Billionaire climate-change supporter pledges to spend big to beat Florida Gov. Rick Scott

[Fla Dem]

A billionaire Democratic political insurgent is spending millions on raising climate change as a central issue in Florida’s governor’s race.

By Marc Caputo

[e-mail]


The billionaire is ready to take out Florida’s multi-millionaire governor.

In a nationwide push to fight Republicans who deny the existence of man-made climate change, investor-turned-activist Tom Steyer has founded a Florida political committee, seeded it with $750,000 of his own money, and says he’ll spend far more to help Democrat Charlie Crist defeat Gov. Rick Scott.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/08/02/4268750/billionaire-climate-change-supporter.html#storylink=cpy

[BillZBubb]

1. How come this race is so close? Scott is disgusting.

I hope this money helps Crist win it, but I am baffled at why he would even need the help.

[freshwest]

2. I suggest it is the non-stop infusion of Faux Noise in the heads of voters there...

[BillZBubb]

3. Maybe. Since I never watch Fox, I am not exposed to it.

What are Scott's supposed virtues?

[freshwest]

4. I don't watch it either, but I know how it goes. As to Scott, he toes the Koch line which they think

is gonna bring them money.

Besides, he managed to hurt minority voting and some cheered that.

Also, he's privatizing all the state functions, and there's money to be made in that. So they love him.

For those who don't have money, they can just FOAD, or at least that's the Tea Party, etc. plan.

Those do sound *good* to some people, sadly.

[Mr.Bill]

6. He has an amazing ability to supress the Democratic vote. n/t

[WinstonSmith4740]

13. I've been wondering about that, too.

How come this race is so close? [/div
Not only in Florida, but look at Texas and some of the other races. How in the hell is Greg Abbott ahead of Wendy Davis??

My theory? The meat cleaver that Reagan took to our educational system is coming to fruition. The goal then (as now) of the Republican party is to dumb down this country, and they're succeeding. I had a bright, clever student who just graduated and is a Facebook friend, so I get her posts. She's an animal lover, gay rights supporter, environmentalist, for women's equality, etc. LOVED working with the Special Needs kids at school. Flat out heart of gold. Financially, she and her fiance are having a tough go of it right now. But she can post RW inspired BS with the best of them. And unless I can get to her before November, will probably end up voting AGAINST her own best interests. Luckily, she just moved into my community, so I still get to see her and talk to her, so her education will continue. However, the bad news is that we're a rural community which translates into VERY conservative, so it'll be an uphill battle. But one worth fighting.

[Hortensis]

20. I read that Scott's campaign has spent something like $20M versus $8M for Crist.

According to fivethirtyeight.com, Crist's unfavorable ratings have been growing under the onslaught, so that, "Democrat Charlie Crist and Republican incumbent Rick Scott are teetering on becoming the least-liked pair of candidates for any governor’s race in the past 10 years." And when turned-off voters don't go to the polls, we know who wins...

Anyway, although I believe we really, really need to turn our new billionaire class upside down and give it a good shaking-out, I'm glad this guy is stepping up to fight global warming. We have a tacky little vacation home in Florida, a 54-year-old mobile home, and, although we've always known a hurricane surge could carry it off at any time, we're far from resigned to the global holocaust of rising sea levels.

[truebluegreen]

5. Odd phrase: "climate-change supporter."

Makes it sound like he's in favor. How about "climate-change realist" instead (and yes, I know it is the Herald and not the OP).

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

17. I thought the same thing. Poor use of language.

[Thinkingabout]

7. It takes lots of money to run a campaign.

[mountain grammy]

8. I think the entire voting structure in Florida is rotten to the core.

Just my opinion, but I can't imagine how a crook like Scott got elected.

[steve2470]

10. Ignorance and....

the Republicans trumpet the fact he was not personally convicted:

He resigned as Chief Executive of Columbia/HCA in 1997 amid a controversy over the company's business and Medicare billing practices; the company ultimately admitted to fourteen felonies and agreed to pay the federal government over $600 million, which was the largest fraud settlement in US history; Scott however was not implicated and no charges were raised against him personally.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Scott

[mountain grammy]

16. No charges against Scott were part of the deal.. just my opinion, of course.

[steve2470]

19. I'm sure you're right ! nt

[secondvariety]

15. We have a State Democratic Party

that's somewhere between ineffectual and down right destructive.

[Gumboot]

9. Rick Scott's only 'virtue'...

... is the little (R) that TV viewers always see after his name.

Sadly, all too many Florida voters will mindlessly vote for any candidate with that magic (R). Jeb Bush, FFS

[DonCoquixote]

11. several answers

1) The Churches. The GOP has turned many of the mega churches into massive GOP vote rallies. Everybody knows that to vote democratic is to go to hell, and that was before Obama was in.

2) The Democrats : craven wuimps, from the local candidates to DEBBIE WASSERMAN "I would rather help my GOP friends." SCHULTZ!

[steve2470]

12. true, I always forget about the churches nt

[ReRe]

14. K&R

Finally, a billionaire with a heart and a brain!

[blkmusclmachine]

18. Whoever wins, we'll still be getting a Republican