It’s not been as surprising or strange a midterm election as Democrats and the media make it out to be. That Democrats held their own nationally despite inflation at a 40-year high shouldn’t be a surprise. If anything, they underperformed woefully. They didn’t have candidates for opposition. They had hoodlums and anarchists who deny elections, science and democracy, celebrate insurrections and applaud a Supreme Court returning American law to 1922. Democrats should have crushed it. Instead, they lost the House. They have a gutsy but decrepit president. They’re barely hanging on, just like our democracy.
To top it off, Ron DeSantis, running against a former Republican who should have confined himself to his tanning booth, confirmed that Florida is a one-party state fully willing to embrace Hungary’s lukewarm fascism, rewriting election laws to discourage participation, turning teachers and professors who still believe in academic freedom into public enemies, giving ignoramuses more power than teachers and calling it “parental rights,” and continue to champion building in the path of hurricanes and rising seas, in praise of that new fake god, “resiliency,” while denying climate change.
Florida is the nation’s fourth largest economy, the world’s 16th largest, if it were its own country. It’s right behind Mexico and ahead of the big economies of the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Florida, whose years as a peninsula are numbered, could be a leader in green technology and climate policy, like California. Instead, we get a governor who says we’re “not going to do all that left-wing stuff.” Tell Flagler Beach and Fort Myers what was so leftist about Ian and Nicole. But so it goes in the state where The Villages’ short-horizon senescence sets the political agenda and defines our future. What do those geezers care if half the state’s contours may be under water by mid-century? They only look as far as the back nine.
So it’s appropriate that Florida is also home to Donald Trump, a DeSantis without a clue other than glorying in his rotundity. I hear Democrats cheering his return. They think they can do to him what they did to most of the bandits he backed. They shouldn’t be so smug. He still has a path back to power, because as we see in Florida, as we see locally, the driving force in most people’s choices—Republican or Democratic— is closer to a form of religious zealotry than thoughtful deliberation.
Still, there are also good reasons to think that at some levels, democracy is functioning. The fact that election results were so different nationally, state by state and locally suggests that local still matters to a degree. It’s not a coincidence that in Flagler County between the primary and the general election, most of the candidates who adopted national talking points lost. Most of those were extremists who didn’t have much to offer locally. They thought they could fool the electorate by reading Sean Hannity’s scripts. They failed. Poetic justice: the County Commission is giving Joe Mullins his ceremonial send-off Monday, Voltaire’s birthday (and mine: thank you for the gift).
Flagler County cleaned house remarkably well, restoring the possibility that our elected boards will be run like our constitutional offices: if that’s what it is to be Republican, sign me up, though that still leaves us with a few outliers. Will Furry’s election is not necessarily an exception. It’s an indication of how clueless Flagler Democrats have become. Furry had no business beating Courtney VandeBunte, but in general elections, FDR, JFK and Barack Obama could all run for any local seat in Flagler County and still lose, especially if they have no dark money to buy the race.
So Democrats have two choices in Flagler: they can either get their good candidates to switch to Republican and run them as moderates–and support the hell out of them–or they can keep watching good candidates die at the polls. Switching to Republican, or supporting moderate Republicans, giving Democrats a substantial role to play as kingmakers, is not abandoning principles. It’s playing politics. Democrats should be reading Machiavelli’s Prince, not How to Catch a Unicorn.
Look around. Cheryl Massaro is a moderate Republican. Nick Klufas is a moderate Republican. Milissa Holland was a moderate Republican. Bob Cuff is as close as Palm Coast came to having a Pericles for a councilman (he remains the first citizen of Palm Coast), was a moderate Republican. Colleen Conklin still calls herself a Democrat but the only reason she’s survived as the longest-serving elected official in the county is because she’s drifted right over the years, without losing her bearings. Sally Hunt won as a Democrat, barely, only because her opponent revealed herself as a crusader who saw Satan everywhere she looked.
