Andrew Gillum Upends Expectations in Florida Primary Victory

Identity politics are running rampant. Would anyone guess from the Black progressive permafixed label that he has worked with the US Chamber of Commerce to increase international trade for his region? Mayor Gillum has: - launched the Tallahassee Mayoral Fellows Program in partnership with Florida Agricultural And Mechanical University and Florida State University, allowing high-achieving graduate students to gain experience working in City government. - helped the US Secretary of Transportation to Tallahassee to kick off the GROW AMERICA Express Tour. - worked with other Florida mayors and United States Deputy Secretary of Commerce, Bruce Andrews to urge Congress to pass trade promotion legislation that would bolster international trade, and stressed the importance for local governments of a leveled playing field. - held the Mayor's Summit on Children to stress the importance of early learning to the long-term economic success of a community. - launched task forces as part of his Family First Agenda: Improved Quality and Affordable Child Care, Family Friendly Workplaces and Culture, Greater Community Investments in Children and Families, and Resources and Training for Parents and Families - citing that investments in early childhood education return six dollars for each dollar invested. - helped orchestrate the Tallahassee Future Leaders Academy, a summer jobs program for over 100 youths. Please include experience, NOT just color.

It was a beautiful thing to watch a working-class African-American defeat three wealthy Democrats for the Florida gubernatorial nomination in the Age of Trumponomics, corporate regulatory capture of our democratic institutions, and wealth and income inequality. The Democratic Party establishment is also a part of the swamp that must be drained so that the demos, the people, can have back the local, state and federal governments the way the founders of our American democracy intended.

Will Mayor Gillum be prepared the the onslaught of highly negative, false and divisive charges that will be flung at him from a well-greased, obscenely funded Republican attack machine? It will be like nothing any of us have likely ever seen. The Trump regime simply cannot let Florida fall into the hands of a Black Progressive Governor. That would be too Obama-like, and we can’t have that! Beyond Florida, there’s every reason to assume that the fall mid-terms will produce the meanest, nastiest contests any of us can remember. Keep in mind that the historical record clearly shows that Republicans are terrible at governance, but supremely skilled at divisive, zero sum campaigning. They will pull out all the stops and woe to anyone who tries to use reason and facts against this Dark Arts machine.

Yet another example demonstrating that money does not by elections and relatable persuasive messaging wins elections. Also, another example of the poor performance of polling in tracking public sentiment.

It’s true that the majority of Americans agree with progressive policies- and Republicans know this. It’s time to stop being intimidated and stand proud for what we believe in.

I suspect the attempts to inculcate 'fear of socialism' in the electorate this fall will fail. The gift Trump gave to the American people is that of distrust and cynicism--including, now, every reason to distrust the Trumpers. From a policy perspective, Mr. Trump has failed and, at the end of the day, that's what really counts on election day. In sum, as in 2008 and in 2016, its time to try something else on for size and if genital grabbing didn't disqualify one candidate, rusty, worn out labels is not gong to either. We tried on what was, effectively, the T party on for size in 2016 and it didn't take us long to realize that the coat simply didn't fit. Next....

According to the Times, Gillum was “propelled by an endorsement from Senator Bernie Sanders and financing from Tom Steyer, George Soros and Collective PAC, a group dedicated to electing African-Americans.” Gillum was also propelled by two anonymous attack mailings sent out in the past few weeks against Gwen Graham, who was the front-runner, the daughter of a former Florida governor, and a moderate. The attack mailings were glossy, expensive, ugly, and full of falsehoods. As a registered Democrat I was a recipient of both. I scoured them carefully to see who was responsible, but there was no acknowledgement anywhere on them of who sponsored them. I suspect the extreme right was behind the mailings, dirty tricks, to persuade Democrats not to vote for the moderate who would have a good chance of winning the Florida governor’s race. The defeat of centrist Gwen Graham means we will get a Trump pick for our governor, replacing our current Trumpist governor. Much as the Times finds Gillum’s win a catchy news story, Florida is too conservative to elect Gillum. Wait and see how this turns out.

True leaders come in different colors.

Is a Silent Majority finally speaking up? Is it indeed still true that good can prevail in this country of ours which has lost its way under this Trump administration and its sycophants in Congress? Oh, this is such good news. It gives me hope that we can be victorious over the racism and bigotry that has overtaken us since November 2016. We did it once, on a national level, with President Obama. And this commenter has never and will never regret those 8 wonderful years under his leadership. We can do it again in two southern states this November. It is way past time for us to open our green, blue, and brown eyes wide and see no "skin color," but instead "white" and good souls.

