In the Land of the Blind, the One-eyed Man Is King: Could Republicans Be Hurting Themselves by Supporting Rubio over Crist in Florida?

In the Florida senate race Republican primaries, an October poll showed Governor Charlie Crist solidly ahead of conservative and former Florida state house speaker Marco Rubio though Rubio seemed to be gaining ground.  However, the same poll revealed that in the match up between Rubio and the probable Democratic challenger in the general race, Kendrick Meeks, independents and moderates would more then likely swing their support to Meeks.

So, what did the Republican establishment do?  Still furious with him for supporting Present Obama’s stimulus plan even though this state sorely needed the stimulus funds, Republicans from all quarters threw their support solidly behind Rubio who then quickly overtook and surpassed Crist in the polls.  But keep in mind that this is only the Republican primary.

Now deserted by his former party who seemed so enthralled with him in better days, Governor Crist is considering running as an Independent.  And polls show that if Crist were to run as an independent, in a three way race between him, Rubio, and Meeks, he would most likely be the victor.  

Let me take the time to make this observation for you in case you have not been keeping score.  According to polls, Rubio probably cannot win that Florida senate seat.  So, what does the Republican establishment do?  They double down on Rubio, and send a number of prominent Republicans and party leaders into the state to further endorse Rubio.  Because, I guess, that's what you do when the odds are against you;  you beat even more.

If I may quote that great American poet, Forrest Gump, “I am not a smart man,” but even in my state of depressed mental capacity, I can see that this makes no sense.  However, I can readily ascertain the motives behind their actions;  you see, Marco Rubio is the Tea Party Movement’s candidate, and because the GOP is being driven primarily by the whims of the Tea Party Movement, they must follow the Tea Party Movement’s wishes, even if those wishes don’t make much sense.  And herein lies the rub.

Let me ask you a question.  Do you think it was necessary for the GOP to embrace they Tea Party so ardently?  Oh, I can completely understand why they did it.  After President George W. Bush’s abysmal eight years as president and the subsequent drubbing they took in the 2008 elections, the GOP was without direction.  They were bereft of ideas. 

They were like a room full of blind women and men, milling aimlessly about, bumbling and stumbling into each other.  And along came the Tea Party Movement.  The Tea Party Movement was not much better than the GOP when it came to ideas.  But they did have a palpable, if not racially motivated, rage, and their antics knew no bounds, and the media seemed absolutely captivated by them.  So, the GOP grabbed up their canes and their seeing eye dogs and rushed off blindly behind them.

In a period when the nation most needed solid, well-reasoned leadership, the GOP instead chose to follow.  And it all seems like fun and games now, but let me make this bold prediction.  In about five years or so, the GOP will rue the day they allowed themselves to be seduced by the Tea Party Movement. 

Just like right now in Florida, they find themselves having to take more and more untenable positions and make more and more questionable decisions because of their allegiance to the Republic of Tea until that day when they have driven away the moderates and independents and find themselves all alone in a room full of kooks. 

But, hey, as the old saying goes, “In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king.”  It’s just too bad that the GOP cannot see where it is going.

Accentuating the Positive

Too often, the young people in our community getting into the most trouble, those performing the most outrageous, egregious acts, get the most attention. And because they are the most visible, they become the ones by which the whole generation is defined. However, in this post I would like to take the time to recognize some young people who are excelling.

I have spent the last two days or so in Tallahassee, Florida, supporting my young mentee Aaron Beaste and his crew, wikiemol, and Lil’ Cody, at the Florida History Fair. Just getting to the Florida History Fair was no easy feat. They first had to beat out challengers at their school, a school for academically gifted students, then win at the county level. This year’s theme was “The Individual in History: Actions and Legacies”.

They entered an absolutely monster documentary covering the contributions of comic book creator Stan Lee. According to their thesis, by adding a personal and social dynamic to his characters, Stan Lee was able to take on themes like racism and sexism in his comics. They did not win; however, just being invited to compete was an achievement in itself.

Over the past few weeks as these three fourteen year olds prepared for the competition, I got to know them better. And as the time progressed, my respect and admiration for and fascination with these young men grew. If I had only been that absolutely talented and focused when I was their age, I’m not certain just how far I could have gone.

I have seen the future in these three young men, and the future is indeed bright. Despite the many distractions and temptations faced by young people these days, these young men have continued to achieve. Despite being ridiculed daily as nerds and geeks, these young men have actually embraced their outsider status and use it as an inspiration to be successful.

Remember the names, remember the faces because I guarantee you’ll be hearing from them in the future. Congratulations wikiemol, Aaron Beaste, and Lil’ Cody (from left to right)! Your parents and I are all so, so proud of you.