Meanwhile one superb Democratic candidate after another has gone down in flames: Corinne Hermle, Vincent Lyon, Bob Coffman, Carl Jones, and now Courtney VandeBunte. What does it matter if these men and women were in office with an R next to their name? It wouldn’t make them any less superb. Just more strategic. But it’s not just a lack of strategy. The local Democratic Party doesn’t know how to organize. Party volunteers have been no-shows at the polls. The public library was so bannered in red tents in the last two election cycles, I thought communism was making a comeback. Democrats were dormant, even when they had the approximation of a presence. Republicans haven’t made Flagler a one-party county. Democrats have.
Moderate Republican, in this cesspool of extremism, is not only the only winnable way to go, it’s also, given the alternative, the only morally defensible way to go, because the alternative doesn’t work. It’s itself a form of zealotry hiding as principle. This isn’t the Flagler County of 2008, when Democrats held a majority in registrations. The county has radically changed. The only people who haven’t are the Democrats. For despairing liberals like me, we really don’t need Democrats’ impotence making us more suicidal than we already are.
Pierre Tristam is FlaglerLive’s editor. Reach him by email here. A version of this piece aired on WNZF.
Bill C says
If you can’t beat them, join them? How defeatist can you get! What if George Washington turned to his troops at Valley Forge and said “we can’t win because the odds are against us, so let’s forget about it”.
Pierre Tristam says
Republicans aren’t the enemy, just the opposition, and we’re not at war, we’re not even battling a revolution. This is politics, and No one is saying forget about it. To the contrary. This is a way to be way more engaged and influential than Democrats could possibly be in the current circumstances. Look back at the Palm Coast City Council just two years ago. Every last one of them a Democrat, or of Democratic sensibilities, but four had R by their names. Who cares? Not to mention three generations of pre-Bush Democrats who, back when this was a one-party Democratic state, were actually as reactionary Republicans as you could get.
Ray W. says
Years ago, during a long evening conversation over wings and beer with an SAO division chief who had been hired away from the public defender’s office, he commented that after all his years defending people accused of crimes, he now realized that he could achieve more in the pursuit of justice as a senior prosecutor than he ever could as a defense attorney. He said he held actual power as a prosecutor and could make decisions based on the evidence at hand. Now retired, his understanding of justice is missed at the SAO.
Bill C says
I didn’t say Republicans were the enemy, you’re arguing with an analogy. But “just the opposition”? Perhaps you don’t agree, but I think Democracy is in peril. Voter suppression, book banning, anti gay, women’s right to choose, the January 6th insurrection, etc. There’s a reason there’s an “R” next to their names.
Bill C says
ps to clarify, it was an analogy about defeatism, not war
Steven Regal says
Pierre is right for once. Democrats as we all know was the party of slavery during the antebellum and civil war years. In more recent times the democratic party has been the party of socialism and radicalism. This party is truly the best party politically speaking…for when you can have the blue collar hard working union members voting the same way as the locusts and other welfare parasites etc… you guys are unstoppable. Enjoy the shit show you are creating. I thank God every day that I am wealthy…it saddens me, but in a way makes me kind of smile to think about the misery you lemmings are in for in the near future voting the way you do. Welcome to the third world nation you are turning this once great country into. You should look up the definition of Ineptocracy…that is America’s demise in a nutshell. Thankful to have dual citizenship so that I can eject from this lost cause of a nation that you are creating.
Pierre Tristam says
Steven, thank you for summing up what the America of Lewis Powell, Milton Friedman, Ronald Reagan and the Koch junta brought about.
Joe says
Steven’s rant – his pride at being wealthy and looking forward to “ejecting” from the country that provided the freedom and opportunity to amass his wealth – reminds me of a saying attributed to the Australians many years ago……”Bang the bell, Jack – I’m on the bus.”
James says
“… Thankful to have dual citizenship so that I can eject from this lost cause of a nation that you are creating.”
