Democrats play nice, display platforms in second gubernatorial debate in three nights
Two nights after engaging in a battle royale, the Democrats running to become Florida's next governor reached a detente as they met again in Miramar Monday night.
Rather than bomb each other over their voting records and character, Andrew Gillum, Gwen Graham, Chris King and Philip Levine redirected their venom at the Republican party. Due at least in part to the rules set by the debate organizers, they gave a packed house two wonky hours of policy positions and arguments about why Democratic voters have to reject the party that's controlled Tallahassee for two decades.
"It's time we have a governor again in Tallahassee that cares for Floridians," said Graham, a former North Florida congresswoman. She said the election "is about the soul of this state, that for the last 20 years has been crushed by Republican rule in Tallahassee."
The four Democrats derided Gov. Rick Scott as a "denier of science," ripped the Legislature for raiding $2 billion from an affordable housing fund since 2001, and blasted President Donald Trump for the country's response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. In a debate held on the eve of the second anniversary of the Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando, they continued to call on Republican candidate Adam Putnam to resign after his office failed for months to review the results of federal background checks on concealed carry permit applications.
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article212936864.html
