Author Archives: Brook Hines
Debbie’s debate disaster: we’re letting Trump win
There’s a conversation I’m having with my husband that goes like this. He’ll say, “There’s no way Donald Trump will ever get elected.” I roll my eyes. He continues: “He’s going to destroy the Republican brand. He’s not a threat, and in the end he’ll help the Democrats.” Then, as my youth flashes before me, I’ll […]
Econo-cracy: the zombie apocalypse with toll roads
This weekend was the tenth anniversary of hurricane Katrina, and I couldn’t have been more relieved that Tropical Storm Erika petered-out in the Caribbean. When NOAA models showed the storm coming up through Florida I thought dammit, we’re finally getting back on our feet from the foreclosure crisis. The last empty house on our street just sold a week […]
Is Ashton’s Ashley Madison problem the result of frat boy vengeance?
Over the weekend State Attorney Jeff Ashton called a bizarre press conference to answer allegations by self-described “political operative” Jacob Engels at the East Orlando Post, that he maintained an account with the now-infamous Ashley Madison spouse-cheating website. The presser looked slap-dash and just plain sad, and can be found here. Predictably everyone has been focusing […]
GOLDEN STRINGS: Republican lobbyist pulling for Darren Soto
As Scott Powers reported in the Orlando Sentinel, campaign fundraisers for political candidates are starting to draw crowds. But in the case of Darren Soto, they’re also raising eyebrows. Soto’s host committee for his District 9 race includes a well known Republican lobbyist and bundler, Fred Leonhardt. Most people wouldn’t know or care who’s who […]
The False Mirror: If my candidate doesn’t win, we’ll lose the Presidential election
According to Jean Piaget, all children go through a phase of egocentrism, when their developing brains don’t yet differentiate the child from the rest of the world, and other people. For example, a child might give his mother a toy dump truck for her birthday, thinking that’s exactly what she’d want. Because that’s exactly what […]
BEYOND THE PALE: misogyny has no place in District 9, in lawmaking or rhetoric
Mandatory ultrasound laws take the anti-abortion protestor and put him inside the exam room with the patient. These laws are literally designed to give the anti-abortion protestor legal standing in the context of a woman’s medical setting, and to make her pay for it to boot. Any politician who votes for coerced medical procedures as a […]
WHO STOLE THE SOUL: Defining the battle for the “soul of the party”
It’s been said of Florida’s highest-profile 2016 Democratic primary races, that they’re battles for the soul of the party. It’s strange nomenclature, even if on the the face it seems clear cut. It’s not obvious what the party’s soul actually is, what it looks like, or how we’d know if was won or lost. […]
On messaging: Why Florida Democrats can’t speak their truth
A reporter from the Tampa Bay Times asked me recently what I thought Florida Democrats’ message was. Off the top of my head I said, “We stand for values that promote a stronger Florida, like a healthy environment, economically secure families and a brighter future.” Later I added another thought in an email: “Our measure […]
Let’s be frank about this LEAD Task Force Report — UPDATE/correction
Elizabeth Warren famously talks about Larry Summers giving her advice early in her career in the Senate, telling her she could be an insider or an outsider. “Outsiders can say whatever they want. But people on the inside don’t listen to them. Insiders, however, get lots of access and a chance to push their ideas. […]
What are our values as Florida Democrats?
Reading “Will the Florida Democratic Party Return To Relevance,” while getting settled-in at the Florida Democratic Party Leadership Blue Conference, it leapt out at me that the root of what ails us as a party are issues of trust and credibility. And, these problems stem from our inability to assert a consistent value set, which […]
The Florida Squeeze 