Eventually, but right now Putin is still conscripting folks off the streets so… here I still am. RIGHT COMRADE. ;-)
James says
Whoa, wait a second… haven’t I heard this guy somewhere before? Is this fellow that member of the regional Buick club or something?
Almost sounds like that kid they got over on that pirate TV station out of St. Augustine… anyone know the one I’m talking about? AMGTV? Kid looks like he doesn’t even shave yet and talks to folks about the “glory days” of Micheal Milken… I’m expecting that any day now he’ll be sent to the front… unless of course he’s already doing his part as a “fifth columnist.”
Oh, by the way… let me guess, “All Mighty God TV?” Right? Nice touch. But I liked it better just a few years ago when they had old Stacey David shows on the revin’ sub-channel… that dude was cool man.
William Moya says
Normally I fully agree with your comments so I just leave it at that since you are an excellent writer. In this case you missed the target, the enemy are not the Republicans, not even the 3 %, Q Anon, anarchists, communists, they are, alas, part of any political dialog in a political system that is democratic, unfortunately we ended up with a D+ democracy, “controlled democracy”, take your pick. The enemy is in our flawed constitution, written by people that were very well read on the writings of the Age of Reason but skeptical of democracy. Couple that with the “Wealth of Nation”, published in 1776 by a very religious man, which was to become the blueprint of Capitalism, an economic system that enriches the few at the expense of the many and controls our political system, and you end up with the US instead of aspirational America. To put it in more simple terms the Democrats are a musical, the Republicans a Bergman drama, but they both resemble Robert Preston in the “Music Man”.
palmcoaster says
Oh Pierre you going to draw some incendiary heat over your very realistic editorial!
WaitingonChangeinFl says
Some people need to revisit History and how parties flipped not their dogma . But let us work in the here and now. Today’s republican party is a hate spewed representation of everything that is wrong in society. The party of Don’t Tread on Me has become the party of treading on everyone who does not fit within their ideology. But let’s address your comment about Democrats being socialists. Our country would not function without some socialism. Public infrastructure, Fire Protection Services, Military, Public Transportation, Police, Public parks, Public Schools, Postal services.. these are all services provided because SOME socialism is in place. But when I think about how capitalism is destroying people like insulin mark ups, cancer meds having 10 times the mark up in cost, the correlation between our FDA and illness, you get the point. The republican party has been pushing an agenda that has is party members focused on false threats to their way of life, as they sneak bills by that hinder your rights. The shift we are seeing in Gen Z is encouraging to us Democrats who know there is a middle ground that is more productive for the welfare of our country and Flagler.
Stephen Smith says
I like using the idea of running Democrats as Republicans in order to win elections. It’s a great way to change the Republican party to actually be concerned about the citizens of this country and not about electing the power hungry, the wack-a doos, and grifters.
Libtard says
I just think the Democratic playbook needs to be rewritten. The deplorables rewrote theirs back in 08, and it’s high time the liberals do a rewrite. “When they go low, you go high” does not work. Nonsense. You hit back. Fight fire with fire. Call the fascists bastards out for what they are. Know what you didn’t see in this last election cycle? References to the neo Nazi seditionists attempting to overthrow our democracy. Over 800 arrests. Republican every last one of them. Most from Florida. The actual “deep south”. So no, embarrass the living hell out of those booger eating maga hat wearing sonsofbitches and post their names and faces everywhere. “Is that Johnson from accounting?” Lock them up every time they “grab you by the pussy”. Take away that voter registration. When they go low, you go lower and kick them in their ever loving balls until they figure it out that people with any level of moral and ethical decency are done with them. Figuratively speaking of course.
I walk around the local Publix supermarket and have to accept the fact that one out of every three people I see in there are deplorable to the bone, and not just because they’re “Registered Republican”. They are the most disgusting form of human filth imaginable because of the way they act, who they follow, and what they believe to be gospel. But they go to church every Sunday, so? But they’re a war veteran, so? Well, maybe they just don’t know any better? They’re influenced by a crazy uncle and can’t see the light? No. They’re deplorable. Let’s all stop making excuses for these greedy selfish despicable violent dumbass beardos and call them out for what they are. This week. At the dinner table!
