Joe Henderson
Andrew Gillum’s story may one day be that of a changed, fully redeemed man. Anyone with even half a heart will root for that.
However, that day is not this day, and likely won’t be any day soon. The failed Democratic candidate for Florida Governor attracts trouble the way a magnet attracts metal shavings.
That’s why, as the Democrats eye yet another quixotic quest to win the Governor’s mansion in 2022, they need to adopt the Gillum Rule.
- Don’t take his money.
- Don’t seek his endorsement.
- And don’t give him a place on any stage where challengers to Gov. Ron DeSantis might gather.
The party and potential nominees need to put as much distance between themselves and Gillum as possible. His troubles make him toxic to Democrats. Every time Gillum’s name is in a headline, it’s Christmas morning for DeSantis — even in November.
If Gillum is not on the ballot, which he shouldn’t be for the foreseeable future, just his picture is a dream come true for GOP consultants. The heady days where Gillum was a rising star who lost to DeSantis by a whisker gave way to repeated, well-publicized woes.
And he’s at it again.
Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics reported questions are surrounding Gillum’s promise to raise large sums of money for state Democrats. IRS filings for Gillum’s Forward Florida Action group show no contributions from FFA to the Florida Democratic Party.
Not only that, Gillum’s well-publicized vow to increase Democratic voter registration fell flat. Forward Florida Action had the goal of “registering and re-engaging voters who are often unseen and unheard.” The organization raised $2,022,674 toward that end, according to documents.
And yes, Democratic registration increased from 4.9 million in 2018 to 5.3 million in this election cycle.
Republicans, though, jumped from 4.7 million in 2018 to 5.2 million. President Donald Trump won Florida by more than 371,000 votes. In 2016, Trump won here by only about 113,000 votes.
Last March, police answering a 911 drug-overdose call found Gillum incoherent in a Miami Beach hotel room. The police report said he “was unable to communicate with officers due to his inebriated state.”
Police found baggies of suspected crystal meth and prescription drugs. A male bodybuilder passed out in the room, which was a mess.
Before that, the Florida Ethics Commission fined Gillum $5,000 after investigating his trips to Costa Rica and New York. Lobbyists had picked up most of the tab, which was a problem because Gillum was Mayor of Tallahassee at the time.
Republicans also pounded Gillum over an FBI investigation into corruption in Tallahassee City Hall while he was Mayor. Although there were no charges, the words “FBI” and “corruption” hung over his campaign for Governor.
Let’s not forget one thing, either. Gillum won the 2018 gubernatorial nomination because progressives turned out for him in the primary. He held off establishment favorite Gwen Graham, but he only received 34% of the vote in a crowded field. That was enough to give him the win.
However, in a state where a large number of people would vote for my cat if it had an “R” by its name, it left Democrats vulnerable. Going forward, the GOP attack machine will link any progressive candidate to Gillum. Oh, there were photos of the Miami Beach hotel room. Think what a mailer that can be.
He needs to fade into the background.
If Democrats want to win, they need to make sure he stays there.
15 comments
Joe’s Foe
November 30, 2020 at 7:09 pm
This is a very shitty and disgusting article Joe. Maybe go chill or something ?
Bowser
November 30, 2020 at 7:41 pm
Get a job!
BlueHeron
November 30, 2020 at 9:09 pm
As a desperate Florida Democrat who wants nothing more than to “86” DeSantis, I agree completely with what you say. Florida Dems need to get their act together. They need to learn everything and anything, right down to the zip codes. Leadership must change,new consultants, etc… real money needs to be raised, real work must be done. NOW. We must stop looking at elections in 2 year increments. The R’s are already working hard on ’22 and ’24. We don’t have to BE Republicans, we need to learn to think like one. If Dems had done even the most basic homework, Mr. Rodriguez in SFLA would have been a real issue. Including Mr. Gillum in ’22 will be suicide. He will be torn to shreds. Doesn’t matter if it is deserved.
Harold Finch
November 30, 2020 at 9:33 pm
Had Gwen Graham recived the nomination, the Democrats would be in the Governor’s office. She would have received a huge number of Putnam supporters which would have assured her victory.
I think she shoild run again!! Many R’s including me, do not like DeSantis!!!
