Monday, April 06, 2015

Taddeo vs. Curbelo says the Miami Herald. By Geniusofdespair


American Action Network Funded the Ad in Today's Miami Herald Supporting Carlos Curbelo
Annette Taddeo says she'll challenge Carlos Curbelo for a his U.S. House of Represtatives seat. Good. She has matured and I think she can pull it off. Besides, he is an idiot and doesn't belong in Washington...he is funded by conservative groups that get their money from the Koch brothers and Sheldon Adelson.

We cannot allow these big spenders to buy our elections anymore. American Action Network did in Alex Sink and now they are doing ads for Curbelo -- a lightweight to be sure.

60 comments:

Anonymous said...

Her again??? We can't do any better!!! She's ran in various districts and lost. Time and again. She doesent even live in this distrcit. Wow. A scarcity of good candidates seems to be haunting us democrats.

Anonymous said...

She is nothing but a perennial candidate, an attention diva, with zero credibility. She needs to step aside and actually support someone who has a chance to win.

Mr. Freer said...

Instead of tearing her down, let's think of other possible candidates!

Anonymous said...

Yes, let's think of other possible candidates. Stop her before she runs again. Can her poor husband not talk any sense into her?????

Anonymous said...

Appears she just has to become a politician. Will we take her seriously? I am not sure if she can win this one, After this lineup others will run.

Geniusofdespair said...

Don't sell her short...her time with the party was good for her. She is more savvy now and strategic.

Anonymous said...

Anyone who supports Odumbo and Odumbocare has zero chance of winning.

Anonymous said...

She has run and lost other races. Is that reason enough to stop her from running for District 26? Have we forgotten how difficult it is to defeat incumbents, specially entrenched Republican life long politicians with absentee ballot machines well oiled and ready for AB drop day? Please, do us a favor, this lady has every right to run for office and as far as living outside the district, it is not a requirement, though her and her family are selling their home and moving there.

Anonymous said...

Get informed anon above. She ran in an open seat in 2010. (No Incumnent) with a ton of money and lost. selling her home and moving just makes the point that she's a carpet bagger. Not necessary a badge of honor.

Anonymous said...

I don't like either candidate. Hopefully there's enough time for someone else to run. This is a swing district. No incumbent in 26, some of it formerly 25, is entrenched by any stretch of the imagination. We've had three different congressmen since 2010.

Curbello, the eternal lobbyist, doesn't deserve to represent this district nor does Taddeo, the eternal candidate. It's like flipping a coin between the two of them because they're both just bad but for different reasons.

Anonymous said...

Neither of these two are fit to sit in Congress. This shows how broken the party system is in Florida when these two are the chosen ones.

Anonymous said...

Curbelo isn't interested in the job, just keeping the job. He's been in office for a few weeks and has started campaigning.

Anonymous said...

Stop hyperventilating anons above. a carpetbagger? Pinecrest is like 2 blocks west of FL-26, lol. Give me a break.

Anonymous said...

The republicans above crying that she's a "perennial" candidate... are you kidding? That's what bothers you? How about being a lobbyist while a school board member (and now Congress), not disclosing your clients, and putting your wife in the middle of all this.

At least Annette made her money the honest way: hard work. She's a much better candidate than she was in 2008 and I'll be surprised if she doesn't beat Curbelo by at least 5 pts.

Anonymous said...

So when Ronald Reagan ran for various offices, including Governor and President, and lost, and tried again - he was a perennial candidate?

Anonymous said...

What a joke. "Annette made her money the honest way: hard work" Really? What are you smoking???? She was born into money and married someone who can maintain her in the lifestyle to which she was born into, plus the added perk of funding her perennial campaigns.

Geniusofdespair said...

