded condescending as hell to me.

A good maid or bartender is worth two dozen senators in my book. I’ve never heard Demings speak of her parents, but I’m guessing she can do so without oozing obnoxious self-regard.

Can Demings win? I don’t know. We’ll need massive turnout by Florida Democrats. From what I’ve observed, Demings has the charisma and energy to connect with voters. Her background makes peddling the usual Republican lies about Democrats more challenging, e.g., it’s difficult to label Demings as anti-cop since she literally was a cop.

Her law enforcement background won’t necessarily be an asset among the left-most fringe of the party, but that’s a smaller contingent in Florida than it is in many other states. And Demings is a strong police reform advocate, which may convince those who are willing to hear what she says on the issue.

Another interesting facet of a Demings-Rubio matchup: it will feature a candidate from the I-4 corridor (Orlando-Tampa) vs. an incumbent from South Florida.  The I-4 corridor is emerging as a political powerhouse in the state.

My impression is that Demings is a far more talented politician than 2018 Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum was, and he came damn close to winning. Of course, Gillum was running against the then-unknown DeSantis for an open seat, whereas Demings is challenging a twice-elected incumbent.

That’s a different ballgame. Still, my sense is that while Republicans vote for Rubio, they don’t like him all that much. Trump clobbered Rubio in Florida’s 2016 presidential primary — by a humiliating margin.

I expect Republicans will be fired up to reelect Trump mini-me Ron DeSantis as governor, so maybe that helps Rubio. On the other hand, DeSantis is focused on trying to out-Trump potential 2024 rivals, so he’s lost the indy cred he built after he sewed up the 2018 GOP nomination. He’s betting Florida will be redder in 2022 than it was in 2018. The available data says that’s the smart bet. Still, Florida might surprise us. It’s a weird state in every way, including politics; I’ve lived here all my life, and I don’t understand it.

Anyhoo, Demings is in. She’s a great candidate, and maybe she’ll ride her Harley all over the state, implicitly contrasting her story, energy and accomplishments with the inane burblings and panicked flip-flopping of Marco Rubio, an empty suit and nonentity if there ever was one. Go Val!

Open thread!

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94Comments

  1. 1.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    May 18, 2021 at 8:28 am

    Demings would be excellent. She’s fierce. If Betty doesn’t know what her chances are, I sure don’t, but she’s worth fighting for.

  2. 2.

    dr. bloor

    May 18, 2021 at 8:34 am

    Worst case scenario is that she’s a strong candidate that forces the Republicans to throw more resources than they would like at an incumbent.  Do that in enough states and it improves the Ds chance of breaking through somewhere.

  3. 3.

    Four Seasons Total Landscaping mistermix

    May 18, 2021 at 8:39 am

    This is great news!  She’s impressive.  I’d love to see that clown Rubio get beaten.

  4. 4.

    guachi

    May 18, 2021 at 8:42 am

    Wasn’t Demings involved in one of the impeachments? The first one? If so, I was very impressed by her and had never heard of her before.

  5. 5.

    lowtechcyclist

    May 18, 2021 at 8:42 am

    Now I know who’s going to get my first political contribution of the 2022 cycle.

    Words cannot express how deeply I detest that Scripture-tweeting slimeball Rubio. And Demings looks like a good one.

  6. 6.

    zhena gogolia

    May 18, 2021 at 8:43 am

    I love her.

  7. 7.

    zhena gogolia

    May 18, 2021 at 8:43 am

    @guachi:

    Yes. She was sterling.

  8. 8.

    Geminid

    May 18, 2021 at 8:44 am

    Demings’ law enforcement background will spark a myriad of hostile tweets from the usual leftie suspects. That will be a nationwide phenomenon. But in Florida, I think Demings’ background will gain her many, many more votes than it will cost her. The lefties who would not have voted anyway will claim they didn’t vote for Demings because ACAB. All three hundred of them.

  9. 9.

    hueyplong

    May 18, 2021 at 8:44 am

    In a just world, Trumpist GOPers like Rubio are exposed to disgrace and ridicule over the next 12 months, and Dem primary voters reward the Dems who were willing to take up the fight before the incumbent damaged himself beyond repair.

    Of course we don’t live in a just world, but we can do our part repeatedly to note which Dem candidates are like Val.

