The past week has delivered a number of unexpected moves and surprising utterances from candidates at all levels of power. Some displayed greed, some showed courage, and others were just straight cray.
Florida Legislature
Last week, state lawmakers put a rotten cherry on top of the $11 million oops they call redistricting by ending their third special legislative session this year a day early. They were supposed to draw the State Senate district maps after admitting the current maps were drawn with GOP success in mind (same went for their U.S. Congress maps, the redrawing of which sparked a similar meltdown in June). But the House and Senate just could not agree on anything, so now it’s up to a judge to decide on most legal-ish map. On the whole, lawmakers are letting their greed and power-hungriness bite them in their own asses.
They are Cersei Lannister .
Jack Latvala
Unexpectedly, the Clearwater Republican State Senator gave up his years-long bid for the Senate Presidency against Sen. Joe Negron, who then made Latvala chair of a state budget committee. Latvala, known for his sometimes-cantankerousness and not giving any fuck what you or I or his party thinks, told reporters last week that his desire to lead the Senate in 2017 was distracting him from the things voters put him there to do. Humbling oneself like that — and putting the greater good over one’s own desires — is not an easy thing to do, especially for a prominent lawmaker.
Seems like a Jaime Lannister move.
Ben Carson
At least once a week, the retired neurosurgeon and presidential hopeful says something incredibly dumb or gets caught in a lie. Last week, Politico caught the presidential frontrunner padding his resume, namely in claiming that he was accepted to West Point with a full scholarship; he never even applied to the school and no student has to pay tuition. Plus, consider his religious views: He believes dinosaur bones may have been placed underground by “the adversary” (ahem, the devil) and that the Egyptian pyramids were actually used to store grain.
Fanaticism? Slinking away without taking blame? Smacks of Melisandre .
Rick Kriseman
With the City Council elections in St. Pete delivering an ally for the mayor, at least on a once-doomed Tampa Bay Rays stadium search deal, Kriseman is now charged with the arduous task of forging a new deal with the team and making sure at least five councilmembers are on board. As he moves forward, he’s got a slew of critics on the sidelines trying to undermine him (some still angry about the Pier), a team that very well could turn its back on him, and a council that might not produce the five votes he needs. Yet he plods forward, determined to get the city out of this debacle.
We’re feeling charitable; let’s go with Daenerys Targarean .
