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good thing for Israel. Good luck with that.
There are two explanations here: One is that he feels threatened by three-time 
loser Annette Taddeo, who he will likely face in the general election next year. Because even though Taddeo has lost her three last tries to get into elected office — any elected office, the last of which was LG to former Gov. Charlie Crist’s failed comeback — she will have the money to reach voters in a bell weather district, which, by the way, she and Crist won in 2014 and which, also, has flipped three times already in the last three consecutive elections and which, on top of that, could be redrawn to favor a Democrat candidate.
Read related story: Dear Carlos Curbelo: You have two years, then bye-bye
So, yeah, it’s a real race. A hotly-contested, closely-watched, anybody-can-win-it contest on the national radar. And Curbelo could be pandering already to those middle-of the-road votes and the third of the voters who are independent. You know… hedging his bets.
The second explanation is that he’s really a Democrat at heart. Remember, he cut his teeth on the campaigns of his political godfathers, Lincoln and Mario Diaz Balart, who were once Democrats, too, and reportedly changed parties so they could win.
And all that huffing and puffing about Donald Trump being a Democratic plant is for cover.
“There was never any doubt from the beginning that Carlos Curbelo was not a conservative Republican. He supported Common Core, while the Republican Party was against it,” said former Cutler Bay Ed “Mac” MacDougall, one of four other primary candidates — including former Congressman David Rivera, who had lost to Joe Garcia two years prior.
MacDougall thinks its reason number two.
Former Miami-Dade Commission Chairman Joe Martinez thinks Curbelo seems more Dem cbeause of reason number one.
“He’s just trying to stay elected,” Martinez told Ladra.
“That’s what happens to some people when they get into office, they just try to stay in power and forget their principles.”
Either way, man is Curbelo ripe for another primary.
MacDougall said his wife would kill him. “I have the will. But my wife isn’t going to allow me 
to spend another two years away from home and a good fortune on it.”
Martinez is leaning more toward another mayoral run against Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez. He won’t announce anything until next year.
But all a relatively decent candidate would need is a mailer with a photo of Curbelo and Obama sipping martinis on Air Force One and the fact that he begged to fly with the president twice and flew down with him weeks after Obama shook hands with Raul Castro. Oh, use that photo, too. And mail it only to the over 65 Cuban voters in Westchester and Kendall.
Sources tell me that there could be a primary opponent. That someone is thinking of doing it just on principle, so that Curbelo doesn’t get a free ride. And they hope that the anti-establishment fever whipped up by Donald Trump will trickle down to the trenches.
He or she should be taking notes and saving photos.
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Is Carlos Curbelo a closet Democrat in disguise? added by Ladra on
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He is just trying to appear more moderate to win Democrats in his district.
I give Mr. Curbelo a LOT of credit for taking a bold stand to act on sea level rise and climate change. With sea water flooding into our streets at high tide, and our reefs and oysters dying from carbon overdose, we cannot afford any more partisan games with the climate issue. I don’t care what party you are from, it’s time to face this climate threat and take it seriously. Glad he stepped up!
Crybaby is in the wrong closet?.
So voting with Democrats on a few issues that you believe are righteous and taking a picture or flying with a head of state makes you a Democrat?? I’m pretty sure that makes you a moderate which is what this country needs. Someone willing to work and compromise with the other side to get things done. What we don’t need is extreme Dem’s or GOPs who are just crazy. We also need better journalism than this garbage.
No. But wrapping yourself up in the ultra conservative flag to win primary votes and lying or misinforming people, if even through omission, on those positions because it may cost you votes makes you a hypocrite.
Did you even read the story? Or just the headline?
Normally, Ladra praises and applauds bipartisan crossing of the aisle… but not hypocrisy. Embrace your inner Democrat, I always say.
Is that you Miles? I miss you.
Love, Ladra
“bellwether”, not bell weather. Although admittedly the weather can get rather loud in District 26.
Ladra, you have provided a necessary truth and swung an investigative hit out of the ball park.
We, the constituents, are tired of establishment, quid pro quo, who you know, money buys elections, two-faced politicians. The utter disrespect for the voter and the utter arrogance of nonchalance towards bold face lying is unparallel in its extreme corruption.
We want a REPRESENTATIVE elected official to act/vote on policy after being elected EXACTLY as he promised and championed during the midst of campaigning. OR, if his policy positions do change, as many of ours do throughout the years, explain through the normal avenues of voter engagement – Town Halls, etc. HOWEVER, what we have here is a politician claiming to be in agreeance with the policy platform of his chosen party, and selling that tripe to his constituents, when he clearly is not.
Congressional races are partisan. Should the voters want a nonpartisan race, they need to push that agenda at every electoral level. Although, from my experience, “nonpartisan” races are the most hypocritical of them all. Most are SUPER partisan with slate candidates being push by the local party.
Voting for Democrat policies usually signifies you are a Democrat. I learned the simplicity of that analysis in Introduction to Logic and Reasoning 101.
[…] Guess they don’t think he’s a closet Democrat in disguise. […]
It’s good to see that we have a representative in Congress that has not been brain washed by Fox “News”, that knows how to reach across the aisle to attempt to get something done. I am so tired of grid lock, aren’t you?
The people want for both parties to be together when their welfare is in jeopardy. so lets make up are minds and support those that are making an effort to help the needy, no matter what party they belong too! We really need to group up and stop repeating the different mantras.
And rational.
Maybe he is just intelligent.