  10. 10.

    guachi

    May 18, 2021 at 8:47 am

    @lowtechcyclist: Oh, yes. His Scripture quotes are the kind of thing a non-Christian would write in order to discredit Christianity by imitating a smarmy holier-than-thou believer.

  11. 11.

    rikyrah

    May 18, 2021 at 8:48 am

    Monthly donation forthcoming

  12. 12.

    lowtechcyclist

    May 18, 2021 at 8:51 am

    @guachi:

    @lowtechcyclist: Oh, yes. His Scripture quotes are the kind of thing a non-Christian would write in order to discredit Christianity by imitating a smarmy holier-than-thou believer.

    You nailed it!

  13. 13.

    Fair Economist

    May 18, 2021 at 8:54 am

    I was planning to direct most of my donations this cycle to state parties and statehouses. I think I’ll make an exception for Demings. Also for the excellent Cheri Beasley in NC (outpolled Biden statewide in 2020).

  14. 14.

    Just One More Canuck

    May 18, 2021 at 8:54 am

    @guachi: he’s the love child of Eddie Haskell and Ted Cruz

  15. 15.

    Ten Bears

    May 18, 2021 at 8:55 am

    Years ago, back in the outlaw hell-raisin’ Harley ridin’ helicopter loggin’ days, I used to joke about meeting God: she was black and rode a … Kawasaki. Two out of three ain’t bad

    Oh, and: for the first time ever I had to refresh to see my comment – Win10, Edge

  16. 16.

    cope

    May 18, 2021 at 8:57 am

    As a resident of aforesaid I-4 corridor, I hope this comes to pass.  I’m not finding any confirming online news sources but my fingers are crossed.  If she does run, I hope she hangs trump around Rubio’s neck like a flaming toilet seat.  Rubio may be marginally more humane than his fellow solon Bat Boy but I would love to watch him shuffle off in his lifted Florsheims.

  17. 17.

    Sallycat

    May 18, 2021 at 9:01 am

    Even with all of Florida’s bad politics and bad politicians, Obama took Florida twice.  Val Demings has a good chance, I think.  Her candidacy is confirmed by the local press.

  18. 18.

    sdhays

    May 18, 2021 at 9:04 am

    Is there any scuttlebutt on who’s going to be the one to take on DeSantis now that Demings has picked her race?

  19. 19.

    JML

    May 18, 2021 at 9:05 am

    Never underestimate the power of a Harley in a political ad. I worked for a candidate that rode one and other than her despising her hair in the ad (helmets are a problem), it crushed.

    Demings is great. It’s gonna take an epic ton of money and a spectacularly great ground game, but if anyone can take out the feckless Rubio, it’s Val Demings.

  20. 20.

    Geminid

    May 18, 2021 at 9:06 am

    @guachi: The first and second impeachments “failed” in that there was no conviction. They did showcase some very talented Democratic Representatives, though. Val Demings was one of these, and there were a dozen others.

    Demings’ solid performance in that high profile role will net her many millions in contributions. And her exposure to many Floridians for whom she was just a name had to be worth hundreds of thousands in advertising.

    This raises a question with a general application. Val Demings was the same talented, capable Congresswoman before the first impeachment trial as she was after. Just as Maize Hirono was the same talented, capable Senator before the Kavanaugh hearings as she was after. I think people tend to lowrate Democratic politicians as a class. A few bright stars shine among a mass of seeming nobodies. But how many other Demings and Hironos are there, who just haven’t gotten the chance to impress people while on the national stage? I think there are a lot.

  21. 21.

    John S.

    May 18, 2021 at 9:12 am

    @Sallycat: I wouldn’t hang your hat on Obama winning Florida twice as an indicator of anything. Things have changed here, and not in the Democrats favor, since 2012.

    But I do think Demings has a very good chance of winning. It’s all going to come down to turnout — as it usually does just about anywhere.

  22. 22.

    Geminid

    May 18, 2021 at 9:13 am

    @sdhays: Nikki Fried, Florida Agriculture Commissioner, has announced. She seems to be a good twitter-fighter, fow what that’s worth. And she is one of a few Democrats to win statewide  the last few years.

  23. 23.

    John S.

