Last Monday I was discussing on this blog the different candidates in August 28's primary election for different races when I came across Florida's State Senate District 8 seat, currently held by Republican Keith Perry. I mentioned then that I didn't know anything about the two Democratic candidates vying in the primary for that job: Kayser Enneking and Olysha Magruder. Well, after looking though my mail yesterday, I stand corrected about them: I got literature from both sides. Kayser Enneking sent a positive piece describing her former status as Medical Director for the UF Surgical Center, along with her promise to look after the health interests of Floridians...including expanding Medicaid, focusing on the opioid epidemic, and working to make health care and prescription drugs more affordable. Olysha Magruder sent out an attack ad accusing Enneking of being the party establishment's favorite, listing the funds that she received from it for her campaign...implying that Magruder herself wasn't as fortunate with the donations. And she criticized Enneking for being an "out of touch millionaire": that for me was perhaps the most telling thing about this ad. On the other side, Magruder presented herself as "a local educator and activist" who has long fought for "progressive values". H-m-m, I'm seeing a dovetailing of this campaign with much of what's going on in the Democratic Party elsewhere in the country...
The young New York state political neophyte with the complicated name who recently upset a sitting Congressman in their Democratic primary got a lot of people talking, but probably what really got the rift going between the party's so-called "establishment" and more leftist "progressives" was the close contest in 2016 between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Apparently, we're seeing something like this develop in Florida's District 8 between Enneking and Magruder. I expect more campaign mail from these two in the next few days: early voting began yesterday and things will most likely ratchet up between the two candidates. But when Magruder disparaged Enneking for being a millionaire...sorry, folks, I can't support anyone espousing this kind of nonsense. Medical professionals who, over the span of their career, take care of their money will most likely become millionaires...that criticism made me suspect that Magruder feels that no one has the right to be wealthy or that having money disqualifies one for leadership. And that kind of talk, my friends, will never do: she's out! As for Enneking, if you've read this blog any amount of time you'll know that I tend to vote Democrat and the good doctor, at least as far as I can see at this point, seems like she'd make a good state senator. On the other hand, I happen to like Keith Perry and think he's been faithfully doing the best job he could do...if Enneking wins this primary contest against Magruder, I'll have to do some serious soul-searching: not the case if Magruder wins...
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