Funny how all the Curbelo folks are reading this blog all of a sudden. Taddeo is not the same candidate she was in 2008. That was 7 years ago. Since she has been the head of the Miami Dade Democratic party and I have seen the change in her. She helped deliver Miami Dade county for Crist who was a flawed candidate to begin with. Curbelo is a lobbyist first. He has an ad on page 9 of the Miami Herald paid for by American Action Network. I guess they did some polling.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous above if Obama is Odumbo what
does that make the GOP and Tea Party who still cant figure how to get anything done I guess voting to repeal Obamacare for the umpteenth time is your idea of smarts.

Ernesto Andino said...

Democrats CAN do better than this!

I’ve been watching Mrs. Taddeo-Goldstein’s “journey” ever since she ran against Ros-Lehtinen in 2008, and lost big time in the year of the “Messiah.” Then, she whined that she could have unseated the Republican if only the DNC gave her more money.

Then, immediately after President Obama won, she tried hard to become the Administrator of Obama’s Small Business Administration (SBA) but was rejected for the post (maybe it had something to do with all that whining, who knows. But the end result is the same – even Obama rejected her!)

She then tried her “savvyness” at an open County Commission seat only to come in 3rd behind 2 unremarkable municipal mayors.

She then become the Chair of the local Democrats and here, I do give her a lot of credit. She did revitalize the party and recruited some talent to go up against all state Repub incumbents. But then, when Charlie came a knockin’, she left all her recruits in the field to fend for themselves instead of backing them up. Hell, even Jose Javier Rodriguez almost got shown the door last November (thanks, Annie!).

To quote Francis Underwood – “for some people, its simply the size of the chair.”

But to add insult to injury, as Crist’s # 2, all she had to do was to turn out the Hispanic vote. She didn’t do even do that! Please.

And now, even before “Carlitos” (a very moderate Repub) has a chance at a record that can be bashed later, here she comes again, Seriously?

This history only proves one thing to me. She does not care about “Representin’.” All she cares about is getting a position ANY position, regardless of whether its the right fit or not.

That’s called unadulterated “Blind Ambition.” And people see through that after a while.

My advice, go back to being Chair of the Dems, recruit quality candidates and back them up. Then, after a few notable victories under your belt, go after the prize.

Does anybody have Ana Rivas-Logan’s # or even Annie Betancourt’s. Now, there’s a woman with some “Gravitas.”

Anonymous said...

misogonyst

mi·sog·y·nist
məˈsäjənəst/
noun
1.
a person who dislikes, despises, or is strongly prejudiced against women.
synonyms: woman-hater; More

Anonymous said...

"And now, even before “Carlitos” (a very moderate Repub) has a chance at a record that can be bashed later, here she comes again, Seriously?"

And now even before Carlitos can write one draft of one policy - he's out campaigning again?

Anonymous said...

How can the above poster be a misogynist when suggesting two other women for the post? That's what dooms us Democrats, not learning from our mistakes.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

Of course Curbelo is already campaigning. So is every other member of the House. That is the system: every two years.

Anonymous said...
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Geniusofdespair said...

Too many trolls.

Anonymous said...

I wanna, I wanna, I wanna a seat!!!

Nothing worse than a petulant "child" who doesn't get their way.

Pity, this IS a flippable seat and Taddeo is the ONLY candidate we, Democrats, can come up with?

No wonder the President keeps losing his majorities in Congress.

Anonymous said...

Will she move.... Again?

Anonymous said...

Has anyone ever heard her speak? She is somewhat uninformed and not quite eloquent. Pity we can't come up with a better candidate.

Patricia said...

Ana Rivas-Logan is a fool (correction, she speaks and behaves foolishly). At 70, Annie Betancourt is beyond a political campaign. Neither could raise enough to mount a credible campaign.

Anonymous said...

While at the SFWMD, Betancourt was a close friend of the Fanjuls, boasting about her yacht trips with them.

Jesse said...

I've met her once at political forum during the 2010 Commission campaign. It was hosted at the Pinecrest library.

I was supporting "AHA" or Albert Harum-Alvarez at the time. I'll never forget that event because of what happened that night.