    May 18, 2021 at 9:16 am

    @sdhays: We don’t have a deep bench of Democrats in Florida, especially when it comes to running for Governor. And particularly when it comes to running against someone as seemingly inevitable as Deathsantis.

    The only name that even comes to mind is Gwen Graham, but I don’t know if she wants to be bothered.

    ETA: Nikki Fried has announced, and I think she’s great — but likely a long shot for governor.

  24. 24.

    BruceFromOhio

    May 18, 2021 at 9:19 am

    A good maid or bartender is worth two dozen senators in my book.

    1/6 affected that exchange rate, it has been updated to 3.5 dozen senators per good maid or bartender. Increased demand is quickly outstripping supply.

  25. 25.

    Betty Cracker

    May 18, 2021 at 9:21 am

    @Geminid: Are you sure Fried has announced? I think she will run, but if she’s made that official, I missed it.

    It’s interesting that Crist is turning out to be such an afterthought. I wish he hadn’t thrown his hat into the ring, but his announcement sure hasn’t cleared the field the way he probably thought it would.

  26. 26.

    H.E.Wolf

    May 18, 2021 at 9:21 am

    http://PostcardsToVoters.org has announced that it will soon be resuming its statewide outreach to Democratic voters in Florida – in coordination with the FL Democratic Party – to get Dems signed up for (the newly constricted) FL Vote By Mail in time for 2022 elections.

    If anyone wants to join (or re-join) postcard GOTV efforts, this particular project would benefit Rep. Demings. It would be great to see her in the US Senate!

  27. 27.

    PST

    May 18, 2021 at 9:22 am

    @Geminid:

    The first and second impeachments “failed” in that there was no conviction. They did showcase some very talented Democratic Representatives, though. Val Demings was one of these, and there were a dozen others.

    That was a real revelation for me, although it shouldn’t have been. I had a generally favorable view of Demings and the other managers, but I didn’t realize how impressive they were (and how many we had of that caliber) until the impeachments. I have nothing against lawyers, honestly, but I love it when someone with a different background, like a nurse or teacher or chief of police, ascends to political prominence. Once Demings started appearing on television, everyone could see that she always makes excellent sense. I hope that was appreciated by a broader audience than just those of us who watch some MSNBC every day. And although I hate to put it this way, if she loses, she will be a splendid catch for the second half of the first Biden administration and whatever comes after. I’ll bet she’s taking that into account.

  28. 28.

    jnfr

    May 18, 2021 at 9:24 am

    She’s got my support, and I’ll be happy to donate too.

  29. 29.

    Dupe1970

    May 18, 2021 at 9:25 am

    This is always interesting. I feel like Florida and Texas (my home state) are going in different directions. Florida is become redder but Texas is slowly turning blue/purple. One fact that stood out for me is that in 2018 when Cruz won re-election he lost the native Texan vote. I suspect that despite Republicans shouting about Californians make Texas more liberal the opposite is happening. I wonder what effect immigration has on Florida partisanship. Just random musings.

  30. 30.

    libarbarian

    May 18, 2021 at 9:28 am

    @Geminid:

     

    Yes.  Considering the nation is still experiencing an ongoing surge in violent crime (that has already resulted in hundreds of additional deaths) I don’t think bucking the ACAB crowd will hurt her.

  31. 31.

    Geminid

    May 18, 2021 at 9:29 am

    @Betty Cracker: I could very well be wrong. I just wandered past a twitter stream yesterday where she was pushing back at critics bashing her for being too assertive and ambitious. There was an element of misogyny in the criticism, and Fried said something about how she was making her announcement in 2021, not 1951.               But then I wandered on.

  32. 32.

    Nicole

    May 18, 2021 at 9:31 am

    Well, I have 200 VOTE postcards and stamps, ready to encourage folks to register to vote.

    It’s a big lift, but I like Val Demings and I think she’s got as good a shot as any Democrat, and probably better than a lot of them.  That said, I am continually pleased with how deep the Democratic bench is; we have a lot of good people in our tent.

  33. 33.

    Steve in the ATL

    May 18, 2021 at 9:41 am

    @Dupe1970: a very rich Texan friend just sold his house in Austin to a very rich Californian.  I opined that Texas needs all the Californians it can get until the likes of Abbott and Cruz stop getting elected.  His impression is that the Californians moving to Texas are more conservative than California overall and thus might not move the needle.   No idea how accurate his take is.

