Robert Montgomery: Bill Bishop the Unlikely Liberal

[Metro Jacksonville]

Robert Montgomery: Bill Bishop the Unlikely Liberal



An unlikely political alliance has formed in the race for Mayor of Jacksonville. A coalition of self-described “Bohemians”, moderate Democrats, Republicans, and members of the LGBTQ Community, have thrown their support behind two term City Councilman Bill Bishop. The coalition is an expression of dissatisfaction with the legacy of Alvin Brown -- not altogether too unreasonable given his record. The interesting part is the fact that they would find their answer to a disappointing incumbent in a candidate who identifies with the Tea Party. … Check out our House Progressive Editorialists take on Bishop after the jump!

Read More: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2015-mar-robert-montgomery-bill-bishop-the-unlikely-liberal

[Rob68]

There are many of us out here that will never vote for a republican.Why? It was the republican ideas rules regulation and action that caused one our countrys worst financial desasters. If any will still hold onto the title republican that mean you still subscribe to those same idea rules and regulations. Why would i vote for anyone who ideas and actions have mostly always led to a downfall for most and full pockets for a few...so. no. Im gay and a bohemian and very liberal and i would not vote for a republican for nothing in the world...when bishop trows away his title of republican.

[strider]

Since I made the mistake of looking too close at Jacksonville politics, sort of like seeing that crime scene photo you mistakenly look at and now will carry with you always, I understand why council members can't seem to accomplish as much as all would like.  The problems start from far higher up and trickle down to the local level.  Unless you are willing to make deals, sometimes sell your soul to that proverbial devil, you can't get anything done.  The Corrine Brown network, the Big Money networks, all work together to feed themselves at the average Jacksonville resident's expense and particularly the less fortunate among us. A sad truth here is that to raise up the less fortunate would cost these power people many of the millions they have to play with today.  There is no incentive to change that status quo for those at the top. 

There is not one single council member that you can't look at and say they did not accomplish enough for their district.  Not a single one.  Unless they happen to be in the right and very favored district, and there are a few, accomplishing anything at all is all but miraculous.  Even the best of the best are struggling to accomplish anything positive.  Don't believe that?  Go ask them.

Here's what I know as fact.  Alvin Brown is part of that status quo.  He has done nothing that did not further the Corrine Brown network's cause. As a city, we should be tired of doing business as usual and be ready for a positive change.  We will never get that with Brown.

Lenny Curry will bring some amount of change to things.  But those changes won't be his.  Look to the money network behind him and see that, at least under the surface, the status quo will be supported and re-enforced by whomever is truly pulling his strings.

Most do not even realize there are four candidates. Perhaps that's a shame, I don't know.  But that fact alone makes this a three person race. I can't even think of her name and I just read it a few minutes ago.

That leaves Bill Bishop.  Perfect? Of course not.  Better than Brown and Curry?  I hope so. And that becomes our bottom line.  Hope.  We can only move forward as a city if we somehow facilitate change in how the business of politics is done here.  This past year, HUD announced to the world, and I know it was the world as it made international news, that Jacksonville as a city lacked the capacity to handle the millions of federal funding it gets.  The majority of the people who were in charge of that funding have been here before Brown and many will stay after he is gone.  Because they are part of the Corrine Brown network or the Big Money Network, they just move from job to job and administration to administration and the status quo survives. Our only hope at a better Jacksonville is to chance that a new administration truly will finally bring in new people.

Bill Bishop is the odd man out right now.  He is, I believe, our best hope at real change.

I also believe that in today's world where news and opinions fly through this internet world almost instantaneously, permanently attaching labels to people like Democrat or Republican is nonsense.  Look to the person.  Make your decision and then have hope. Sometimes it's all we can do.

[carpnter]

Anyone who dismisses a candidate based on the letter associated with their name is foolish.

[Jax native]

Anyone who dismisses a candidate based on the letter associated with their name is foolish.

I was just about to say the same thing.  How close minded and blinded would an adult of voting age have to be to refuse to listen to a candidate and only vote strict party line?  Without dismissing or insulting the above poster,  I find it arrogant, ill informed & detrimental to the free & open election system we have in USA.,  It's a shame and disappointment in the kind of ""voters" we have participating. 

