Peter Schorsch
Hillary Clinton is getting serious about winning Florida in 2016.
On Tuesday, the Clinton campaign announced its Florida Leadership Council, a high-profile team of more than 150 top Democrats from all corners of the Sunshine State.
As noted by Marc Caputo and POLITICO, the list of Clinton’s endorsements dwarfs those of her two rivals – Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley – which also mirrors her domination in Florida polling.
Included in this august group is everyone who is anyone in Democratic politics: state and local party leaders, members of Congress, mayors, fundraisers – and Congressman Alan Grayson.
What makes the outspoken liberal from Orlando – and candidate for U.S. Senate – stand out in this crowd is that it will be the first time Grayson publicly supports Hillary Clinton in her White House bid.
In fact, it was Grayson’s Democratic primary opponent, U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, who was an early Clinton supporter. Murphy had even gone so far as to contribute to her campaign — directly giving her hard money.
That’s something Grayson has yet to do, at least according to the Federal Election Commission database.
Over his career and subsequent campaigns, Grayson, who fancies himself a lawmaker with “guts,” cultivated a fervent base of supporters, many of them fans the Daily Kos political blog and are currently gravitating toward the likes of Sanders.
Neither of those groups can be described as Democratic Party moderates.
Grayson’s inclusion on the Clinton Florida Leadership Council leads an observer to consider two possible scenarios.
The first is that Grayson is (finally) endorsing Hillary Clinton. But in doing so, he moves decidedly to the center, brazenly putting himself in a better political position to face Murphy in the Democratic Senate primary. However, this strategy only serves to push Grayson away from his Sanders/Daily Kos base, essentially thumbing his nose at his most fervent supporters.
The other can be summed up in two words: “my bad.”
In this instance, Grayson is not REALLY endorsing Clinton – which would not be surprising for someone known (charitably) as a “loose cannon.”
What that means is Clinton’s Brooklyn HQ will now be left with egg on their collective faces, not a good sign for a campaign busy gathering “shock and awe” endorsements in the key state of Florida.
As for which situation is ultimately the case, one thing is true – you simply can never tell when it comes to Grayson.
20 comments
Ole Olson
November 18, 2015 at 3:41 pm
“its Florida Leadership Council, a high-profile team of more than 150 top Democrats from all corners of the Sunshine State”. Not seeing any actual Grayson endorsement here. Need more clarification IMMEDIATELY, because this is a ticking time bomb of bad PR
teresainpa
November 18, 2015 at 5:42 pm
dkos is not a base, dkos is a collection of angry elitist white guys with nothing better to do than hate on powerful women. They are a disgusting bunch of misogynists. I don’t know how the few Hillary supporters still there can tolerate the place.
Dave Allison
December 1, 2015 at 3:32 pm
Anger and mean spirited attacks are neither democratic nor feminist values. Dkos is simply one of many sites that focus on progressive and populist politics. As Hillary is demonstrably neither of those, it would not be unusual for most of her supporters to post on Scarborough or Chris Matthews’ sites rather than dkos.
Lois
November 18, 2015 at 9:19 pm
That is a generalization about Daily Kos that isn’t accurate. Daily Kos has its share of Hillary-favorable posts as well as Sanders-favorable posts. I love both Grayson and Sanders, but I wouldn’t want either one of them as President. They need to be the conscience of the congress.
XXSJWXX
November 19, 2015 at 3:40 am
Nice MISLEADING headline. ASSWIPES.
Me
November 19, 2015 at 9:32 am
I stopped trusting the majority of Democrats currently in power as Clinton racks up their endorsements. The great thing about DailyKos is its information, where else can you learn private prison corporations are Clintons top fundraisers?
Did you know Television Network News Lobbyists are also her top fundraisers? Millions in donations from Wall Street yet she is going regulate them after her campaign chair John Podesta pushed Bill Clinton to deregulate the financial industry? Look that up and enter these keywords in a search engine: Elizabeth Warren Hillary Clinton Bankruptcy Bill PBS.
Clinton lies! Bernie Sanders introduced legislation last month to end for profit prisons and voted against Iraq invasion.