  34. 34.

    Steve in the ATL

    May 18, 2021 at 9:43 am

    @Geminid: I’ve been slacking in my pedantry lately, but thank you for saying that this “raises the question”, which it does, and not saying it “begs the question”, which it does not.

  35. 35.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    May 18, 2021 at 9:46 am

    “Our unemployment now is down to where we started before the pandemic,” DeWine said. “We’re still paying unemployment, but in another 30 days we’ll no longer pay the additional money. If you have the state and the federal government distorting the market, it’s not going to work.”

    When a worker refuses to come back to their job, and the employer reports that issue to the state, the worker’s eligibility for unemployment payments would expire.

    And DeWine’s hope is that taking away that incentive to stay unemployed will expedite the state’s recovery from the pandemic.

    “We are very focused on getting that person back to work. It’s time to get back to where we were before,” DeWine said. “As far as data goes, I don’t have an empirical study, but look around the state. A lot of businesses only have drive-thrus. You ask the manager why you can’t get in, and he says it’s because he can’t staff it.”

    Gotta get those lazy layabout serfs back to work!

    How the fuck do you know DeWimp if those managers are right? Maybe those workers moved on to better jobs. Maybe some of these unemployed are immunocompromised that vaccines won’t protect as well. Most of all, why should anybody have to work for slave wages in terrible working conditions?

    I love how he even admits he has no actual data to support his conclusions, but tries to appeal to “common sense”. What a clown. Also, that vax-a-million website isn’t working yet

  36. 36.

    e julius drivingstorm

    May 18, 2021 at 9:47 am

    Isn’t their some kind of fund created to help former convicted felons pay off their court costs and fines so they can have their right to vote restored?

  37. 37.

    O. Felix Culpa

    May 18, 2021 at 9:47 am

    @Steve in the ATL: Clearly UI benefits have been depressing the labor market for pedants. Get to work, slacker!

  38. 38.

    prufrock

    May 18, 2021 at 9:52 am

    @Dupe1970: My poor state of Florida is full of boomer retirees, the majority of whom were Reaganites when they were young.  Of course we got redder.

  39. 39.

    sab

    May 18, 2021 at 9:53 am

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): The vax website was working this morning.

  40. 40.

    r€nato

    May 18, 2021 at 9:55 am

    Her background makes peddling the usual Republican lies about Democrats more challenging, e.g., it’s difficult to label Demings as anti-cop since she literally was a cop.

    laughs in swiftboat

  41. 41.

    catclub

    May 18, 2021 at 9:55 am

    @e julius drivingstorm: Funded by George Soros and Michael Bloomberg?  lack of news reports say no.

     

    The fines are catch-22, ‘we won’t tell you how much you owe, but if you vote we will tell you you voted illegally for not paying off your fines’

  42. 42.

    Geminid

    May 18, 2021 at 9:56 am

    @John S.: The results in Florida’s last three Governor’s races are striking. Republicans in 2010 and 2014 won by a little over 60,000 votes out of over 5 million votes cast. In 2018, DeSantis won by 33,000 out of over 8 million votes. From where I’m looking, 800 miles north, conditions don’t look especially good or bad for a Florida Democrat in a statewide race. But I guess Fried will be a longshot in that those last 60,000 or so votes Democrats have needed seem to be really hard to get.

  43. 43.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    May 18, 2021 at 9:56 am

    @sab:

    Really? Whenever I click on the link I just get a screen with the logo saying it’s coming May 18th

  44. 44.

    OzarkHillbilly

    May 18, 2021 at 10:01 am

    @catclub: I remember reading of such a fund, no Soros or Bloomberg involved. I forget the details. IIRC while substantial it wasn’t adequate to the job.

  45. 45.

    SFAW

    May 18, 2021 at 10:02 am

    @Steve in the ATL:

    but thank you for saying that this “raises the question”, which it does, and not saying it “begs the question”, which it does not.

    Although I agree with you on this, I have been semi-reliably informed that the meaning of “begs the question” has been transmogrified (or maybe mutated?) so as to be functionally equivalent to “raises the question.” Not unlike the similar transmogrification of “bemused” to now be equivalent to “amused.”

