by Javier Manjarres
Last night’s Gubernatorial primary victory by Rick Scott of Attorney over General Bill McCollum was proof positive that endorsements and unfair play by the GOP establishment does not carry the same weight and influence that it once did. The ‘establishment’ and the RPOF shelled out millions of dollars in an attempt to resuscitate McCollum’s flagging campaign over businessman Rick Scott in this contentious primary. What was most questionable was how the RPOF put so much of its own money and resources into the race, and now as a result may not be able to support other down the ballot candidates around the state. This is not good news to the candidates who have won their races and were hoping for RPOF support in the upcoming November elections. Congrats Rick!!!!!!
In a very sour postscript to this race, Attorney General McCollum did not call Scott to concede, but instead sent out this memo last night:
BILL MCCOLLUM
On Florida’s Republican Gubernatorial Primary Election Results
“The votes today have been tallied and I accept the voters’ decision.”
“This race was one for the ages. No one could have anticipated the entrance of a multi-millionaire with a questionable past who shattered campaign spending records and spent more in four months than has ever been spent in a primary race here in Florida. (emphasis mine, El Sharko)
“While I was disappointed with the negative tone of the race, I couldn’t be more proud of our campaign and our supporters for fighting back against false and misleading advertising when we were down by double-digits.
“First, I want to thank my wife, Ingrid, and our entire family. I could not have made it this far without Ingrid’s unwavering love and support. I also want to thank the many Republican leaders who stood by our campaign and helped build our organization, especially Governor Jeb Bush, Commissioner Charlie Bronson, House Speaker Larry Cretul, Senate President Designate Mike Haridopolos, House Speaker Designate Dean Cannon and House Majority Leader Adam Hasner.
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21 Responses to “Rick Scott Wins; McCollum and RPOF Lose”
That is why McCollum has lost three times in state wide races. He has no class.
RPOF is promoting Haley Barbour’s presidential ambitions at its annual fundraising dinner. There was a unity tour planned this week for McCollum, Barbour, and other elected officials. This was to introduce Barbour to the voters as much as it was to create the illusion of unity.
Now the unity tour has been canceled. Why? You should have a unity tour no matter who wins.
RPOF should immediately embrace Scott and invite him to the Florida Victory Dinner in a few weeks. Scott should be the keynote instead of Barbour.
Time to get behind Rick Scott for Governor. I think he will do a fine job.
I WAS WORKING FOR AN HCA HOSPITAL WHEN SCOTT DEVISTATED THE WHOLE CORPORATION. HE IS DOING IT AGAIN WITH HIS NEW CEO POSITION.
HE WAS A CROOK AND STILL IS. AND NOW HE WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNI TY TO DO THE SAME THING TO THE SATE OF FLORIDA. WHAT GREAT PRIZE WE WILL HAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IF YOU VOTED FOR HIS HANG YOUR HEAD IN SHAME!!!!!!!!!
Bill, Not very Reganesque , Regan lost to Ford in the presidential primary, take a look at his concession speech and pattern yourself accordingly. that is if you are really a Reagan Republican as you touted over and over. or you and your “establishment’ buddies can really teach the grassroots a lesson by withholding your support. That will ensure your demise either way the general election goes. If Sink wins you will be blamed by the grassroots or if Scott wins, without your support ,the brooms really come out in Tallahassee. We need leaders not pouting children; Your Choice.
In good faith, our fellow Floridians must be internally pro-active… stagnation is a road to nowhere.
Congratulations Rick! You are a breath of fresh air. In you race to win the governorship, please tell everyone that you will support the repeal of Obamacare and also the impeachment of Obama if you are elected. Also, please continue to emphasize your positive platform to return Florida to a state of financial health and common sense government. We sorely need more leaders, such as yourself, throughout our country.
I am not surprised that the personal millions invested by Mr. Scott provided him the desired victory. His campaign was about a media made image and not about the real man.
However, what really surprised me is that some Republicans look to the other side and ignored the fact that what this man did was not an error in judgment but a criminal act, a monumental display or greed. . His act speaks loudly: “His God is money”
I understand that there are many factions in our Republican Party, but still, I am surprised that values like integrity, truth, respect for authority and public funds was not a determining factor in their decision to vote for him. They ignored that his actions did a lot of moral and social harm to society and to other fellowmen, particularly, to those who need medical services the most.
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The fact that he paid such a high fine is not a real payment for such an act and it does not redeem him from his transgression.
But the beauty and fact is that eventually everybody will get what they bought for.
To me as a Republican, voting for him is not an option because values are for me what really glue and mantain people, organizations, family and society together. As a Republican I will abstain to vote in the race for Florida Governor. But I will vote for the rest of our candidates who although are not perfect did a fair fight and have integrity.
Rick is the one … we need politician who don’t lie and pretend like they never do. I for one are now through with voting for people like McCollum.
Rick has my support.
Well, as most of you know, Rick Scott was not my first pick. The people have spoken and I respect that. It is now time for all of us to come together and get behind Rick Scott to beat Alex Sink. We need your help more than any time in our lives. We need to make serious changes in making sure all our candidates that won yesterday to devote as little or as much time as possible over the next 79 days to help our candidates.
I am the Florida State Director for AnyStreet.org and we need you to join us to do just that. Our national organization puts boots on the ground, makes phone calls, attends rally’s and helps our candidate via donations, your time and effort. You can be a Tea Party, 9/12/ or any conservative group and still be a member of AnyStreet, which will be the activist arm in getting our candidates elected.