Palmer Tom
November 30, 2020 at 10:12 pm
Gwen Graham’s big problem was that she was not very fast on her feet in interviews and debates and was tone-deaf in being prepared for obvious questions. If she can fix those problems, she might be a good candidate. She certainly can be a good governor. Gillum was more clever than good, maybe helped by a GOP Trojan horse candidate in the mix that diluted the vote. If the Dems can avoid a circular firing squad, they might have a chance because DeSantis has been a disappointing governor, but you can’t beat something with nothing.
Fresh Faces
December 1, 2020 at 6:46 am
Spend 5 minutes on Gwen Graham’s personal Twitter account and think long and hard if you want someone who’s gotten so deranged as Governor. It’s not an act – she believes what she’s tweeting.
Jerry Bear
December 1, 2020 at 9:31 am
Florida Democrats chose the centrist over the progressive in 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014 and got their clocks cleaned. Gillum came closer than any of them to winning the governor’s mansion and probably would have won had he not listened to the FDP which has a track record of playing the Washington Generals to the Republicans’ Globetrotters. Why are so many Democrats willing to return to the playbook that offered them failure so many times. Seeking to be inoffensive and sleepwalk across the finish line barely worked for Biden against the worst president in recent memory… and didn’t work in Florida. Milquetoast centrism failed and will fail again. What Florida Democrats need to do is make the progressive agenda relevant to those who voted for things like the minimum wage and medical marijuana. Henderson’s establishment take will simply lead to more dispriting, disillusioning, defeatist outcomes.
just sayin
December 1, 2020 at 10:54 am
Jerry, the problem with running on a socialist, er sorry, “more progressive” platform is that South Florida is full of Latin American swing voters who fled progressive utopias to come to the US. You’ll get your ass handed to you.
Chris Kenney
December 1, 2020 at 11:34 am
Harold and Just Sayin, your comments and Joe’s column reflect what politics has degraded to, much because of our separation of powers structure with a separate executive branch, which is a facsimile of a sporting event. Gwen Graham served only one term in Congress and voted with Republicans most of the time on key issues. The political process should serve the serious purpose of a forum in which to determine sound public policy that serves the common good in a myriad of ways in an intellectually legitimate manner, not a mere contest to win. Beyond how the pandemic has been handled, Florida is at the forefront of facing impacts from climate change, has weak financial support for the unemployed or underemployed, is over reliant on a regressive sales tax structure in lieu of something more equitable (i.e. income tax, luxury goods tax, etc.), lacks uniform quality public transit, and continues to see weakly controlled growth patterns that disregard the long term environmental impacts. Let’s focus on our challenges and find real solutions, notwithstanding what the “free market” says or complains about. Solve problems and the markets and enterprises will adjust in new and different ways.
Joseph Brown
December 1, 2020 at 11:56 am
I agree 100 percent with Joe’s column, and I agree Gwen Graham should run again.
Tom
December 1, 2020 at 2:44 pm
Joe knows. Gillum is kryptonite now, and nothing’s going to change that anytime soon. Joe’s advice here is purely logical, so let’s hope even Gillum himself has enough sense to back off and disappear for ten years or so.
Sonja Fitch
December 1, 2020 at 2:47 pm
Gillum does need to slow down til HE is ok with his situationS! Not forever! But for your sanity and your goodness to be back and appreciated by you Mr. Gillum !
Bev In Orange Park
December 1, 2020 at 3:14 pm
Gillum’s biggest misstep was not picking Gwen Graham as his running mate. She was the obvious choice, and an excellent one, and he completely overlooked her in favor of Chris King, who no one knew or cared about.
I’ve said it before: Florida Democrats need to move on from Gillum. Yes, he had potential, charm, appeal, and certainly I believe the qualifications to run this State. However, his personal life was spectacularly exposed and what we saw was not flattering.
Let’s be realistic: Gillum was not the first and he won’t be the last closeted, drug addicted politician in Florida with an additional ethical history. But that all makes him, in the political sense, damaged goods because Gillum’s dirty laundry has been put out on full display. How are voters expected to ignore so many awful scandals?
No way would I vote for Gillum again.
Ceaig
December 3, 2020 at 7:26 pm
He is a Racist piece of trash who needs to go away permanently.
Peter Lee
December 5, 2020 at 2:20 pm
This article can’t be further from the truth. Andrew Gillum is a real human being, which is refreshing because we aren’t perfect people. We as the Democratic party need to show some tolerance for those who have stumbled in the past and embrace, not reject, them. That hotel incident is just water underneath the bridge, and in the past. We need to look forward to Florida’s future, and Andrew Gillum still has a key role in that!
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