    If you choose to run for office as a member of the Pedant Party, you will have my support. Literally, or figuratively, or both.

  46. 46.

    SFAW

    May 18, 2021 at 10:04 am

    @catclub:

    Funded by George Soros and Michael Bloomberg?  lack of news reports say no.

    I think LeBron was involved, but I might be confused.

  47. 47.

    OzarkHillbilly

    May 18, 2021 at 10:05 am

    @SFAW: I think you’re right.

  48. 48.

    Hoodie

    May 18, 2021 at 10:10 am

    @Steve in the ATL: It tends to be relative.  I know a guy who moved from MA to NC because he was “tired of all the liberals.”  He may be conservative by MA standards but not by NC standards.

  49. 49.

    NotMax

    May 18, 2021 at 10:11 am

    @SFAW

    Yeah. Afraid that by now “begs the question,” much as is the case with “pled guilty,” is a lost cause. Accepting them does not mean I have to like them.

    Not to lose hope though, there’s plenty more linguistic fish to fricassee

  50. 50.

    SFAW

    May 18, 2021 at 10:11 am

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):

    Atrios has said for years that a lot of the “we can’t find workers” whines would be remedied by the employers paying a reasonable wage.

    I’d speculate that one other factor, semi-related to that, is the employers for higher-end jobs (e.g., engineering) wanting only candidates with (let’s say) 25 specific skills/experience, and being unwilling to consider candidates with 23 or 24 of those skills. “We can’t find ANYBODY! Waaah! So we’ll have to get someone on an H1B or H2B (or whatever) and pay them half of what we’d pay a (white) American.”

  51. 51.

    SFAW

    May 18, 2021 at 10:13 am

    @NotMax:

    “pled guilty,”

    GAAAAHHH! [Looks for wall into which to smash head.]

  52. 52.

    Chat Noir

    May 18, 2021 at 10:13 am

    @Geminid:

    But how many other Demings and Hironos are there, who just haven’t gotten the chance to impress people while on the national stage? I think there are a lot.

    Rachel Maddow often interviews state or local Democratic leaders (TX, GA, AL, MI, PA) when their areas are in the news and each Dem is very, very impressive.

  53. 53.

    Geminid

    May 18, 2021 at 10:14 am

    @NotMax: At least people seem to be using “quality” as adjective less often.

  54. 54.

    SFAW

    May 18, 2021 at 10:15 am

    @NotMax:

    I think I mentioned it here in the past, but I recall seeing an a market/trend “analysis” (~20 years ago) which included the phrase “Linux is a tsunami which will spread like wildfire!”

    ETA for Steve in the WTFKW: Sorry, I probably should have provided a trigger warning before that one.

  55. 55.

    Geminid

    May 18, 2021 at 10:16 am

    @Chat Noir: I followed the 2018 midterms closely. That Democratic House Class of 2018 is very talented, impressive bunch.

  56. 56.

    SFAW

    May 18, 2021 at 10:18 am

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    I think you’re right.

    Can you give me a warning, next time you write that? I have to get the AED fired up after reading that.

  57. 57.

    Eunicecycle

    May 18, 2021 at 10:18 am

    @SFAW: The company my husband retired from used to do that very thing. Would it surprise you to hear the family whose name is on the company are very Republican? They also brought people over from India on training visas and had them doing work; they didn’t need training. But they paid them less. So exploitative, too.

  58. 58.

    SFAW

    May 18, 2021 at 10:20 am

    @Eunicecycle:

    Unfortunately, I don’t think that model is a Rethugs-only phenomenon.

    ETA: Sentiment not based on any data, merely on my prejudices/whatever.

  59. 59.

    Betty Cracker

    May 18, 2021 at 10:21 am

    @Geminid: Anything could happen, but I think 2022 will be a much heavier lift for Dems in the governor’s race. DeSantis and Gillum were both relative unknowns statewide running for an open seat in 2018. Now DeSantis is an unethical incumbent who won’t hesitate to use the power of his office to sandbag an opponent. He’s also plugged into the Trump base in a way that Rubio only dreams of, so that’s a factor too.

    I think Demings picked the right office to shoot for; she’s got a better chance to beat Rubio than DeSantis, though DeSantis is the bigger threat to the state and nation by far, IMO.

  60. 60.

