Fool fest: Why can’t they get anybody better to head up the Florida Democratic party than Karen Thurman? Here’s her latest insipid e-mail appeal:
Dear Democrats,
We’re less than four weeks from the Primary.
On Sept. 5th, Democrats will choose a strong leader to take on the flip-flopping, camera-chasing politician that Republicans have decided is their best shot, despite his lack of backbone, failure to understand the issues important to Floridians and well-documented pattern of running from his own statements.
Florida deserves better. Contribute today to elect a Democratic Governor. https://www.fladems.com/donate/donor.php
Both of our Democratic candidates have what it takes to be Governor of Florida. They have convictions and strong values. They don’t pander, and they stand by their choices – unlike the Republicans who take multiple stances on multiple issues. Sometimes the Republicans who think they deserve to be governor fail to even have the courage to take a side at all.
Florida needs Democrats like Jim Davis and Rod Smith. One of them is going to be elected the next governor of Florida – with your help.
We’re nearing the deadline for filing our fundraising reports, and we want a strong showing that will let the G.O.P. and the media know that we mean business. Can you contribute to electing a Democratic Governor? https://www.fladems.com/donate/donor.php
Because of you, the Florida Democratic Party is running a real, coordinated campaign that will win races at the state and federal level. Each dollar you contribute goes toward electing Democrats up and down the ticket.
Please support your Party today: https://www.fladems.com/donate/donor.php
Together, we will elect a Governor that puts Floridians first.
Thank you,
Karen Thurman
Chair, Florida Democratic Party
ADDENDUM
In response to a comment by alert PR reader oldgringo who requested some background on Thurman vis á vis Katherine Harris, I am including the following entry from Wikipedia. oldgringo wondered whether Thurman and Harris shared any schools, friends, etc. Given that Thurman is a Democrat and Harris a Republican, I doubt it, though it is interesting that both hail from the same general vicinity on Florida’s west coast. — Buck
Karen L. Thurman is a former U.S. Representative from Florida. She is a Democrat.
She was born on January 12, 1951 in Rapid City, South Dakota, but has spent most of her life in Florida. She received her Associate’s Degree from Santa Fe Community College in Starke, Florida in 1970 and her Bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Florida in Gainesville in 1973.
Thurman was first elected to public office in 1974, when she won a seat on the city council of Dunnellon, Florida, on which she served until 1983. She served as Mayor of Dunnellon from 1979-1981. She served in the Florida state senate from 1983-1993, the last four years as president pro tempore.
Florida gained three congressional districts after the 1990 census. One of them was the 5th District, which stretched from Gainesville to the far northern portion of the Tampa Bay Area. It was an open secret that this district was drawn for Thurman. She was elected to the House from that district in 1992 and was reelected four more times with no serious opposition.
By the 2000 census, however, the Republicans controlled the state legislature, and they redrew the 5th to be slightly more friendly to Republicans. The new 5th was virtually coextensive with the district of State Senate President Pro Tem Ginny Brown-Waite. Nonetheless, Thurman ran for reelection. Even though the redrawn district had gone narrowly for George W. Bush in 2000 (Al Gore had won her old district handily), Thurman just barely lost to Brown-Waite.
In 2005 Thurman was elected Chairman of the Florida Democratic Party (FDP), succeeding Chairman Scott Maddox, who resigned in order to seek the Democratic nomination for governor.
Does this lady perchance “float” in the same circles, social or otherwise, as does K. Harris: e.g.,did they go to the same schools, date the same dudes, etc…???