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Is the Florida GOP the most wretched in all the nation?
American Thinker ^ | June 17, 2026 | Olivia Murray

Posted on 06/17/2026 7:09:34 PM PDT by chickenlips

The Florida GOP may just be the most wretched in the nation, and that’s saying quite a bit—Arizona GOP, I’m looking at you. Now admittedly, I don’t live in Florida, but the news coming out of the Sunshine state about how they’re scheming to protect Byron Donalds, an objectively bad candidate (but the preferred pick of the establishment), is really quite disgraceful. (Some rumors suggest Donalds’s protected candidacy has Susie Wiles’s fingerprints on it.)

First off, the Florida GOP schemed to exclude major contender James Fishback from a debate with Donalds—they don’t want the voters to know how bad Donalds really is—because as they rigged it, Fishback “didn’t qualify.” These people are no different than those who worked to hide Biden’s decline and ineptitude, rejecting debates with Donald Trump during the run-up to the 2020 election. They’re simply trying to install him, without giving voters the opportunity to hear what candidates say, and make a decision that best suits them.

So then Ron DeSantis came out to address the absurdity, saying if the party had pulled this same stunt during his 2018 run for governor, he too wouldn’t have had a chance to speak to voters or hold his opponents accountable:

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis slammed the Florida GOP after the Sunshine State Showdown revoked gubernatorial candidate James Fishback’s debate invitation and announced that only Byron Donalds had qualified.

DeSantis argued that, under similar standards, he would not have… pic.twitter.com/SnYmeQADz7

— AF Post (@AFpost) June 13, 2026 DeSantis rightly acknowledged that the GOP has no right to “engineer outcomes,” and that an “open process and having people be able to have their say is always better….” Transparency and debate—what a concept!

Yet, Donalds refuses to debate. SNIP

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: bloggers; donalds; florida; gop; governor; oliviamurray; what
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But Byron is the education candidate! And everyone is for education.

Statements he's made while campaigning convince me he will supercharge his wife's education consulting grift. She seems to have raked in plenty o' Florida funds from it without significant results.

I'm definitely no fan of Fishback, but what has Donalds achieved other than appearing on Fox News like a regular contributor?

1 posted on 06/17/2026 7:09:34 PM PDT by chickenlips
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To: chickenlips

“Admittedly I don’t live in Florida...” says it all. Go away with your stupid “sagacious” observations. The Free State of Florida is the best run state in America bar none.


2 posted on 06/17/2026 7:15:46 PM PDT by jmaroneps37 (Freedom is never free. It must be won rewon and jealously guarded.)
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To: chickenlips
schemed to exclude major contender James Fishback from a debate with Donalds

Fishback is not a "major" contender, or even a serious candidate. He is a grifter, sexual abuser and financial fraudster, who tried to ride the Jew-hatred wave on X to notoriety.

3 posted on 06/17/2026 7:22:09 PM PDT by montag813
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To: montag813

I don’t disagree with any of that.
What I do disagree with is the attempt to rig our nomination process and not fully vet candidates and whatever skeletons they have in their closets to the largest audience.
I think the Florida GOP may overestimate their hold on the typical Florida voter.
When the people who have bought Byron come to light I’m not sure he gets a majority of the electorate in November.


4 posted on 06/17/2026 7:50:36 PM PDT by Gunslingr3
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To: chickenlips

Pish posh- the NY GOP is the worst, they don’t bother to run anybody with a chance of winning….


5 posted on 06/17/2026 8:00:23 PM PDT by Vesuvian
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To: chickenlips

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Fishback


6 posted on 06/17/2026 8:21:40 PM PDT by Brian Griffin ($324 billion -> Iran; nothing worthwhile for the USA or Israel)
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To: chickenlips

New Hampshire GOP is pathetic.

All RINOs all the time.

So many episodes it’s hard to remember them all.

Several sessions ago the GOP joined the democrats to prevent a conservative from becoming Speaker of the NH General Court (the NH State House). It was a pathetic and illuminating moment, and exposed their backroom double dealing.

