Are the articles from Florida Politics getting weird to anyone else?

[Jax native]

http://floridapolitics.com/archives/182351-lenny-curry-and-alvin-brown-addressed-visit-jacksonville-and-i-got-to-hear-one-of-them

[Jax native]

New game for jax politics, Who said it; A.G. Garcanski or Brain Hughes?

http://floridapolitics.com/archives/182197-lenny-curry-on-the-importance-of-nonprofits-and-faith

[ben america]

Does his mix of op-ed and journalist define his style as gonzo? Asking for a friend.

[Tacachale]

Curry has management experience, which Alvin does not, even after four years as the city's CEO. Curry also knows how to run budgets, which will also be a very nice change of pace. I really think Curry is a more moderate, cooperative person than it appears from his campaign, and he'll turn out to be a better mayor than his detractors may think. But yes, it's entirely his fault for allowing his public image to shape up like it has. He'll have some cleaning up to do. Then again, you can't always tell how a politician will be from their campaign; for instance, Alvin ran a very good campaign in 2011, and...

Well, judging by the Willie Horton-esque mailers I am getting in the mail, Curry sucks hard as a manager.

Anyone else draw comparisons between this race and Mayweather v. Pacquiao? Mayweather/Brown just has to sit back and defend and not lose the fight, while Pacquiao/Curry has to go out and win it by actually throwing the punches.

Yeah, the Curry campaign's negativity reflects badly on his public face. It doesn't really say anything about his management experience, though.

To a point, though, the real problem is exactly what you said: Curry's the one who has to go out there and throw the punches. That's just a product of the fact that most of the media has just given Brown pass on his various failings. It's not like Curry's claims are false, but stories that would have gotten a mayor lambasted in better times now barely register in the media. I doubt this is as much an issue of partisanship as it is the decline the news in general. But either way, it's gotten so bad that a blogger who calls out the mayor is seen by some as partisan, rather than just doing what all journalists did 10 years ago.

[Bill Hoff]

AG does good work, on whole.

His pieces published in the last 24 hours regarding a recent District 7 debate and the City Council Rules Committee response to Kimberly Daniels financial & housing issues are valuable - noone else is reporting these things vaguely, let alone with detail.

There's plenty of rabbit holes, not all will be relevant.

[Jax native]

http://floridapolitics.com/archives/182465-alvin-brown-billionaire-benefactor-willie-gary-loses-2m-property-in-foreclosure-auction

Ummmmmmmmmmmmm, an article clearly needed and non partisan as well.   Curry doesn't need go negative with "only positive campaign"  (As A.G. clearly noted on May 1, with Melissa Ross's First Coast Connect) with articles like this.

I'm going with Brian Hughes wrote this one. 

I hate to call Tony out, because he is the brightest and most informative journalist around North Florida now, but what happened?  The pro Curry articles are taking up a lot of space in Florida Politics these days.  His talent is far beyond others, and hate to see such a partisan slant.   

[Tacachale]

This showed up on twitter the other day under #jaxpol.  Made me chuckle.

https://twitter.com/justaguyinjax/status/594214278120476673

Some of Alvin's operatives specialize in attacking perceived enemies in the storied medium of anonymous image macros. I don't know if this is one of them, though, as it doesn't seem to be regurgitating a generic meme from circa 2011, and that's the trademark. Either way, it's kind of an odd strategy, as it only appeals to people who already agree with you, and who think memes are clever.

[Cheshire Cat]

Curry has management experience, which Alvin does not, even after four years as the city's CEO. Curry also knows how to run budgets, which will also be a very nice change of pace. I really think Curry is a more moderate, cooperative person than it appears from his campaign, and he'll turn out to be a better mayor than his detractors may think. But yes, it's entirely his fault for allowing his public image to shape up like it has. He'll have some cleaning up to do. Then again, you can't always tell how a politician will be from their campaign; for instance, Alvin ran a very good campaign in 2011, and...

Well, judging by the Willie Horton-esque mailers I am getting in the mail, Curry sucks hard as a manager.

Anyone else draw comparisons between this race and Mayweather v. Pacquiao? Mayweather/Brown just has to sit back and defend and not lose the fight, while Pacquiao/Curry has to go out and win it by actually throwing the punches.

Yeah, the Curry campaign's negativity reflects badly on his public face. It doesn't really say anything about his management experience, though.

