What one does not deserve, one should not be given

Anymore, all you can do is shake your head at how inept our CEO governor is at doing anything, especially anything that could be called leadership.  Even when his handlers tell him what to say and how to say it, he screws it up.

If you were watching CNN Wednesday morning (2012.12.19), no doubt you were rolling your eyes with embarrassment at how Florida’s ersatz governor fumbled his responses on national television to CNN anchor, Soledad O’Brien, when she asked for his ideas regarding the despicable and irrational carnage at Newtown and how he might be willing to change the state’s gun control laws.  You can see what he had to say, or more accurately what he didn’t say, at this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icy7_Xg3rSQ&feature=player_embedded

For a sense of how the conversation went and O’Brien’s frustration at how vacuous the governor’s responses were, here’s an excerpt:

O’BRIEN: Well, you know, I understand that people often say that in the wake of a tragedy, let’s wait, and I actually think I’ve covered enough of them that, you know, we’ll wait until we bump up against the next tragedy … and there will be one, no doubt about it. I guess I would like to hear from elected officials what are you willing to change? [...]

SCOTT: Right now, what we ought to be doing -  let’s talk about all of the issues and think about what we can do to improve it - but here is what I think: one, I have been to the law enforcement funeral desk in our state - and the heart goes out to those families. [...]

O’BRIEN: Okay. I think with all due respect, are you not going to answer my question, because I guess — I just want you to tell me what you would be comfortable to support, and I get it, it will be part of a conversation, but I think there have been a number of things on the table and I don’t feel like you’re telling me, you know, should people not be able to buy high-capacity magazines? What are you willing to say would be a good start - that would you bring to the table in control? Any conversation about guns?

SCOTT: Well, you know, my focus is, one, respect the families, mourn their losses - make sure our schools are safe - and then start the conversation and listen to the Floridians. What I do every day is travel the state, almost, pretty much every day, and listen to Floridians and get their ideas and then come back, based on those ideas of what we can improve.

O’BRIEN: Well, I hope it all goes — all those conversations turn into meaningful conversations before I get to go out and cover another tragedy of which we’ve now done a bunch of them.

But you really need to watch the video.  It was clear he simply has no clue what he should or should not do or say as the highest elected leader of this country’s third most populated state... except travel around it “almost every day” and ask “the Floridians” what they think about assault rifles and killing innocent children.

Along with all the other gaffs we’ve witnessed by Scott, we can only lament his ineptness at successfully effectuating anything pertaining to responsible leadership.  Looking at what he tries to do and not at what he tries to say, one can only conclude that it’s not the people or the state’s long term future he has in his CEO mind, but immediate profits for private business, which, I agree, is not necessarily a bad thing unless the latter is given priority over the former.  But even if you believe private profit is more important than public interest, you are probably feeling as I do that he’s becoming more than an embarrassment due to his lack of ability to formulate cogent, extemporaneous thought.  

Surely, his image managers briefed him on O’Brien’s tenacious style and the fact that she doesn’t suffer fools before he set foot on her show.  If they did - presuming they were not advising him to be as opaque as he was - he must not have understood or appreciated what they were telling him. 

As governor of our state, surely he might at least have had the frijoles to display a little leadership by sharing a few personal thoughts with the nation about matters of such tragic consequence.  But he just didn’t have anything in mind or, perhaps, any ability to express it coherently.

As a result, embarrassment is the feeling Florida voters, both D’s and R’s, are whispering about these days, and more and more are beginning to admit it.

According to a poll released yesterday by The Quinnipiac University Poll, “Voters say 55 - 29 percent, including 53 - 30 percent among Republicans, they would like another candidate to challenge Gov. Scott for the GOP nomination for governor in 2014 …”

In the release, Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute is quoted saying, "Gov. Rick Scott's ratings with voters are just plain awful. The numbers cannot be sugar-coated … When voters in a politician's own party want him to be challenged in a primary by another candidate, it's difficult to see it as anything but outright rejection.”

According to the poll’s findings: “Florida voters disapprove 45 - 36 percent of the job Gov. Rick Scott is doing, continuing his almost two-year run of negative scores, and, as he enters the second half of his term, voters say 52 - 30 percent that he does not deserve a second four-year term ...”

And, my mother always said, “What one does not deserve, one should not be given.”

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Speaking of receiving what one deserves, here’s hoping each and every one of you - D’s, I’s, R’s, NPA’s and, yes, even you teabaggers - all experience a wonderful Holiday Season and that you and those near and dear to you - including those who aren’t very - stay safe and warm. 

Happy New Year! May you each experience a better economy in the coming days and that not one more American Military Service life is lost to violence on foreign soil for the sake of our freedom which we shamelessly so take for granted.