Hopefully, Gillum’s win will convince moderate Democrats to give up on their discredited electability strategy and actually study the economic teachings of Bernie Sanders, Robert Reich, George R. Tyler and other progressive luminaries. If they do so, I’m convinced moderate Democrats will begin to understand that America’s economic salvation lies in our progressive economic agenda. Ultimately, we stand a better chance to win back blue-collar voters and the governing majority at all levels by discrediting Trump’s and the Republicans’ populist credentials than by simply not being Trumplike in persona.

Gillum got a few dollars from me against the Trump-Russian-Republican marionette DeSantis. What has the Republican Party ever done for Florida besides make it a statewide shooting gallery, deprive its poor working people of Medicaid, and let it by hijacked by radical right-wing vote suppressors in 2000 and beyond ? https://secure.actblue.com/donate/gillum-primary-win?refcode=website Donate. And vote...in record numbers, Florida and America. November 6 2018 Flush the Trump Toilet.

It should have nothing to do with his race, he would be the first radical socialist progressive to represent the state of Florida ever. Probably the first ever to represent any portion of the state either. It is a choice, you support a socialist nanny state, or you don't. Hopefully the people of Florida don't, but only time will tell.

it's great he eliminated wealthy candidates who aren't equipped to represent a majority of voters' interests. There are too many millionaires and billionaires masquerading as liberals in races around the nation. it's as if they all took a page out of the Book of Trump. oligarchs to the right. Oligarchs to the left. not good. --- www.rimaregas.com

The Dems are all in, obviously, and are ceding the center. But the same is true of the GOP. We will see which candidate can convince moderates.

Good article, BUT - - - look for Russian hacking in 2018 primaries. I think Gillum's "surprise" is Republican and Russian coordinated effort to advance a flawed Democratic candidate, complete with a talking point that Republicans can hammer home. I think the hacking is/will be - widespread and much more subtle than we expect. Can you investigate?

NYTimes —please, please, please stop using the word “minority” when talking about people or communities of color. This is an offensive and outdated term. People of color are rarely the minority in the very communities that are being reported on — like Liberty City. Please be the example for the rest of the field where linguistic racism is not reinforced. Thank you!

GO!!! MR GILLUM!! We desperately need you to win and shake up the Anti American rich people who use politics as a chance to dominate and control regular people of moderate income who make the nation work!!! We make the country work not the rich! Remember that!!

Andrew Gillum was the worst-funded of the three major Democratic candidates, and yet he still won through force of personality, integrity, a proven track record as Mayor of Florida's capitol, Tallahassee, and a progressive platform of sensible measures that would improve the lives of regular Floridians. On the other hand, DeSantis was supported politically by Donald Trump and financially by the same corporate cabal that brought us corrupt Rick Scott as Governor: Florida Power & Light, the biggest utility in the state; U.S. Sugar, known unaffectionately as Big Sugar and responsible in large measure for the enormous growth of the poisonous red tide that is killing tourism along with hundreds of thousands of fish and sea creatures on the southern Gulf Coast; and, of course, the Chamber of Commerce, that always lines up behind its major corporate sponsors. Andrew Gillum can win in November because he stands for the people of Florida, not for those who put profits before people. This is a race to watch.

I hope Obama is planning to stump for this young man in the general. Mr. Gillum needs to win. He needs to prove that progressive voters have been sitting out elections for years because we were constantly being asked to choose the lesser of two evils. No more!

Frankly, I'm just tired of reading about Black folks running for elected political office as 'the first Black so and so.' How about The New York Times and other media outlets phrasing it as 'the first so and so who happens to be Black?' Is that asking too much? Clearly, Mr. Gillum thought as much in a phone interview with Don Lemon of CNN last after he was declared the Democratic Party gubernatorial nominee. Frankly, if Mr. Gillum or Stacey Abrams happen to win their respective states' gubernatorial contests come this November, they won't simply be governors for the African-American inhabitants of their respective states. They will be the leaders of their respective states and of all the inhabitants of Florida and Georgia, Black, White, Brown, Yellow, Red and any combination thereof.

I am a Florida Democrat who is excited about Andrew Gillum's candidacy. Just one observation on the article - I would agree that Alex Sink was a lackluster canidate but no one who has observed Florida politics at all would say Charlie Christ is bland.

It would be great if Gillum could win - I wish him well. In a deeply polarized election, it is hard to predict who whose voters will turn out. But I'm not sure if a young Black candidate supported by Sanders-Steyer-Soros is a clear bet. At a minimum, we might be able to rely on either a serious gaffe or a corruption scandal from the DeSantis crew. I haven't seen a GOP candidate this cycle who hasn't committed one or both of those.

Time has come to address all the issues . Andrew Gillum hopefully will put those issues to the test. It is one of the rare opportunities the public have to change the course . It is the reason why one votes and feels good about it.

