Updates From Florida And The Vatican

But first . . .

Here’s an idea: why don’t Bob Corker, Ben Sasse, and Jeff Flake switch parties for the final three months of their Senate service, and save their country?

“We’re so proud of the Republican ideals we’ve long espoused, but one of those ideals is fairness.  It’s not fair to have denied the last president, twice elected by a majority of the vote, his Constitutional right to fill a Supreme Court vacancy; and it’s not fair to allow this president, under numerous legal clouds, to select his own judge for reasons pertaining to his potential personal liability rather than the best interests of hundreds of millions Americans, present and future.  So for three months, we will caucus with the Democrats.  That tiny red states like Idaho and Wyoming have as many senators as California and New York has already tilted the playing field dramatically in our party’s favor — and we’re very glad of it.  But in the cases of Merrick Garland and Brett Kavanaugh, we believe the unfairness has gone too far.”

I’d work harder at getting the words right if there were any point to it.

On the truly remote chance these decent, serious senators actually do the right thing — or some version of it — they’ll know what to say.

FLORIDA

Eighteen months ago I posted this:

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We’re almost twins, Andrew Gillum and I — except for his being young, black and straight; his mom having driven a school bus; his becoming Tallahassee’s youngest city commissioner at 23 and mayor at 35 (now running for governor), my last election having been for high school class treasurer.

If you have 5 minutes, watch Andrew’s story.

I don’t take sides in Democratic primaries; but if Andrew wins, I’ll be with him all the way.

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Well . . . Andrew did!

My focus is on flipping the House and Senate.  But governors matter, too — most obviously in Florida. Florida Governor Jeb Bush flipped the Electoral College from Gore to his brother in 2000, which gave us the Iraq war, wrecked our national balance sheet, and skewed the Court to the right in ways (like Citizens United and gutting the Voting Rights Act) that gave us Trump.

So I really hope Andrew wins.

He was well polling well behind the top two Democrats in the primary — no one expected him to win — but Democratic turnout reached 31% compared to 18% and 10% percent in the previous two mid-term primaries. Andrew’s candidacy wasn’t the only reason for that, of course, but it doubtless helped — and will help Bill Nelson retain his Senate seat if it carries over to November 6.

What’s more, Andrew’s win drives home a point I try to make over and over: this election is not about persuasion (getting their folks to switch tribes), it’s about turn-out (getting ours to show up).  Thus: organizing, not advertising.   And guess what?  Of a reported $71.5 million (!!!) spent on TV ads in the Florida Democratic primary, Andrew — who won — and his allies spent just $3.7 million.  He won because of organizing.