    SiubhanDuinne

    May 18, 2021 at 10:21 am

    @SFAW:

    Not unlike the similar transmogrification of “bemused” to now be equivalent to “amused.”

    Oh dear god, really? REALLY?

    […ponders just going back to bed…]

  61. 61.

    Geminid

    May 18, 2021 at 10:24 am

    @Betty Cracker: DeSantis does seem very slick and shrewd. And creepy. He gives me the heebie-jeebies.

  62. 62.

    SFAW

    May 18, 2021 at 10:25 am

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    Sorry, m’dear, I should have trigger-warninged you as well. I had a feeling it would have that effect. [Yes, I really DID think about you when I writed that earlier comment.]

    ETA: And thank you for not whacking me on my split infinitive (“to now be”).

  63. 63.

    Steve in the ATL

    May 18, 2021 at 10:27 am

    @O. Felix Culpa: who’s got time for grammar when there’s an extra $300 worth of bookers and blow each week?

    @SFAW: I’m running not to win but to force the Baud campaign to take a hard line on pedantry.  I’ve had enough of his paying footloose, er, fast and furious, I mean fast and loose with grammar—the number one issue in these troubled times!

    @Hoodie: I concur.  More anecdata: friend in Alameda, married to woman from Davis, complains about how liberal it is out there. When he visits here and we talk politics, he realizes that actual conservatives, the southern kind, are freaking nuts.

  64. 64.

    SFAW

    May 18, 2021 at 10:27 am

    @Geminid:

    Yeah, if TFG croaks before the 2024 election, DeSantis would probably do much better than is healthy for the country.

  65. 65.

    NotMax

    May 18, 2021 at 10:28 am

    @Geminid

    Called to mind a WW2 era cartoon which is, in its own way, timeless.

    :)

  66. 66.

    SFAW

    May 18, 2021 at 10:29 am

    @Steve in the ATL:

    I’m running not to win but to force the Baud campaign to take a hard line on pedantry.

    Somebody’s got to; who better than you?

    ETA: Well, outside of SubaruDianne, that is.

    ETA2: Of course, if SD starts regaling us with stories of her union-busting work, you might have a heavier lift.

  67. 67.

    Eunicecycle

    May 18, 2021 at 10:30 am

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): Dewimp started off pretty well in managing the pandemic, but quickly lost my support when he failed to stick with his original mask mandate and then threw Amy Acton under the bus. And he at first said we vaxxed people would automatically be in the lottery based on voting registration records; then when people rightly pointed out how dumb that was, now you have to register. How many people won’t hear that second part? As usual, stupid rollout. I hope it really boosts vaccinations; I have my doubts.

  68. 68.

    MontyTheClipArtMongoose

    May 18, 2021 at 10:33 am

    @Geminid: not just the unusual gang of idiots of the altleft, but also dipshits like the Dopus Dei los Bruenig & Bullshit Joe Rogan.

    I will be honest — will be neat to see Rogan twist himself into a lather to say Demings being a cop is bad. (Without somehow saying any racial slurs.)

  69. 69.

    Steve in the ATL

    May 18, 2021 at 10:33 am

    @SFAW: [in fetal position, shaking uncontrollably and muttering about the literal decimation of society]

    @SFAW: You no doubt bookmarked my recent post in which I came out as no longer opposed to splitting infinitives.  As I understand, the prohibition was driven by a Latin teacher well over a hundred years ago who wanted English grammar to look more like Latin, a language in which is *literally* impossible to split infinitives as there is no “to”, there is the just one word.  Well, world, that’s not his call, so screw hole and let’s split the hell out of infinitives until he returns from the grave to haunt us!

  70. 70.

    SFAW

    May 18, 2021 at 10:39 am

    @Steve in the ATL:

    To paraphrase Churchill (I think it was): splitting infinitives is something up with which I will not put. [The grammatical point, of course, was that a preposition is not a word one ends a sentence with.]

  71. 71.

    sab

    May 18, 2021 at 10:40 am

    @Steve in the ATL: I remember trying to explain split infinitives to a Swiss coworker who spoke all four Swiss languages fluently. He was charmed by the idea that infinitives in English could be split.

  72. 72.

    Betty

    May 18, 2021 at 10:43 am

    @Steve in the ATL: Thanks. That expression is so often misused.