Andrew Gillum has captured the imagination and hope of Florida voters. On a recent train trip from West Palm Beach to Miami I saw Gillum signs all along the way. I read up on him - he is not far left wacky, but a reasonable representative of the people. He will make a great governor. He will become even more popular as people get to know him.

"...enthusiasm from Democratic voters tired of seeing their bland, centrist candidates lose..." This. Forcefully advocate for progressive policies that benefit the citizens and taxpayers. Don't be a mealy-mouthed triangulator. Try it -- what have Democrats got to lose? Learn from the GOP: their candidates win elections because they speak to their constituencies in direct, unambiguous terms: abortion, guns, religion, taxes -- whatever the issue, they take a strong uncompromising position because if they don't they'll be branded as a RINO and vulnerable from someone else within their own party. Progressives are waiting for someone to be so direct and uncompromising on the issues they care about.

It's stories like this one that brings hope for our nation's future when hope appears to be on shaky and perilous ground. Here's wishing Mayor Gillum a handy victory in Florida's gubernatorial election.

Are Progressive's messages resonating with the disenfranchised? The ones who just don't vote because, "they're all the same." Those voters that abhor Trump are going to vote en masse; Democrats need to pick up those voters that have been sitting on the sidelines and a progressive agenda seems to be reaching them. Stick to the message instead of just disparaging the GOP and Trumpism. We know how bad it is. Give them something better to vote for.

It will be a battle between the Trump Clone and the Anti-Trump. Gillium was very quiet during the campaign. I only saw a few ads for him during the last 2 weeks and those I saw were only positive. None of the negative ads of the others. We can only keep our fingers crossed for a good turnout in Nov.

It will be telling whether Ms. Gwen Graham, Mr. Philip Levine, Mr. Jeff Greene and Mr. Chris King not only get behind Mr. Andrew Gillum but also campaign vigorously for him. If they do, they will do the right thing for Floridians and will enhance their political futures. DPD

Ok, this Florida Democrat didn't vote for him. Why? Sadly, I was fearful of the inherent racism in certain parts of this state. i will work for and vote for Mr. Gilllum in the General Election. It would help him if he selected a moderate, white, Democrat as a running mate, however. Sorry to bring race into this, but our Panhandle and some other areas are still the 'Deep South". He's a fine man however and hope that I am wrong about the racism.

He is a breath of fresh air in a state that has been controlled for far too long by big moneyed republican interests. Nearly 20 years of control where the legislature has ignored citizen led initiatives; turns a blind eye to the environment & climate change which are so important to our tourist based economy; ignores clean energy (the sunshine state should be leading the way); one of only 4 states which still practices Jim Crow era prohibitions against its citizens receiving the restoration of their voting rights upon the service of their time...the list goes on and on. I hope people will listen to his sensible message and get themselves to the polls in November. I wish him well. He will have my vote.

Media put too much emphasis on ideology. I was a Republican for 30 years before switching this year, and I voted for Andrew Gillum. The guy won every debate. He's more sincere and just as capable and qualified as the other candidates. These days I care more about sincerity, honesty and integrity than about nebulous ideological claptrap. I've heard so much fear-based political rhetoric it just passes right through me now. No effect. This guy attacks no one, unless they throw the first punch. His campaign is all positive. I like that.

Even from 1000 miles away, I am so excited to see Mr. Gillum do so well. Enough of bland, Republican-lite, zombie-Democrats. During the primary campaign, the Florida media tried to falsely tar and feather Mr. Gillum with a Tallahassee FBI investigation into a city commissioner, and I'm sure his Republican opponent will try again. The investigation never sought information about Mr. Gillum and the only public FBI affidavit makes clear Mr. Gillum is not the target, but the truth has taken a holiday in the GOP since 2016 so this is unlikely to matter to Republicans. Everyone who has seen these tactics before, and who supports Mr. Gillum, should be ready for the onslaught. I wish him Godspeed.

I happened to meet Mr. Gillum a few years ago. He seemed to be a bright, articulate and highly committed individual. He was actively mentoring many young people, of all colors, to take an active role in the political process. And, surprisingly, there were some who leaned towards the conservative side. He seemed balanced and I felt he was more Clintonian than Sanders' type at that time but he had the energy of Obama. I think he would be a candidate for Florida and I wish him well.

Andrew Gillum will become the poster child for progressives if he wins the Gubernatorial race, or for centrists if he loses. The strange thing is that most progressive positions are very central. Most Americans do no want a woman's right to choose taken away, most want affordable education and healthcare, as well as higher wages. It is just that conservatives have moves so far to the extreme right that everyone in the center appears on the left. My greatest concern with the Florida turn out was there were more Republican voters. Democrats will need to turn out the independent voters to win this state.