Winner and Loser of the Week in Florida politics — Week of April 6

We reach this holiest of Christian days on the calendar with a sense of hope, even if the lesson learned lately is how little humans actually control things. It’s a sobering thought because we’re wired to believe we can do anything. Then a virus comes along to remind us otherwise.

We may be separated today, but we also are united. In our isolation, there is togetherness because everyone is going through the same thing. We have time to think and be grateful for all of those health care workers who are dedicated and tireless, putting themselves in danger to care for someone else.

The best way to thank them is to follow the guidelines for safety. Well, that and a big raise in pay. And maybe a long vacation when we come out on the other side of this.

In the meantime, it’s time for our weekly game of “Winner and Loser” here at Florida Politics. Let’s do it.

Winners

Honorable mention: Lawmakers as local leaders. Being a state legislator is a part-time gig, at least a pandemic comes along. We’re seeing the cream rise to the top in this time as many Florida lawmakers have stepped up to lead in their communities during this crisis.

A tip of the cap goes to Sens. Wilton Simpson, Randolph Bracy, Jeff Brandes, Janet Cruz, Jason Pizzo, Bobby Powell, and Reps. Vance Aloupis, Mike Caruso, Ben Diamond, Dane Eagle, Anna Eskamani, Randy Fine, Heather Fitzenhagen, Shevrin Jones, among the standouts.

They have typified the ideal of public service at a time when Florida needs them most.

First runner-up: Dana Young. Once again VISIT Florida was in the crosshairs of Tallahassee’s budget hawks, and once again it survived. Good thing. With Florida’s tourism industry devastated by COVID-19, it’s a good thing for everyone in the state that agency survived.

As CEO of VISIT Florida, Young will have one of the most important jobs in the state during the recovery. We’re in good hands.

But on this day, we make an obvious choice for No. 1.

The Biggest Winner: Churches. When the virus struck, churches throughout Florida reacted quickly and responsibly. The vast majority canceled public worship services, replacing them with streaming worship.

Most of the larger churches already had the technology, but that wasn’t the case for many of the smaller ones.  They adapted, though. Some pre-recorded services and put them on their websites. Others tried programs like Facebook Live and live-streaming.

Some had to scramble to stay afloat financially by using online giving. Pastors had to adjust their messages to fit the new medium. Music and graphics were challenges that had to be met.

But here it is, Easter Sunday, and churches are open even if their doors are closed.

Thank the Lord.

Losers

Dishonorable mention: Gov. Ron DeSantis. It’s fair to say the honeymoon is over. DeSantis, who once enjoyed wide bipartisan support, has been ripped repeatedly for his clumsy approach to containing the virus.

The latest gaffe came when he said “I don’t think nationwide there’s been a single fatality under 25. For whatever reason, it just doesn’t seem to threaten, you know, kids.”

That’s wrong on two fronts. First, it’s statistically inaccurate. People under 25 have died. It’s rare, but that brings up the other point. DeSantis made his claim while making the argument that he’d like to see public schools reopen before the end of the academic year.

Even if you want to say young, healthy students would probably be OK, um … WHAT ABOUT THE TEACHERS? AND ADMINISTRATORS? AND THE JANITORS? THE LUNCH ROOM WORKERS? BUS DRIVERS?

Sheesh. Can you say tone-deaf?

The almost (but not quite) biggest loser: Margaret Good.

The jump from state Representative to member of Congress is a big one, and the learning curve has proved steep for Good’s campaign operation.

This week, expense reports revealed she illegally used state political committee funds to pay for a coronavirus town hall.

That would be fine if she hadn’t launched a campaign in Florida’s 16th Congressional District. But she has, and that means all her state-level reserves are strictly off-limits.

Either Good purposefully disregarded the law — her fundraising prowess hasn’t translated to her congressional run, after all — or she’s simply ignorant. Neither is a valid defense, though it would be easier to believe the latter if this was her first strike.

It isn’t.

Good has flouted federal campaign finance law multiple times in her campaign’s brief history. Even if she wasn’t a longshot in the district, it’s a bad look. She’s not just embarrassing herself, either.

As a lawyer at the distinguished Sarasota law practice Matthews Eastmoore, Good should know that her negligence taints not only herself but her law firm.

But there can only be one at the bottom of the pile, and this week that dishonor goes to…

The Loser of the Week: Republican Party of Florida Chair Joe Gruters

To be fair, Gruters has had many good weeks, and nearly all of them were better than the period he just went through.

President Donald Trump put Gruters in an awkward position after going a jag about voting by mail, calling the practice “corrupt.”

“They grab thousands of mail-in ballots and they dump it,” Trump said at a Tuesday White House briefing. “I’ll tell you what — and I don’t have to tell you, you can look at the statistics — there’s a lot of dishonesty going along with mail-in voting.”

Trump cited no proof about his accusation, and the statistics show that Republicans, especially in Florida, have dominated voting by mail. And Trump, a Palm Beach resident, voted by mail in the March primary.

How to make delicately make a counter-point without slamming the leader of the free world?

Gruters could have let it pass, but I guess he felt he had to say something. So, he said he supported Trump’s opposition to an election done exclusively by mailed ballots, but added, “As we do every election cycle, the Florida GOP will push [vote-by-mail] requests and returns among Republicans.”

Can you say “tapdance?”

But there was no dancing in his over-the-top attack on Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried.

Remember how the Governor said no one under 25 had died? Well, Fried pointed out that one victim was 13-year-old Charlotte Figi. She became a face for medical marijuana from the help it gave her in a fight against Dravet syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy.

Charlotte suffered from Dravet syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy, but responded well to the medicinal marijuana treatment. The cannabis strain used to treat her became known as “Charlotte’s Web.” Her story is widely regarded as a turning point for medical marijuana advocates.

In noting Figi’s death, suspected to be from COVID-19, Fried tweeted, “She was a national hero to many. Remember her name, @GovRonDesantis.”

That prompted this tweeted response from Gruters: “Shame on you  @nikkifried, everyone in the state mourns Charlotte Figi and every other victim of this terrible virus. Stop the political games and find real ways to help!”

Sorry, but when the Governor floats a major decision like opening the schools on erroneous information about how no one under 25 has died of the virus, it deserves a stern response.