The dude says
Yea we could do that… but then one day we’d look in the mirror and see one of them peering back out at us.
I refuse to become like them.
Linda says
Trump / Lake 2024
An Adorable Deplorable
Tired of the hypocrisy says
So you are willing to support two lying , divisive individuals, one of whom endangered national security by stealling classified documents and told over 30,000 thousand lies in four years. I am going to hazard a guess, that you are an older, white female, with no more than a high school education, who feels the world of white privilige is shrinking. You probably don’t like anyone of a different color or ethnicity, but you consider yourself a “Christian”. The bad news for you is that no matter how many laws Republicans pass restricting inividual freedoms…the world isn’t going back to the 50s….
Dennis C Rathsam says
Still waiting for the proof, hows your 401k? Hope your ready for the real way to indict a president for high treason, stealing, selling out America…Biden,s finished!!!!!
James says
Well, the answer to the point you make regarding ones 401k depends on whether you’re in it for the long haul, or a trader. Were you in it for the long haul? If so, you should have a well balanced portfolio… the risks were always there.
Pissed in PC says
I hit back every chance I get. I’ve had enough of their bully antics and just because they’re only 33% loudmouths we can be even louder.
Aj says
Will never become a Repub. We Dems need to get out and vote. We can do well during the next election, will we? The Repubs will implode soon. Let us get ready Dems we can and will win. It will cost money and take a lot of work. We can do this. If it take winning a couple seats at a time we can do this.
Laurel says
I have repeatedly commented here that Democrats keep shooting themselves in the foot. This article is a perfect example. It starts out with, our top Democrat, Biden is “decrepit.” Wow. Trump and Biden are only less than four years apart in age, and Biden is in a hell of a lot better shape than fast food eating, overweight Trump, but do you ever hear Republicans call Trump “decrepit” or a “geezer?” No. Do you know why? Because it is an unspoken policy for Republicans not to eat their own. No so for Democrats, who look at interviewers like a deer in the headlights when asked if they would back Biden if he ran again, even though they praise the job he’s doing.
For all the *conservative* prejudices Republicans promote, ageism isn’t one of them. That prejudice seems to belong to the Democrats. BANG! There goes another foot. That’s why I’m NPA; I like my feet.
James says
“…it is an unspoken policy for Republicans not to eat their own…”
Yet.
Don’t worry, this too will come to pass.
Machiavelli… I was wondering how long it would be before that name was mentioned. When there’s no one on the other side to blame (because there is none) then the enemy is within… until there is only one.
Or to put it another way. Sometimes when you release a large swamp critter into the swamp ya just eventually get an empty swamp… except for one really, really big mean swamp creature.
Just an opinion.
James says
Thanks God… not so mean, but I read it put up a good fight.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/11/22/giant-goldfish-caught-france/
Tom says
What a pile of garbage argument. You want democrats to misrepresent their political affiliation and lie about their view on policies and ideologies… but I guess the misrepresentation and lies are nothing new for democrats.
Instead of the deceptive strategy, Pierre, why don’t they run on issues voters care about:
Crime/immigration
Economy/inflation
Protection of children against sexualization by the elementary schools
Standing up against woke media
Lower taxes/less spending
Freedom
Instead, dems hung their hats on abortion, transgender rights and Jan 6.
None of the above were in the top portion of what voters actually cared about most.
To say a democrat needs to misrepresent party affiliation to get elected just reaffirms my negative opinion of the author. Disgusting.
MW says
Amen! But then again, Pierre has always been about deceit, half truths, and trashing anyone who doesn’t agree with him.
Tired of it says
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/10/27/congressional-republicans-five-part-plan-to-increase-inflation-and-costs-for-american-families/
The sheep will continue to vote Republican right up until they lose their benefits.