  73. 73.

    NotMax

    May 18, 2021 at 10:46 am

    @Steve in the ATL

    Once we begin to willy-nilly split infinitives, whence the end of pandemonium?

  74. 74.

    Ken

    May 18, 2021 at 10:46 am

    @sab: We should just require infinitives tobe written as one word, so that it would be impossible tosplit them.

  75. 75.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    May 18, 2021 at 10:50 am

    @NotMax: whom could tell us wherefore such things would lead to?

  76. 76.

    Ken

    May 18, 2021 at 10:54 am

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: The canonical one is the story about the child complaining about an Australian bedtime story: “Mother, why did you bring a book to read out of about Down Under up for?”

    (Which cheats with Down Under.)

  77. 77.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    May 18, 2021 at 10:58 am

    @SFAW:

    I’d speculate that one other factor, semi-related to that, is the employers for higher-end jobs (e.g., engineering) wanting only candidates with (let’s say) 25 specific skills/experience, and being unwilling to consider candidates with 23 or 24 of those skills. “We can’t find ANYBODY! Waaah! So we’ll have to get someone on an H1B or H2B (or whatever) and pay them half of what we’d pay a (white) American.”

    It’s the same thing with employers requiring a candidate to have x+ years of experience. That’s fine and dandy for someone who’s already made it into the industry/field, but what about new comers? It’s a catch-22 because how can anybody get the experience if no one will hire them in the first place because they don’t have 3+ years of experience?

  78. 78.

    Dupe1970

    May 18, 2021 at 10:58 am

    @Steve in the ATL:  I’d say that is fairly accurate. The people choosing to come here are taking buyouts and transfers because they want to “escape” California. And since they are moving to good school districts they can avoid a lot of the bad schools in Texas.

  79. 79.

    Betty Cracker

    May 18, 2021 at 11:00 am

    Pedantry is the humble-brag of the tragically unliterary fussbudget. Fight me!

  80. 80.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    May 18, 2021 at 11:01 am

    @Eunicecycle:

    I swear he’s such an incompetent idiot. Only in a red state could a nonentity like DeWine be elected because he has an R after his name.

    Apparently for it’s worth though, vaccinations have been up unrelated to 12-17 year olds becoming eligible recently

  81. 81.

    Geminid

    May 18, 2021 at 11:02 am

    @Steve in the ATL: Splitting infinitives is divisive.

  82. 82.

    hueyplong

    May 18, 2021 at 11:05 am

    @Betty Cracker: On the subject of “anything could happen,” is there a wisp of a hope that not only Gaetz but also DeSantis might be targets against whom Joel G might provide evidence/leads?

    They say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.

  83. 83.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    May 18, 2021 at 11:11 am

    Does Demmings speak Spanish?

  84. 84.

    BruceFromOhio

    May 18, 2021 at 11:13 am

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):

    Gotta get those lazy layabout serfs back to work!

    Anecdotally, the service workers I know are either already back at work, or moved on to a different job because service works sucks. I know of zero workers who are unemployed and sitting at home banking that extra scratch.

    I am interested in what the excuse(s) will be in October when the extra bennies are long expired and people still don’t want to work shit jobs for shit pay.

  85. 85.

    Almost Retired

    May 18, 2021 at 11:17 am

    Pretty much everything I know about Florida politics comes from reading Betty Cracker posts, but it seems to me that Congresswoman Demings made a wise choice to target the odious and uninspiring Rubio instead of the odious, but inspiring to troglodytes, Praying DeMantis, or whatever his name is.  She shall have my support in the form of cash donations and illegible postcards.

  86. 86.

    artem1s

    May 18, 2021 at 11:22 am

    I like the way the advisor contrasted the biographies.

    I don’t.  We need career politicians.  What we don’t need are con men and performance artists posing as legislators who are only in the game for attention, power and grift.  Using ‘career politician’ as an negative hit on your opponent only insults those who you want in your corner when you are seeking higher office.  And it limits how you can position yourself should you get elected. Starting out your campaign by dissing the leaders (career politicians all) of your own party is not good messaging.

  87. 87.

    Another Scott

    May 18, 2021 at 11:30 am

    Good, good.