They have rigged the primaries to encourage cross over voting from democrats to stop any conservative, and refuse to get rid of the Open Primaries that guarantee victory for RINOs.

The Sununu family campaigned tirelessly against Reagan, Buchanan (who won the 1996 Primary despite their efforts), and for the last ten years, Trump.
They hate conservative republicans as much as democrats do, and endlessly scheme to undermine and actually destroy conservative Republican candidates.

Sometimes we win despite them, like in ‘80 and ‘84 with Reagan and in 2016 and 2024 with Trump, but it requires heavy lifting because they absolutely will NOT support a conservative, not ever.

To be blunt, they suck.


7 posted on 06/17/2026 8:29:56 PM PDT by Thapsus_epiphany (Socialism is a prison, Communism is a death camp )
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To: chickenlips

I live in BD’s district. One thing about him that is appreciated in his district is that his staff answers emails and he seems to be center right in his actions. And he doesn’t seem like Desantis in that He doesnt plan to go from Governer to President. We will see in the primary but he’ll have the support of the FortMyers Naples area. And Desantis has a definite negative rating in this area, over 100 dead in hurricane Ian. He didn’t stand tall and order the Sheriffs and Guard to enforce evacuations. He just said if you don’t evacuate it’s on you. When a 15 ft wall of water is coming and you want to stay, it’s time to Baker act you, because your committing suicide by storm surge. 2nd most deadly hurricane in Fl history.


8 posted on 06/17/2026 8:49:40 PM PDT by Waverunner (Torah! Torah! Torah! my favorite IDF radio code.)
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To: chickenlips

DeSantis needs to endorse a candidate NOW. Collins or Renner, both of whom ar egood men who will keep teh governor’s agenda in place and build on it. Do not let #BankFraudByron undo all teh good you’ve done, Governor.


9 posted on 06/17/2026 9:26:33 PM PDT by TBP (Decent people cannot fathom the amoral cruelty of the Democrat cult.)
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To: Waverunner

I live in BD’s district too. As I said other than appear on Fox News I don’t know what Donalds has done or what he plans to do.

I live west of 41 and homes a very short distance from my house got hit by the storm surge. DeSantis handled the storm prep, the period during the storm and the cleanup very well, so I don’t know what the Collier/Lee County residents have to complain about. My neighbors certainly don’t have a negative opinion of Gov. DeSantis. People on Sanibel Island should be pleased with how fast DeSantis got the bridge open and relief workers onto the island.

Every electronic device I own, the local radio stations and emergency channels gave ample warnings and instructions before, during and after Ian. Anyone that stayed in their homes it was on them. Sheriff’s Marceno and Rambosk are big boys, nothing prevented them from forcing evacuations. They experienced Hurricane Irma so they knew the drill.


10 posted on 06/17/2026 9:28:22 PM PDT by chickenlips (Neuter your politicians)
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To: chickenlips

No.

The worst state level GOPs in the country is South Carolina, which keeps foisting Lindsay Grahamnesty on us as well as I might say Mississippi, who gave us Roger Wicker.

Roger Wicker? Really?

Why is it that some of the reddest states in the country have some of the leftiest senators?

Say what you want about Byron Donalds, I can confuse Graham for a democrat and I can confuse Wicker for a democrat. I cannot confuse Donalds for a democrat. So you wanted to know what Donalds’s achievement is?

Donalds isn’t confusable for a democrat. Big, YUGE achievement.

(This is my sarcastic voice -—>) Roger Friggin Wicker. WTF. *eyeroll* get outta here.


11 posted on 06/18/2026 12:12:57 AM PDT by ProgressingAmerica (The U.S. Constitution is not a suicide pact. Progressivism is a suicide pact.)
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To: chickenlips

So it was okay to abandon over 100 people to preventable deaths by gettng on TV and saying it’s on you because you don’t understand how tall 15 ft is, and the force that it will exert on your house. So the Desantis and the Sheriffs are absolved of responsibility in your political world. Cult of personality.


12 posted on 06/18/2026 12:27:31 AM PDT by Waverunner (Torah! Torah! Torah! my favorite IDF radio code.)
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