If you ever had the chance of dining out with former Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio, you will know that the man has a big appetite for Italian food, and an even bigger appetite for gobbling up and spitting out any potential political adversary.
During an interview with Marc Caputo over at the POLITICO, Fabrizio took time to dissect the upcoming 2018 gubernatorial race and skewer all of the announced GOP candidates and potential candidates, not name Richard Corcoran.Speaker Corcoran has just hired Fabrizio to consult a possible run for governor through his Watchdog PAC.
Months ago, both Fabrizio and Corcoran confirmed to the Shark Tank that they shared a meal in Tallahassee to discuss the possibility of Speaker Corcoran running to replace Gov. Rick Scott.
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It is crystal clear that the meeting set the wheels in motion for Fabrizio’s hiring and Corcoran’s now-mostly-likely run for governor.
Corcoran’s greatest primary opponent will by AG Commissioner Adam Putnam, who has already amassed $10 million in campaign contributions.
Fabrizio layed into Putnam, saying that the 42-year-old former member of congress was nothing more than a Democrat-lite Republican that championed not-so-conservative issues and bills like “cash for clunkers.”Fabrizio on Putnam:
Fabrizio on his new boss Corcoran:“Putnam is Bill McCollum without the conservative credentials.”
“If Adam Putnam had no money, would you even be talking about this guy?
“There are people who have compelling records. He has money and a record that is just abysmal. Putnam voted for virtually every payday that came down the pike in Congress. He was for amnesty. He voted for endless spending, for cash for clunkers and what he stands for is anathema to the Republican Party today.”
“He was the one-man wrecking ball to expending Medicaid in Florida.”
“While they’re up there in Washington talking about fighting Obamacare, here’s a guy who actually stopped Florida from falling into the trap. While they’re up in Washington talking about what they’re going to do about spending and all this waste, here’s a guy who made it impossible for all of these guys to bury their turkeys in all of these bills. Putnam doesn’t have that record.”
Fabrizio on Rep. Ron DeSantis:
“While I like Ron and he’s a great guy, that’s all they do is talk in Washington.”
“I’m not debating whether or not Ron DeSantis is a conservative. What I’m debating whether he’s a conservative doer vs. a conservative talker. I know Richard Corcoran is a conservative doer and leader who gets things done.”
Fabrizio on Sen. Jack Latvala:
“No offense to Jack Latavala, but he is the Paula Dockery of 2018.”
“He’ll flirt with it. ”He’ll use it to raise some money. But at the end of the day, I don’t see what his angle is to run for governor. He is to the left of Adam Putnam.”
Ouch! That left a mark.
As far as the Democratic gubernatorial candidates are concerned, it appears that former Congresswoman Gwen Graham has taken the leading he primary race over Andrew Gillum, who is just have a really bad and long day with all the federal probing into his campaign.