    This is the right choice. Let Crist try not to burn himself alive going for governor. I like Stephanie Murphy but if you gun for Rubio you need weight. That doesn’t compliment him but the party. Demings can shake money from a lot of trees. https://t.co/4HB0ObD5eX

    — Richard M. Nixon (@dick_nixon) May 18, 2021

    Money isn’t the only thing, but it’s important. She did well in the impeachments and has a great bio. Marco is a dangerous tool and needs to go.

    Best of luck to her!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  88. 88.

    Another Scott

    May 18, 2021 at 11:42 am

    @NotMax: Sneak, snake, snuck.

    Plead, plaid, pled.

    Hang, hung, hunged.

    American English is easy, peasy.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  89. 89.

    SFAW

    May 18, 2021 at 11:50 am

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):

    There are actual reasons why you don’t hire (for example) newly-minted engineers for senior-level positions. And companies typically have entry-level, or junior-level positions, where a newbie can learn things such as (for example) actual product development — as opposed to studying Product Development Book “Z” — which might require some actual experience.

    ETA: And semi-related, since (if I recall) you’re a nurse: if I’m in a hospital, and care from an experienced medical pro is required, then I don’t want someone with a year’s experience to deal with my moderately-complex issue. I don’t mind if the newbie acts as a go-fer for the senior person, and looks over the shoulder of that senior person, since that’s one of the ways you learn, but I don’t want that person taking the lead. [Apologies if I’m mis-remembering re: you being a nurse.]

  90. 90.

    Betty Cracker

    May 18, 2021 at 12:08 pm

    @artem1s: You make a great point! I am sympathetic to the view that politicians should have at least some non-political job experience prior to running for office. Rubio lacks that since he was hatched in a Heritage Foundation incubator and imprinted on public office immediately after busting out of the shell. But generally, I agree that political experience is a qualification for higher office rather than an argument against a candidate.

  91. 91.

    Kent

    May 18, 2021 at 12:09 pm

    @Dupe1970:This is always interesting. I feel like Florida and Texas (my home state) are going in different directions. Florida is become redder but Texas is slowly turning blue/purple. One fact that stood out for me is that in 2018 when Cruz won re-election he lost the native Texan vote. I suspect that despite Republicans shouting about Californians make Texas more liberal the opposite is happening. I wonder what effect immigration has on Florida partisanship. Just random musings.

    Texas is younger and growing more urban due to waves of young tech migrants from other states.  Migrants are mostly younger Mexican and Central Americans looking for work.

    Florida is older and growing older due to waves of MAGA retirees continually moving in from other states as well as older right-wing Latin American migrants who have the wealth to come legally via air with their bank accounts intact.

  92. 92.

    Betty Cracker

    May 18, 2021 at 12:30 pm

    @Kent: I wonder sometimes if the political dynamics will change here in Florida because of the disappearance of retiree pensions. My in-laws were snowbirds who had been working class folks in upstate New York (FIL was a retired firefighter; MIL is a retired librarian).

    After they retired, they were able to sell the house where they raised their family, buy a Great Lakes beach cottage for summers and a house in a 55+ golf course-centered development in Florida for the rest of the year. Their friends, all working class folks with pensions, did the same.

    That sort of thing is just not an option for most working class people in my generation, let alone for the ones that followed, so I wonder how that will play out. Maybe white working class wingnuts will continue to colonize Florida with the proviso that they’ll have to endure the summers. But maybe not! We shall see.

  93. 93.

    Geminid

    May 18, 2021 at 12:48 pm

    @Kent: Like you say, demographics are changed  by migration from other states. There is a form of in-state mobility that has political consequence too: upward mobility through education. A Sweetwater store manager’s son might become a teacher. A Lubbock carpenter’s daughter might  become an engineer. They may end up in a suburb of Dallas or Houston like the ones that elected Colin Allred and Libby Fletcher in 2018.

    But even if they return home after college, they may look at politics differently than their parents do. I remember reading polling from fifty years ago showing that the college educated voted majority Republican. That has changed, and this group is voting more and more Democratic. Savvy political scientists have made the proportion of college educated voters a key factor in their election modeling, and weight it as favoring Democratic candidates.

  94. 94.

    JML

    May 18, 2021 at 4:23 pm

    I’ve been thinking about this race all day, and I’ve come to one conclusion: it should be Hell In A Cell.

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