Joe Henderson
It should be easy for Nikki Fried to stop the criticism she received for having a working relationship with U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz.
Fried could take to Twitter and write that he’s a creep for saying in a speech recently, “Why is it that the women with the least likelihood of getting pregnant are the ones most worried about having abortions?”
Fried made abortion rights a central plank in her platform for Governor, and Gaetz handed her a megaphone to shout that sexist trolls like Gaetz want to demean and control women. It shouldn’t be hard to distance one’s self from someone with that hanging over their head. After all, he is under investigation for possible sex trafficking.
She is one of the highest-profile women in Florida. Speak out!
Problem solved.
What did Fried do, though?
She blamed the media.
“My opponent & media calling me “friends” with Matt Gaetz are purposely perpetuating a lie that women can’t work with men in politics professionally without owning all their baggage,” she tweeted. “It’s chauvinistic & part of the culture that’s prevented Florida from electing a woman governor.”
This is what Gaetz tweeted last week about Fried in that professional working relationship.
“Nikki Fried is a radical Leftist,” he wrote. “She would take guns from law abiding people while allowing abortion up to the point of birth. Floridians would be wise to reject her candidacy if they respect life and freedom.”
That broadside came after Fried said, “When I am Governor we’re going to work to ban (assault weapons) in Florida. It’s just common sense.”
Well, she’s right about that. It is common sense, but that’s a column for another day.
Saying it’s possible to work with men like Gaetz “professionally without owning all their baggage” is like saying you can work with a six-foot diamondback rattlesnake if you just explain things clearly.
While some might praise Fried for trying to rise above, I would rather see some of the spit and vinegar she has often unleashed during her campaign. She has no trouble speaking her mind on any number of issues, and she shouldn’t defend the indefensible when it comes to Gaetz.
The weird dynamic of the Fried-Gaetz relationship became a thing when Business Insider reported last year that Fried and Gaetz were “pals.”
Fried reportedly was the first to text Gaetz to see if he was OK after the Jan. 6 insurrection.
He was just fine.
Gaetz said later that those who stormed the Capitol were patriotic.
“We’re ashamed of nothing,” Gaetz said on Steve Bannon’s podcast. “We’re proud of the work we did on January 6 to make legitimate arguments about election integrity.”
Election integrity, huh?
That’s code for, “If the other guys got more votes than we did, we’d just say they cheated and declare victory. Martial law isn’t out of the question, either.”
Fried doesn’t need to work professionally with Gaetz, and pretending otherwise is disingenuous.
It’s not chauvinistic or a lie to say she couldn’t work with Gaetz, but it’s completely accurate to say that thought should never cross her mind.
11 comments
Tom
August 1, 2022 at 7:33 pm
Two sickos United
Run together.
Elliott Offen
August 1, 2022 at 9:08 pm
That would better describe a TRUMP/LINDELL ticket. Why Lindell? Because that’s about the only SOB that’s on his side anymore! The rest just using his radioactive name!😆
Impeach Biden
August 1, 2022 at 7:46 pm
In less than thirty days Nikki Fried will be irrelevant. Why do some continue to write about that left wing lunatic?
Goalkeeper
August 1, 2022 at 8:14 pm
The reason why is this: Fried has to be eliminated as a threat to Crist, who is the darling of the Tampa Bay lefty media set, as represented by this blog. Of course, that means it is necessary to be taken out of contention to be the “The first female. . . ” That necessity offends the progressive scribblers who inhabit the local blogosphere. They must eliminate the threat to Crist but, once that’s done, they are going to have to make amends to Fried and the South Florida feminist pot-consuming clique she represents. Big job! After all, she’s a D-minus public servant and a directionless politician (remember, she supported Republicans in the past). So, it’s going to take people like Henderson all of the next four years to rehabilitate her among the progressives, but they will feel duty bound to do it. Perhaps someday the media will reward her progressivism by elevating her to the rank “the first female. . .” something-or-other. That probably will be the goal. Something-or-other.
Joe Corsin
August 1, 2022 at 8:48 pm
^ Neo nazi conspiracy theorist lunatic and propagandist…
ScienceBLVR
August 2, 2022 at 6:42 am
So right Joe, like Indiana Jones said, “Nazis! I hate those guys”
tom palmer
August 1, 2022 at 10:24 pm
Fried is irrelevant and why doesn’t she understand that Matt Gaetz doesn’t have a clue about women?
Tom
August 2, 2022 at 7:10 am
Nikki Fraud is the extremist Dem, Dum Manchurian problem.
She is a electoral disaster in the general election. Gov Ron defeat her by 8 to 10pts.
Extremist, bellicose, high school sophomore.
Enjoy her you Manchurian ignoramuses.
Ocean Joe
August 2, 2022 at 10:57 am
Nikki Fried may not win, but she sure has been a fighter for what she believes in.
Our governor, who brags about keeping the state open, had to close the cabinet to avoid her.
Tom
August 3, 2022 at 8:19 am
Wah, Wah ocean Joe.
I’m crying, wah.
Fraud is a electoral disaster.
Extremist! A sure 10 pt win for America’s Greatest Gov. if fraud wins primary. Chameleon loses by 8.
Pick your poison. Read my Bakari Sellers on fraud.
Stephen James Emerson
August 3, 2022 at 10:15 pm
There were no pithy comments about Gaetz’s clever observation.
Comments are closed.