Tom says
You must be kidding me. Are you serious. That’s a link to a propaganda piece from The White House. LMAO
Pissed in PC says
Then try this link. https://americansfortaxfairness.org/wp-content/uploads/Rick-Scott-Talking-Points.pdf
Laurel says
MW: No, you are doing to him what you claim he does.
Edith Campins says
So please tell me exactly, be specific, what the Republican plans are for those “issues”. Let’s start with their plans to “fix”, inflation. Ten tell me how telling people what they can’t read , what they can’t do with their bodies, who they can’t marr, etc. is “freedom”.
The dude says
All republican roads lead to… Hunter Biden.
Laurel says
Tom: Crime/immigration
Economy/inflation
Protection of children against sexualization by the elementary schools
Standing up against woke media
Lower taxes/less spending
Freedom
Republican talking points ala Fox Entertainment. Do yourself a favor and change the channel.
Tom says
Um… that came from common knowledge… and several exit polls… most from left leaning media outlets.
Tim Mcauliffe says
Courtney felt she needed to distance herself from a Democratic label, even though the local Democrats supported her with fund raising and volunteers. And it was a smart move on her part.
Over 30% of Flagler’s population is Medicare eligible. Yet they supported Rubio who voted against putting an out of pocket cap of $2,000 for Medicare participants. Many of the disabled Republicans simply did not vote their interest.
In 2 years they will most likely support Rick Scott , who has a long term plan to abolish Medicare. Spoiler alert,
Scott ran a Health Care insurance Corporation before he was Governor. In the course of Scott’s leadership, the company was fined $1.6B for Health Care fraud. Another spoiler alert, even after taking that financial hit Scott is still considered the richest Senator.
But they don’t call Florida “God’s waiting room ” for nothing. People in that category are a lost cause. But you people planning on hanging around for a while should consider waking the hell up.
dem says
Thank you, Pierre. Most perceptive. Well said!
Barbara Battelle says
In St. Johns County, the only way to have an impact on local policies is to register as a Republican, regardless of ones politics. If the Democratic Party in Flagler County doesn’t get its act together, that might be the way to go.
Jimbo99 says
Biden’s Amerika isn’t it wonderful.
tulip says
What’s really really sad is how many people supposedly of average to above intelligence have allowed themselves to be so radicalized as to believe every single lie and conspiracy charge without so much as a blink of an eye. I always used to think that people of average and above intelligence had the brain power to THINK about in their OWN mind what is being said and how awful some of it is. THINK abpout in their OWN mind what they have seen on tv about the insurrection and draw your OWN conclusions about what you saw. Use your OWN LOGIC about all the obvious lies and BS, and conspiracy theories that the Trumpers and Trump says. However, they seem to choose to be radicalized instead, how very dangerous and sad. I’m glad to be and Independent.
Steve says
What we have with Dumbo here is nothing short of a modern day Roman gluttony. He’s not alone. They belly up to the trough daily and gorge themselves with a steady diet of Political discourse Dis/Misinformation along with Conspiracy Theories chew their cud a While let it ferment then regurgitate it on a variety of sites to merely own the Libs like kids on playground. They can’t really believe it themselves. It Truly is fascinating to watch grown Adults groom themselves into a frenzy of hate and No to those that don’t agree with their take on anything which at best is bullshit nonsense and untrue. Hypocrisy squared . It’s all OK cuz your Christian Hickocrites
Steve says
Much more wonderful than it was under drumpf. Next two years will open your eyes.
James says
Will we soon need to change our party affiliation to Republican to get a job at Publix?
Hang the traitors says
This article is a prime example of why republicans should be ashamed of themselves. They claim they’re patriotic but they’re just pathetic sheep who would rape children if trump proclaimed democrats were banning pedophilia, and they’d happily proclaim they’re just in favor of freedom. They’re cowards who only want one freedom; they want the freedom from the consequences of their own actions. They should be proud though, the old democrats were Peace favoring cowards scared of reality. The new left thinks the January 6 traitors should have been hanged and their families kicked out of the country, and their children shamed for even being born. That’s the way you want the world to work? Right?