To a point, though, the real problem is exactly what you said: Curry's the one who has to go out there and throw the punches. That's just a product of the fact that most of the media has just given Brown pass on his various failings. It's not like Curry's claims are false, but stories that would have gotten a mayor lambasted in better times now barely register in the media. I doubt this is as much an issue of partisanship as it is the decline the news in general. But either way, it's gotten so bad that a blogger who calls out the mayor is seen by some as partisan, rather than just doing what all journalists did 10 years ago.

I agree with most of what you are saying here but AG to my understanding has media credentials and is writing for Florida Politics which I think is supposed to be more than blogging.

[Cheshire Cat]

Does his mix of op-ed and journalist define his style as gonzo? Asking for a friend.

no.  Gonzo Journalism is a bit impressionist.  Its the attempt to convey the underlying truth regardless of the facts. Like reporting that the lobby is full of rioting klansman who are burning an effigy of Richard Nixon as though it were factual in order to describe the we love avondale hearing against mellow mushroom.

What Tony is doing is called advocacy reporting.

Well I learned something new today Stephen. Thank you.  I did not know anything about "Gonzo" reporting.  I did some reading on it after looking at Ben's post and your response.  I think you are correct that Tony is doing a lot of advocacy reporting but it gets confused with his investigative work like he did on Kimberly Daniels residency etc.  In an age where there is so much drivel to be found instead of solid fact based reporting, the advocacy style misses the mark for me.  Must be my age having grown up in an era where we had Cronkite and other top notch folks dishing out the news.  I don't care one bit for the "Gonzo" nonsense nor "advocacy" reporting if indeed the intent is to hit a mainstream market with facts.  Perhaps that is not what Florida Politics is after.  If so, perhaps they should state Florida Politics, advocacy reporting.

[Jax native]

Does his mix of op-ed and journalist define his style as gonzo? Asking for a friend.

no.  Gonzo Journalism is a bit impressionist.  Its the attempt to convey the underlying truth regardless of the facts. Like reporting that the lobby is full of rioting klansman who are burning an effigy of Richard Nixon as though it were factual in order to describe the we love avondale hearing against mellow mushroom.

What Tony is doing is called advocacy reporting.

Well I learned something new today Stephen. Thank you.  I did not know anything about "Gonzo" reporting.  I did some reading on it after looking at Ben's post and your response.  I think you are correct that Tony is doing a lot of advocacy reporting but it gets confused with his investigative work like he did on Kimberly Daniels residency etc.  In an age where there is so much drivel to be found instead of solid fact based reporting, the advocacy style misses the mark for me.  Must be my age having grown up in an era where we had Cronkite and other top notch folks dishing out the news.  I don't care one bit for the "Gonzo" nonsense nor "advocacy" reporting if indeed the intent is to hit a mainstream market with facts.  Perhaps that is not what Florida Politics is after.  If so, perhaps they should state Florida Politics, advocacy reporting.

Obviously I feel A.G. has stepped over the line to the "Gonzo" advocacy of yesteryears.  I'm so impressed with his writing but unimpressed in how he is trying to make it authentic.  I had so wished for a non partisan group to write insightful, knowledgeable, and fact based writing.  I'm disappointed and perhaps fooled by Florida Politics. 

[Jax native]

http://folioweekly.com/SAFETY-DANCE,12438

Tell me more about the progressive Lenny Curry?  Oh, you have nothing about him? why?  Does Lenny Curry support HRO?  No?  Why? Can we read that answer next week in Folio Weekly?

I'm sincerely bewildered by Tony's articles about Mayor Brown not stating directed his support of HRO, but the loud silence on What Lenny Curry has and hasn't said.  Did I miss a press announcement about Curry supporting HRO?   Why is Mayor Brown the only object of his negative writings about HRO? 

[bill]

http://folioweekly.com/SAFETY-DANCE,12438

Tell me more about the progressive Lenny Curry?  Oh, you have nothing about him? why?  Does Lenny Curry support HRO?  No?  Why? Can we read that answer next week in Folio Weekly?

I'm sincerely bewildered by Tony's articles about Mayor Brown not stating directed his support of HRO, but the loud silence on What Lenny Curry has and hasn't said.  Did I miss a press announcement about Curry supporting HRO?   Why is Mayor Brown the only object of his negative writings about HRO?

So slick Alvin has had 4 years to back the hro and he has done what.......thanks

[Jax native]

Yikes, I hate when attacks become so personal on MJ.  Bill, can you take it down a notch or four?