A Spanish television network cameraman had come to tape the debate between the candidates when, suddenly, the man stumbles a bit, and carelessly pushes Albert's mother from her seat to the ground, naturally causing most of the candidates and the audience to come to this poor woman's aid.

What struck me was while most everyone, including myself, tried to assist this poor woman in getting up and making sure she's alright, I noticed that the cameraman did not stop shooting. As I looked up, I also noticed why - he was interviewing Annette Taddeo who was smiling from ear-to-ear talking to the camera.

Albert, Gene Flinn, Pam Grey, even Lynda Bell rose up and moved toward Albert's mom. But not Taddeo. She acted like nothing had happened. Nothing was more important than her "interview."

That really struck me.

Folks, you can select whomever you want for this seat, whether is to re-elect the incumbent Republican or select a Democrat to unseat him, but choose one that has at least a mere semblance of decency.

At least for me, after witnessing that incident, Mrs. Taddeo does not.

Maybe that's why she keeps on losing races.

Anonymous said...

So because Annette didn't respond to Alberts mother you're going to let big-money pick your candidate what are you nuts?

Anonymous said...
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Barbara said...

Annette has always been impeccably dressed you wouldn't hear any complaints about a man dress only a woman's. This is so unfair to women your comment is sexist.

Anonymous said...

Big money is needed in order to promote a candidate. Until media starts offering their promotion services for free, big money will continue to move elections.

Anonymous said...

Sleeveless tops are not professional. Not in women and not in men.
The cobalt blue sleeveless dress worn by Ms Taddeo on election night with cut-in arm openings, held at the neck,
Was precisely what the Crist campaign told her not to wear. It has nothing to do with sexism. It is following the orders given to you in order to succeed.

Geniusofdespair said...

Here is a tip, if you want to identify yourself as a troll, start with the word 'wow'. It says nothing about Annette's character to have responded or not. You are not in her head. Maybe there were too many people crowding Mrs. Harem. Stop leaving stupid comments. The Koch don't even live here and they control our elections even hiring trolls to trash candidates. Annette Taddeo is one of the best dressed women I have ever met. Only a troll would say otherwise.

Anonymous said...

To the Anon above who made a reference to Ronald Reagan being a "perennial" candidate who lost elections.

I'm a student of history. All my life this has been my favorite subject.

If history serves, and it does, Ronald Reagan only held 2 elected positions in his life, Governor of California (ran and won both times) and President of the U.S. (ran twice and won twice).

He never lost an election.

If you're referring to his 1968 attempt at the Presidency, everyone knows that was just a "trial-balloon" to see how much public support (read: name recognition) he could gather from conservatives for a future run, after his famous "a Time for Choosing Speech" in support of Barry Goldwater's presidential campaign 4 years earlier.

If you are referring to his 1976 run, that was not an actual campaign but rather a calculated effort to weaken an already weakened Gerald Ford so that "good ole' Gerry" would lose to the Democrats and come 1980, he would have garnered enough:

1 - National Name Recognition.
2 - Support for his Conservative agenda.

Trust me, nothing at that level of the "game" happens by chance.

If Reagan was a Perennial candidate as you suggest, why didn't he run in 1972?

Because Nixon was very strong at the time of his re-election. He actually won by a landslide -(520 Electoral Votes to McGovern's 17).

Nixon's problem was that he was a very paranoid individual, among other things, which prompted him to unnecessarily and foolishly raid the DNC's HQ at the Watergate Towers that year to get intelligence on the opposition and those who supported his opponent. The rest, as we all know, is history.

So no. Ronald Reagan never lost an election. Sorry for the long response but we do need to get our fact straight.

Anonymous said...

Michele Obama wears sleeveless all the time, it is sexist.

Anonymous said...

This comment thread reminds me of the TR speech - man in the arena. All leaders will have critics and haters trying to tear them down. I respect people who put themselves up for public office and invite public scrutiny, without being pawns of big money.