Dave Allison
December 1, 2015 at 3:25 pm
No endorsement, No commitment. Nada. Joining a group of State Democrats confirms only that Grayson is still a Democrat. Now I am hoping he stays neutral or endorses Sanders earlier rather than later.
All of those names for Clinton’s endorsements are worth exactly that number of individual votes. The superdelegates will be voting for the winners of the individual state primaries, especially when it becomes clear that Sanders is rising and Clinton is gaining no new support, only advertising support that she already has, courtesy of the worst of Democrats in FL, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (who is probably working day and night to defeat Sanders and elect the neoliberal status-quo Murphey.
mike
November 19, 2015 at 2:15 pm
With this endorsement, Grayson is probably saying he needs the huge resources (financial and organizational) of what he thinks is the probable dem nominee , Clinton, in order to get elected next Nov. IT is more logistics over principle and what is right.
However, just thinking about this a bit – and I am a huge Bernie supporter – he might think: what good is ‘being right’ , when I ‘d be outside of DC (due to not being elected) where I can express a real progressive voice?
Until this decision, Grayson seemed to be ‘the goods’ – honest and for the people. Even with the so called pragmatic approach that he presumable applied as noted here, he seems like just another unprincipled bastard politician who does not have the will of the people first and foremost.
Why?
Because, as Kojak used to say, ‘Who owns ya, baby?’
He is now beholden this Queen of Nothing for whatever he seeks to get done and so a distinctive characteristic of Grayson’s, the one who has the people’s backs, is mitigated mightily.
Dave Allison
December 1, 2015 at 3:36 pm
No endorsement. Just membership in a group of Democratic officeholders. Grayson still has his constituent’s backs and will be a great Senator for FL and the country.
David Speakman
November 19, 2015 at 5:33 pm
Smart move by him; he will need her coat tails to win the Senate race.
Dave Allison
December 1, 2015 at 3:43 pm
He will enjoy helping the Democratic nominee get elected president and the Democratic nominee will support Grayson in his election to the senate. Sanders will bring a lot of votes to Grayson and I expect Alan to bring a lot of FL votes to Bernie.
Big Guy 617
December 9, 2015 at 3:13 pm
Many of those that support Alan support bernie. Bernie has the same politics that Alan has. Hillary is the exact opposite of Alan, a sell out. This will hurt him.
Victor Tiffany
November 20, 2015 at 10:07 am
Grayson has railed against the TPP, and now he endorses a neo-liberal lying about it?!?! Astonishing.
http://www.examiner.com/article/hillary-clinton-sex-lies-and-video-tape
Dave Allison
December 1, 2015 at 3:38 pm
No endorsement of Clinton or Sanders, just joining a crowd of other Democratic candidates in FL. Trust Grayson to stay on the edge without crossing over..
Christopher M. Kennard
November 20, 2015 at 8:27 pm
Like many other voters, I would prefer that Mr. Grayson would speak in milder tones and language, yet remain focused, articulate and accurate in whatever he feels the need to say. With regard to Alan Grayson exiting the progressive wing of the political spectrum to become one of the Senate millionaire moderates in the ink of the Clinton duo, who always make a profit out of their chosen public service. I believe I will stick with Bernie Sanders and trust this is simply political rumor
Dave Allison
December 1, 2015 at 3:40 pm
Good comment. Grayson will be a great support for Sanders in the White House when he is in the Senate.
Peggy Meehan
January 30, 2016 at 11:05 pm
Grayson has not seemed to have the support ofvDaily Kos diarists that I have read. In fact, many of the Kos articles have echoed the derogatory characterizations of Grayson that you hear from his detractors. Kos diarists seem to be inexplicably favoring Murphy, even though Murphy’s history and voting record are hardly “progressive”. Look them up.
John
February 29, 2016 at 11:38 am
His endorsements is to Bernie Sanders
Patti
February 29, 2016 at 11:57 am
Ain’t so http://postonpolitics.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2016/02/29/alan-grayson-member-of-hillary-clintons-leadership-council-endorses-bernie-sanders/
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