[theduvalprogressive]

I am not opposed to Bishop in any real sense. I don't see him as the "messiah" from the cronyistic system of politics we have in Jacksonville. Would I vote for him? Probably not, nor any other candidate in the race. That said however, I find it interesting, as always, what we as people are willing to overlook as humans when we believe we have a connection to something, or someone, as opposed to when we don't(ie - discriminatory stances, issues of condoning sexual harassment on some level, etc)...

[southsider1015]

There are many of us out here that will never vote for a republican.Why? It was the republican ideas rules regulation and action that caused one our countrys worst financial desasters. If any will still hold onto the title republican that mean you still subscribe to those same idea rules and regulations. Why would i vote for anyone who ideas and actions have mostly always led to a downfall for most and full pockets for a few...so. no. Im gay and a bohemian and very liberal and i would not vote for a republican for nothing in the world...when bishop trows away his title of republican.

I

Sadly misinformed. 

[southsider1015]

I am not opposed to Bishop in any real sense. I don't see him as the "messiah" from the cronyistic system of politics we have in Jacksonville. Would I vote for him? Probably not, nor any other candidate in the race. That said however, I find it interesting, as always, what we as people are willing to overlook as humans when we believe we have a connection to something, or someone, as opposed to when we don't(ie - discriminatory stances, issues of condoning sexual harassment on some level, etc)...

There's no such thing as a messiah in politics.  Come on.  We either overlook the discrepancies, or we don't vote.  Does anyone with a decent brain even agree 100% with the candidates?  Of course not. 

We vote our interests, whichever candidate we believe represents them the most.

[edjax]

Wow. 2 good examples already in this thread of the sadness of the Jacksonville voter.

[theduvalprogressive]

edjax... I believe low voter turnout has a lot to do with the fact that the candidates really aren't very inspirational. I liked Bill Bishop much better after the debate, but I really wasn't sold. Why is that? Mainly the one reason is because he has been in City Hall since 2007, and much of the changes he talked about going after, he could have engineered on some level. I initially thought about voting for Brown again, but his performance in the debate ruined that completely.

[Jax native]

edjax... I believe low voter turnout has a lot to do with the fact that the candidates really aren't very inspirational. I liked Bill Bishop much better after the debate, but I really wasn't sold. Why is that? Mainly the one reason is because he has been in City Hall since 2007, and much of the changes he talked about going after, he could have engineered on some level. I initially thought about voting for Brown again, but his performance in the debate ruined that completely.

I understand you "really wasn't sold' on Bill Bishop after the debates, by why would you NOT vote for anyone on the ballot?  Write in?  Or not vote at all?  Interesting you speak of low turn out is a problem, why would you join this?  Sincerely am confused.  Thanks for any answers.

[edjax]

There are many of us out here that will never vote for a republican.Why? It was the republican ideas rules regulation and action that caused one our countrys worst financial desasters. If any will still hold onto the title republican that mean you still subscribe to those same idea rules and regulations. Why would i vote for anyone who ideas and actions have mostly always led to a downfall for most and full pockets for a few...so. no. Im gay and a bohemian and very liberal and i would not vote for a republican for nothing in the world...when bishop trows away his title of republican.

So will you vote for the gay hating nut job Kim Daniels over Anna Brosche just because Anna has a (R) behind her name?

[Jimmy]

So will you vote for the gay hating nut job Kim Daniels over Anna Brosche just because Anna has a (R) behind her name?

That's the best question of the day.  Ideologically, there's not much that separates "Democrat" Kim Daniels from "Democrat" Alvin Brown and "Republican" Don Redman.  They're all religious fundamentalists who are socially conservative.  Party labels are absolutely meaningless in our city elections because we don't have a party primary.  Kim Daniels nor Alvin Brown could ever win a Democratic primary; when Alvin ran in a Democratic primary once he was trounced.

And if you get the paper, check out Page 2 of today's Metro section.  A preview: https://www.facebook.com/jimmy.midyette/posts/10155345684910230?pnref=story

[JeffreyS]

I didn't take the comment that someone who wouldn't vote for a republican to mean they support every democrat.

[edjax]

I didn't take the comment that someone who wouldn't vote for a republican to mean they support every democrat.

And nobody said they do. The question to him is he supporting this democrat just because the opponent is a R.