I have watched Annette since 2008 and what I see is someone who hasn't given up on public service. She has always come across as genuine and has shown her leadership as Party Chair. She has what it take to be a great public servant.

Anonymous said...

I'm a DEC member and can say I never saw a more organized and effective Party than during Annette's term as Chair. We actually won elections! And big ones like county commission. Since she's left, most of that has stopped. She was the driving force behind that revitalization. So no one can say that she's not a leader.

The worse thing Republicans can say about her is that she has run too many times. Hahaha.

Jesse said...

I've never criticized Annette Taddeo's wardrobe. In fact, I find her to be one of the most attractive and stylish women I've ever seen. And good for her. So please direct that criticism to whomever else it belongs.

However, I do take issue with the cameraman incident.

I was there.

I became very upset at the cameraman's callousness over his clumsiness and never once stopping to see if anything or anyone was alright.

If you suggest that Taddeo "may not have seen the incident" then she is at the very least aloof because all the other candidates saw what happened and even stood up, literally stopping the proceedings for a few minutes.

Only after the Taddeo interview came to a close, however, did the moderator of the forum, along with most of the audience, ask the cameraman to leave the premises.

I'm sorry but that did it for me. It was very telling and I'll never forget it.

Anonymous said...

I was there at the debate. It was Jose Luis Castillo i fault. He brought the media there. Not only was Albert's mother was pushed, I was too and no one cane to my aid.

Anonymous said...

She does, indeed, have potential and a true leader should know their strengths and weaknesses.

Mrs. Taddeo has shown that she can be a good community organizer., ie, the Chairmanship of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party. She revitalized it and recruited enough candidates to give every state Repub a credible challenger.

That's a real strength.

But then she left these candidates out to dry to seek yet ANOTHER position.

The qualities of true leadership is not incessantly running for every post that may come along. that suggests exactly what we don't want perceived - political opportunism.

She has run so many times already, that she is no longer taken seriously because she gives the impression that she does not care what position she runs for, ANY position will do.

That's her weakness.

Surely, we can find other Democratic candidates, male or female to take on Curbelo and leave Mrs. Taddeo where she really shines - at the helm of the Florida Democratic Party and come back as Chair of Miami-Dade Democrats.

Anonymous said...

Calling a campaign loss a "trial balloon" is hilarious.

Anonymous said...

OLD news (yawn)

Geniusofdespair said...

Alright you have had your fun with Annette however not a word about Carlos the incumbent. Any comments on him? Trolls?

Anonymous said...

To both Anons above. Yes, its all very old news.

However, the conclusions are as relevant today as they were 50 to 100 years ago.

For you see, they provide insight into the real political motivations of many of our former and current "public servants."

There are MANY an individual who have sought public office, only to fall short. Some run for Local, State and even Federal office knowing full well that they have no chance of winning but instead, for an ulterior motive - to pad their resumes and say with credibility, that they were, indeed, candidates for public office.

This is practically useful when applying for corporate positions. Corporate headhunters seek those who are bold and have accomplished much and who have dared much. They become attractive candidates for the corporate world - they stand out. It also doesn't hurt if one builds political connections along the way.

Others DO run, believe it or not, to "test" the power of their message and timing of their candidacies., ie., Ronald Reagan is one example.

After all, its not THEIR money they're running on. And what a rush it is, indeed.

Others run because their egos are so large, they simply don't fit through very large hangar doors., ie., Ross Perot, Donald Trump, Ted Kennedy come to mind.

To the anon. above who thinks laughable that RR's 1968 candidacy was not a trial balloon but actually a REAL candidacy for the Presidency, one only need to look at the history books and the motivations behind his ambitions.

Study the steady growth of Reagan's popularity through those years and you'll realize that his real window of opportunity opened - when there was no other candidate to choose from but him - 1980.

You might also want to study Bill Clinton. He never ran over and over and over again until he got in. He studied patterns, the political climate, the timing of his message and he smelled blood in the water and, bingo! He went for it at precisely the right time and won - twice.

