A.G. Gancarski
In Jacksonville, the endorsements of the father fall unto the son. And so it is that Geoff Youngblood, a Republican At Large Group 3 Council candidate bedeviled by media inquiries into a sign on his father’s church that read “Homosexuals must repent or go to hell,” finally won a news cycle by getting an endorsement that likely was never in doubt, that of his dad.
On Monday Geoff Youngblood announced the endorsement of “pastors and faith based leaders” including “Florida Family Action PAC, United Christians of Florida PAC, and Pastor Dr. Gene Youngblood.“
The news release, sent by Christian right consultant Raymond Johnson, claimed that “These Leaders announced ‘We believe Geoff Younblood [sic] will stand out as a city councilman and will defend faith family and freedom by defending our values, protecting our tax dollars and creating new jobs.'”
The word going around is that the sign was actually a campaign stunt, a desperate bid for free TV time because the campaign can’t afford paid spots. The Youngblood campaign has stalled out in fundraising, with his opponent Tommy Hazouri surging in the polls.
If he keeps up that type of outreach, though, he may go national. This is exactly the type of story John Oliver or John Stewart can kill five minutes with.
Meanwhile, Hazouri gets another day closer to a council seat.