We are in need of four Florida State Regional Directors, a County Coordinator and Outreach Directors for each County and as many members as possible.
Please contact JoJo V Hohenzollern jvh@AnyStreet.org for more information on being a member of an Outreach Director or a Member, or if you are interested in being a County Coordinator or a Florida State Regional Director, please contact me at Tim.McClellan@AnyStreet.org. You can be part of the solution or part of the problem, (of not getting involved). Please become part of the solution. Our very future depends on it. Thank you and let’s get to work!
Take care,
Tim McClellan
Florida State Director
Tim.McClellan@AnyyStreet.org
Justina, he didn’t get fined…or investigated for that matter. Columbia/HCA did…along with a host of other medical corporations.
What morals or integrity did McCollum show in this campaign? If you want to “abstain” then go ahead, but you’re helping Sink and ultimately helping the Obama agenda.
We will be better informed in 4 yrs — Did we make the right choice– I sincerly hope we have the correct man for FL.– If he will fight the Obama machine like Bill has done as AG -then I will be satisfied– —-but —- I have some doubts. Will Sink run a hard campaign or just roll over? That will say alot about what the Dems think of Scott. If Sink runs weak then Scott may be the ultimate Dem mole.
The Broward Supervisor of elections web site has Bill McCullum winning over Rick Scott is this a mistake?
McCollum beat Scott in Broward county-lost to him statewide
Tim Mc–
I applaud your call for unity within the conservative movement. In the future, I would hope that we could focus on the merits of the candidates we want to support in the primary, and not get into the personal attacks on those who would challenge them. No candidate is greater than the cause of Conservatism; Republican, Libertarian, Constitutionalist, what have you. I look forward to working with you between now and November 2nd.
Ed Fulop
The South Florida 9.12 Project
Let’s face it. There were a few misleading ads on both sides such as those dealing with abortions. What now? The winner, Rick, should start the unity healing by giving McCollum some credit for his long service to the Party. He’s not too inspiring, but he’s been dependably conservative; that remark about the AZ law came out of left field, no pun intended, and was inexplicable. He had lots of sincere support from conservatives; give him some credit, and it will reflect well on Scott as well.
I voted for Rick Scott. McCollum is the freaking AG – if he wanted to make the accusations he made during the campaign, he could have backed them up. Or at least he should have. Because he didn’t, voters felt they were being insulted with superficial insinuation and then no facts to back it up. McCollum showed no class whatsoever in the way he handed the non-concession/concession. Good riddance, chump!
Scott may indeed be a crook, but unlike Sink Scott is a crook who can turn a profit!
McCollum’s statement to not support Rick Scott is clearly indicative of his character. That is exactly why we didn’t want him for our governor. We do not want another Charlie Crist!!!!! We do not want someone who has no integrity; we do not want someone whose decision is based on how it benefits him politically. Thank goodness we have intelligent voters who will have someone to represent US.
Rick Scott won the Republican Nomination and he will win in November to be our next Florida Governor. “Let’s Get to Work”!!! and stop whinning. Who needs McCollumn anyway.
To Linda Miller,
I also was at an HCA hospital during the 90s. If you are going to continue flinging the McCollum mud, you need to be very specific about the charges of Scott being a crook. You may be interested to know that McCollum co-sponsored a bill while he was in Congress, defending hospital corporations against what he termed agressive persecution by the Clinton administration.( It seems they were sore losers when they could not ram Hillarycare down our throats.) Why would McCollum defend them then, and demonize them now? Political expedience is the only thing I can think of. You might also be interested to know that Bill Frist was Senate Majority leader during this time; his family owned Columbia Hospital Corporation, which had merged with HCA. Do you suppose the Clinton administration had an axe to grind against this particular hospital association? I am very weary of the allegations of Medicare fraud. Tim Geitner himself could not sit down with the Medicare guidelines and manage to do correct billing from a patient chart. You cannot assume that if errors in billing were made, the billing department was engaging in fraud. I have heard all kinds of ridiculous claims like the hospitals kept 2 sets of books-you know if you have worked in a hospital that there is barely time to document one time, no one keeps 2 sets of books. I have also heard that doctors were instructed to over bill. Anyone who has spent any amount of time in a hospital knows that doctors do not do the billing for the hospital. Their own private billing is totally separate from the hospital bill-that’s why you get a bill from your surgeon, your anesthesiologist, the radiologist, the pathologist-all separate from the hospital charges. But of course if you really worked in a hospital you know that. And you must surely know that physicians order things for patients, but unless someone has documented that an order was carried out, whether it is medication, tests, therapy, each time it is done, it cannot be billed. That is why they rag on us 24/7 to document everything. So, this argument is moot, tiresome, and indicates poor character on the part of whoever continues to yammer about it. I am proud to have voted for Rick Scott, and even prouder that over half the Floridians who voted had the brains to realize we do not need any more career politicians screwing up our state or our country. It is imperative that we start electing businessmen if we expect to crawl out of this black hole the politicians have submerged us in.
I voted for Bill McCollum in the primary. I was disappointed in his attitude after the election. It sounded like sour grapes to me. I will support Rick Scott for Gov. We need to retain the governorship here in Fl. WE have reapportionate coming up next year for house seats and we need a Republican Governor or the Dems will have a chance to get the districts they want. We as Republicans need to come together as a party. If we dont we will lose in NOv.