This is all very calculable and goes on every day at all levels of government. It truly does help if one studies more.

I hope I have enlightened you.

Anonymous said...

Curbello is a Rubio Jr. I still cannot believe he got elected and the majority of the voters just let him slide on not disclosing his client list while on the school board and now a newbie in congress. I hope he is a one termer. I truly do.

It's too bad Garcia won't run for the seat again. He received more votes than Obama did in the District in 2012.

However, Taddeo is not going to be the one to unseat him. She has too many negatives. We need a fresh face, like a Cava, to run for this seat. That type of candidate will win down here.

Taddeo left too many candidates high and dry to run with Crist. She's taking credit for campaigns the Miami Dade Dem's assisted in but were not out front of is a bit offensive and just not true.

I hope there is someone else left of Curbello to run in this district as we truly need someone like Cava in congress not a career candidate.

Anonymous said...

Cava will make her way to congress in time. Right now Cava is busy with district 8 and happy to have her around. Taddeo just might be what we need at the moment.

Anonymous said...


Nobody has mentioned Ross Hancock as a candidate. Where is he?

Anonymous said...

Taddeo. A place holder. The reasons for supporting her keep getting better by the minute. Nice anon above.

Anonymous said...

Seriously, Ross Hancock?

He couldn't unseat corrupt Eric Fresen on his worst day.

Taddeo is serious about this race and will put plenty of her own $$$ on the table, as well as DNC money to regain the seat.

The last thing the DNC wants is to "roll the dice" on an "also ran."

People, get serious!

Anonymous said...

Taddeo has no intention of being a place holder for Cava.

Let Cava go after Ros-Lehtinen in 2018 after she finishes her Commission term.

Anonymous said...

To Paricia, who said:

"Ana Rivas-Logan is a fool (correction, she speaks and behaves foolishly). At 70, Annie Betancourt is beyond a political campaign. Neither could raise enough to mount a credible campaign."

Personally, I do not know what examples you are referring to when it comes to Rivas-Logan acting and speaking foolishly.

Not only was she embraced completely by the Democratic Party when she switched and touted around, she has even appeared as a commentator on several television networks, alongside Annette Taddeo. And quite frankly, with all due respect to Ms. Taddeo, Rivas-Logan has appeared to be more articulate and even more knowledgeable of the issues each time they are presented together.

Now, as to former State Representative Annie Betancourt being "70 and beyond a campaign," That suggests to me that she is too old for a Congressional race.

Patricia, that's "ageism" and if you apply that rule to Ms. Betancourt, you gotta apply it to our standard bearer - Hillary Clinton, who at 67, if elected President of the United States, would tie Ronald Reagan as the oldest President at 69 years of age at the time of her swearing-in.

Are you implying that Hillary is "beyond a campaign" as well? Particularly the toughest job in the free world? Really?

This Congressional seat is too valuable to the DNC - they want it back big time. Whoever else may throw their hats in the ring, there will be more than plenty of cash to go around.

Anonymous said...

Curbello is just a paid lobbyist.

Anonymous said...

And Annette is simply too tired - being a "middle-class" working mom.

Congress is a 24/7-365 day job. And don't get me started on those marathon sessions I see on C-SPAN where Congress members are on call till the wee hours of the morning during budget debates and other controversial issues.

Now, don't get me wrong Annette looks great and appears to take good care of herself, but she is in her late 40s, a full-time mom, and a working wife. Would she be able to keep up?

If she cannot keep a mere radio interview in the morning, she should load-up on energy drinks.

Seriously

Anonymous said...

Wouldn't it be easier for Curbello to re register as a Democrat?

Anonymous said...

Interesting.

But Curbelo seems to be a bona fide Moderate Repub. However, changing parties would only make him just another Charlie Crist.

At least Taddeo is true to her convictions, unlike Crist. She will tow our Party's line at every step.