The dude says
2020’s republicans have no sense of shame, at all.
There’s literally nothing that you could “shame” them with, no bar set too low, no value they won’t discard, no stated principle they won’t readily abandon in their naked thirst for authoritarian power. The orange stain and Hershel Walker are prime examples.
Laurel says
Hang: Seriously, where do you get this stuff?
Monica Campana says
School board is not supposed to be partisan. Furry would have sent out a lying mailer regardless of Courtney’s party affiliation. They play dirty and run on lies by screaming what their easily fooled base wants to hear. Policy, experience, ability to collaborate and compromise are considered unimportant – indeed they are disqualifying. So the question my dear Pierre is – do we go high or low? I prefer to hang with the saints, keep being a better citizen by voting, knocking on doors and screaming facts into the void whenever possible. Also admit I am hoping that those inexperienced and unqualified folks elected on lies and deceit will very publicly fall flat on their faces. Guess I’m not that much of a saint.
Laurel says
Monica: Yeah, I saw ads about Courtney V “sexualizing kindergartners.” What nasty bunk! Those people who believe that, and voted for Furry, should keep a eye on their churches instead.
Marlee says
I think Pierre wrote this to piss off Dems so they work harder at winning.
Good strategy!
Dave Camarca says
BRAVO Pierre
Dave C says
Heres a hint for ya Tom, when you make a non-existent connection between Crime/immigration,
A non-existent need to ‘protect children from school sexualization”
see a nonsensical need to stand up to the ‘woke media’
“FREEDOM” which is not in danger except from Fascism
Then the best advice I can give you is:
don’t wash your red hat and your white robe in the same load
The dude says
Tome and his ilk have the answer to all this country needs… investigating Hunter Biden.
Funny thing is, it was such a winner… they didn’t dare speak of it on the campaign trail because it would of clearly resulted in a red armageddon with 100% of the seats contested this year going to Republican candidates.
So instead they tried to talk about inflation and junk to make the voters feel they gave a shit about them.
Timothy Patrick Welch says
Fascism: headed by a DICTATOR (not possible in America) in which the government controls BUSINESS (environmental restrictions, bailouts, government grants, tariffs), and LABOR (minimum wage, number of government employees, vaccine mandates, hiring quotes) and OPPOSITION is not permitted (limiting free speech, gun control and demonizing the opposition).
Live Free…
Pierre Tristam says
Funny how our resident Pangloss still thinks it can’t happen here.
Pogo says
@FlaglerLive
There are no words to express my disappointment.
@Publishers and commenters
“The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,
Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.”
― Omar Khayyám
Shark says
I think all of the republicrumbs should give up all of the gifts handed to them by the Democrats – Medicare – Social Security and Disability payments !!
Timothy Patrick Welch says
Historically
Dems- working mans party, unions, racist, catholic
Rep- corporations party, conserative, protestant
Now generally
Dems- academics, environmentalists, globalists, celebrities party
Rep- America first, conservative, religious party
Not to worry the opposing party to the president normally wins the midterms.
I guess nobody wants any more new laws or restrictions than is generally agreed upon.
Donald J Trump says
Maybe the answer is to ban all religion outside of your personal residence. Then we could burn all the church property to the ground, and put it back on the tax rolls.
Pissed in PC says
Hey Pierre it seems like you’re throwing in the towel on democrats. This was my first year joining them and I can tell you a very stark difference in leaders from each (Flagler Beach, Palm Coast, Flagler County). They will probably know who’s making this assessment now. Flagler Beach by far is more organized, has better volunteers (many from Palm Coast) but they did lack in the knowledge of the 2 democratic state AG candidates. So kudos to Sally for a great group that I enjoy being a part of! As far as Palm Coast and Flagler County goes, I didn’t see much organization or volunteering. If they were there I sure wouldn’t have known. I know Palm Coast is more active on social media than Flagler County which appears to need a committed leader/party chair not a part time one. So I would invite those from the above 2 chapters that wants to do more jump over to Flagler Beach.
