Monday, October 8, 2018

Ybor Paparazzi

Asher and Hank at Reservoir Bar

Florida GOP Matt Gaetz New Idea

“Tallahassee is like the murder capital of Florida,” Gaetz yelled into the microphone in front of a small crowd in Cape Coral, “I don’t know whether to call him Andrew Gillum or Andrew Kill-em.” HERE

Ybor Life

7th Ave

Tim Canova On Paper Ballots

Sunday, October 7, 2018

What I gave to Chris King

I saw Chris King open a new office in Seminole Heights on Saturday, October 6. He's a great speaker. He's passionate, and he's progressive. I gave him a handwritten note, though, because I'm concerned that our progressive candidate for governor, Andrew Gillum, seems to be getting pulled to the center by former Hillary and Obama people who have descended upon our state in the aftermath of his win. Here is what I wrote:

"Hillary is hurting enthusiasm with progressives - you're losing support among progressives because of these associations.

Stop moving toward the center.

Communicate with your volunteers.

Reinvigorate the progressive themes that won you the primary got a lot of volunteer support. You didn't win because you're a Dem, you won because you're a progressive. Keep talking about those things!

He's starting to sound like Obama. Sound like yourself!

Organization needs work!

The Ybor City Stogie is disavowing you - that's bad!

Hillary is a distraction - I know she's a friend, but she's hurting your campaign.

Picture of Gillum is "too white" - did they put make up on him?"

Now, to give this a bit more context - the picture I'm talking about - I saw Andrew Gillum's skin looked ashen, and not at all like his normal skin color. This really bothered me when I saw it.

The main concerns, though, like Hillary and Obama people pulling him to the center, despite his promises and assertions that he's the candidate and in charge, come from the evidence I've seen, where his message was suddenly about "affordable" health care, instead of health care for all. Or how he was making statements that sound very much like Obama, rather than like Andrew Gillum. Progressives feel betrayed by these changes. They want the Andrew Gillum of the primary campaign, where he said things that excited all of us, and made us feel confident that our unapologetic candidate would be a strong and vigorous defender and advancer of our values, rather than another milquetoast Democratic candidate with no back bone in an effort to win the mythical "center".

I did see a course correction, though, today (Sunday, October 7) where at a rally, on Facebook live, he returned to his themes of the environment, and making the sunshine state into the solar state, and talking about trade school for kids who aren't college bound. His ads again say healthcare should be a right (though I wish he was saying that health care IS a right).

And meanwhile, I spoke with the owner of this blog, and was relieved to hear that each author's opinions stand on their own, and do not represent the views of the Stogie as a blog, nor of its owner. This progressive supports Andrew Gillum wholeheartedly, while at the same time, is pushing our mutual candidate in the left direction, and asking him to resist the forces of both our previously successful and previously failed candidates who would have him reflect his predecessors, rather than allow him to chart the path that lead so many of us to support him so enthusiastically.

I doubt my one little set of handwritten notes has made a huge difference, but I do hope that it was looked at, and considered as coming from one his grass-roots supporters.

Ybor Musicians

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Andrew Gillum's New Tampa Office























5118 N Nebraska Ave, Tampa

Saturday, October 6, 2018

This Stogie Writer Supports Gillum!

Let Pilar Sanchez Robbins speak for herself.

The Ybor City Stogie is a collective blog wherein multiple activists have a platform. It was unfair and unfortunate that Miss Sanchez Robbins decided to speak for the Stogie when she declared that it would no longer support Andrew Gillum for Governor.

It’s understandable that some people are upset over Gillum accepting support from Hillary Clinton and Debbie Wasserman Schulz. Add to that the absence of Medicare for All from the Mayor’s platform, and some leftists are not as happy as they were pre primary. A lot of these leftists (not all by any means) are seemingly, just now, jumping into the fray. I can attest to that since I organized for Andrew Gillum for over two months as the only paid staffer in Hillsborough County pre primary.

Personally, I dislike DWS. Her opposition to medical cannabis in 2014 was regrettable and her role in opposing Bernie in 2016 was unfortunate. As for Hillary, I disagree with her on many things — that being said, the Gillum campaign is making it clear that we need to strive for Democratic unity post 2016. To have a candidate who can galvanize both “sides” of the party is huge, and shouldn’t be disregarded due to a small fragment of what could be considering “throwing under the bus.” Gillum stills supports full legalization of cannabis, healthcare expansion (I think he still supports Medicare for All), funding public education, and opposing over-standardization in schools. His campaign is taking help where it can get it, and is still pushing the progressive message.

Yes, Gillum supported Hillary in 2016. Should that, coupled with these other minor things, urge us to sweep him under the bus at a time like this? Not only is that irresponsible; it’s contrary to my political being, and I won’t stand for it being the only opinion on the Stogie.

Let Pilar speak for herself. This Stogie writer still, very much, supports Mayor Andrew Gillum for Governor!