On October 14, U.S. District Court Judge James I. Cohn denied injunctive relief in Adrian Wyllie’s lawsuit seeking an invitation into the Florida gubernatorial debate. Wyllie for Governor Campaign v Leadership Florida Statewide Community Foundation, sou. dist., 0:14cv-62322. The basis for the lawsuit was Wyllie’s contention that the debate sponsors had originally required a 12% showing in the polls, and when Wyllie met that standard, the requirement was increased to 15%. Wyllie is the Libertarian nominee for Governor of Florida. The debate is set for October 15.
The six-page order says that the debate organizers never promised to admit candidates if they hit 12% in the polls, and that the reference to 12% in their offer was to a different event. Wyllie had sought a hearing, but the judge ruled based on the written briefs.
I think incumbent GOP governor Rick Scott may have just “cooked his own goose” when he held up the start of the debate this evening in Florida, over a dispute of a small circulating fan which Democratic nominee Charlie Crist had asked to be placed at or under his lectern.
May be wrong about the real argument over the fan, but to pull this stunt, I think really turned people off. Made Scott look like a spoiled child who doesn’t get his way.
And it is too bad they wouldn’t let Wyllie in the debate, but this too, I believe, would have won voters away from Scott.
Don’t know if there are other debates scheduled for the gubernatorial candidates or not, but the “fan incident” may cause Wyllie’s polling numbers to go up.
I predict, if Wyllie gets 15% of the vote in November, Crist will win with about 43% to Scott’s 42%.
Any other predictions? http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/voters-guide/article2835621.html