Dark money must be removed from politics as we’ve seen that religious groups, foreign countries are using this to skirt election laws. But if we start fundraising now that might put us even in 2024.
The other thing was the great northern migration during the pandemic. Republicans from states that had mask mandates, lockdowns and home schooling all moved here thinking this was a free to do and infect who they pleased while sticking by tribal politics. Oh that person may have the values but they’ve got a D beside their name and I’ve never voted for a D in my entire life so I’ll stick with the culture warrior blubbering idiot who doesn’t know how government/election law works while listening to Fox, Newsmax or OAN tell me crime is so bad, asylum seekers are illegal immigrants flooding our borders instead of looking up the actual statistics myself. Fentanyl is flowing like water over the border when in all actuality it comes through legal ports of entry (containerized freight).
The last part is letting independents start voting in primaries. This is an outdated law and should be done away with but until Florida has a governor without an R next to their name it won’t happen cause they don’t want to lose their white power.
David Schaefer says
Just remember he wants to run in 2024 God help us all………
Many Democrats have already done this. says
I am wondering why you didn’t mention Sheriff Staly? Isn’t this exactly what he did? He was a life long democrat, ran as a Democrat in Orange county for office, and worked as the undersheriff for the democratic Sheriff Manfre. Suddenly when he wanted to run for Sheriff in Flagler he was a republican. The Republican party is so gullible here they accepted him with open arms. He runs the sheriff’s office like a Democrat would…he spends, spends, spends with no regard for being conservative.
Pissed in PC says
Actually he’s running it like a typical republican. Look how much debt was racked up in 4 years of trump. Staley is a member of the constitutional sheriffs which has been deemed a danger to society since they think they’re the ultimate law and don’t have to enforce laws they don’t like. How many people have had red flag petitions by his agency? He spends money going to the Texas border to play an immigration officer cause there’s nobody here for him to harass (all brown skin people are criminals mentality). Instead of insisting on a federal ban on assault weapons he’d rather keep adding more people to guard schools with guns.
Blossom says
Good grief, all this hate and drama right here…who knew? I am even despised now shopping at Publix? How very sad. Some of my best friends are Democrats. This Republican voted for Courtney because she was by far the best candidate. Courtney was the victim of some of the worst PAC attack ads I have ever seen. Absolutely disgusting.
Run some good candidates. You used to do that and I voted for many.
Laurel says
Blossom: You are a Republican I would like to thank! My husband was a lifelong Republican until the party changed on him, dramatically. There is very little left of the GOP, today it’s more like the GQP, sorry to say.
Yes, even shopping at Publix is no longer a pleasure. There are a few employees who feel the need to spew Trumpism. We just ignore it; we need the eggs.
Jack Howell says
Federal Judge R Walton put everything into perspective in sentencing one of the January 6 insurrectionists.
Pissed in PC says
Excellent choice of video. MTN is one of the best for news and the guys of Meidas Touch are only posting the truth. Several other judges have made excellent comments at sentencing too. #MeidasMighty
DoubleGator says
You first Pierre! Turn Flagler Live into a Republican Rag. We will lemmingly follow.
Pierre Tristam says
Bad enough I’m a registered Republican so I can vote out crooks and liars in primaries while (to quote a friend) throwing up in my mouth. But I won’t turn this into either a Republican or Democratic rag. Just an independent one.
jake says
“But I won’t turn this into either a Republican or Democratic rag. Just an independent one.” Now that is funny.
William Moya says
…and yet and “independent” organ, in your stated context, it becomes a bastion of the existent political duopoly, a cry for the status quo, a bargain basement democracy.
Foresee says
Here’s an idea, why don’t fair minded Republicans, tired of their party’s craziness and cultism, switch their registration to Democrat?