Dishonorable Mention

We're back! After a slightly longer hiatus than expected Ernest, Becca, and Chris come together in person for the first time in over a year for a "just three of us" edition of Dishonorable Mention.* 0:12: We open with Governor Desantis requesting former President Trump to not start a rally in Sarasota so close to the tragedy of Surfside. Thoughts? Is Desantis taking the lead over Trump as the 2024 Republican favorite? 18:22: For Ron DeSantis to make a run at president, does he need to win re-election in 2022? We also discuss Twitter bottle rockets and this year’s session. 27:03: Why did things get so divisive politically? Does a Democratic nominee have any chance of beating Ron DeSantis for Governor? Plus, other important future elections. 37:28: We dust off the old Florida Man Story machine and wrap-up with shout-outs. *-We didn't have our normal studio gear so the audio isn't perfect, but we couldn't say no to a chance at recording!

History rarely repeats itself, but its echoes never go away. We revisit a previous podcast that discusses a Twitter battle between co-host and State Representative Chris Latvala and Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz in which Gaetz tweeted negatively on a meeting between civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton and Chris. The viral dispute raged on after Chris pointed out a dubious game created by Gaetz in Tallahassee. Join us as we look back at this conversation that rings true perhaps now more than ever. Courageous bipartisanship conversations are rare, but they need not be. And as a bonus - this is the one time everyone agreed that Representative Latvala was right. That alone makes it a must listen.

0:12: We open discussing President Biden’s first month in office. 14:28: Session resumes in Tallahassee, what forthcoming bills are we looking at? 25:12: We pivot to the pandemic and Florida’s covid response and current situation under Ron DeSantis, the Govenor’s call to fly the flag at half-staff for Rush Limbaugh’s death, and his future political endeavors. 51:52: Classic polititainment! 56:22: Becca asks where has the empathy gone? 1:01:38: This week’s Floridaman story, shout-outs, and wrap-up!

0:12: Ernest and Karla are on assignment so we welcome Katie Blaxberg to the pod! Let’s talk about the inauguration and how reaching across the aisle and being bi-partisan is important to successful public service. 24:34: Let’s discuss some state and local news. 38:15: This week’s #Floridaman Story, shout-outs, and wrap-up!

0:12 It’s been a week after the insurrection on the nation’s capitol. The hosts discuss their outlook over the fallout. 19:57: What does the future hold for the GOP? 29:33: Tampa Sports Authority VP of Events and COO of the Super Bowl Host Committee Claire Lessinger joins the pod! We talk a reimagined Super Bowl, what makes Tampa a great place to host events, and the Forever 55 initiative. 48:54: This week’s Floridaman story, shout-outs, and wrap-up!

0:12: The AJC's Washington correspondent Tia Mitchell joins the pod! We start with our initial reactions on what happened at the Nation’s Capitol. 5:14: Tia explains her story being in the House Chamber when the rioters breached the Capitol, keeping the journalism hat on during a crisis, DC police, and the affect of the riot on the senate and house vote. 25:27: Tia talks about the historic victories in Georgia. 28:46: We talk about the certification vote from a Florida perspective and is the 25th Amendment the next step? 45:04: Is there something good that can come from this dark day in American history? What’s next for America when Joe Biden in inaugurated as president? 57:31: This week’s Floridaman story, shout-outs, and wrap-up!

0:00: We discuss our 15 most intriguing people of Tampa in 2020. 33:22: We discuss our 15 most intriguing people nationally in 2020. 1:03:47: We close with some quick reflections on 2020.

0:12: We welcome TB Times Political Editor Steve Contorno to the pod where we’ve got Georgia on our minds! We discuss Stacey Abrams, Georgia shifting blue, and the Senate run-offs. What has the Democratic Party done successfully in Georgia that hasn’t worked in Florida? 15:21: What do we foresee the relationship between Governor Desantis and President-Elect Biden? 19:45: What’s the possibility of Ivanka Trump running for the U.S. Senate in 2022? Who might we see emerge on the Democratic side? 28:29: We welcome back Media Consultant and expert Adam Arnegger to the pod! How did the media handle coverage of the Trump Presidency? 43:58: The hosts discuss the Op-Ed that questioned Dr. Jill Biden’s use of “Dr.” As a prefix. 51:24: We discuss the success of Hallmark movies! 1:02:05: This week’s Floridaman story, shout-outs, and wrap-up!

0:12: We open by discussing Speaker Chris Sprowls’ speech on what he hopes to accomplish in the 2021 session and if the legislature should meet for a special session. 16:33: We turn to national news and President Trump’s continual calls of election fraud, Rudy Guiliani’s role, and more. 24:23: The hosts discuss USF’s future plans on the College of Education’s undergraduate program. and how President Curall has done so far. 42:32: We switch gears to classic polititainment! Thoughts on classic holiday music? 1:03:13: This week's #Floridaman story, shout-outs, and wrap-up!

0:12: Jessa Moore from Jessa Moore Media joins the pod! We discuss President Trump refusing to concede the presidency amid allegations of election fraud and what this means. 22:26: The hosts discuss why the down-ballot Deomcrats weren’t as successful as down-ballot Republicans. 27:13: Is Governor Ron Desantis embracing a herd immunity approach to the COVID-19 pandemic? 42:11: Some classic polititainment! What has everyone been streaming? 47:23: The #1 song on our guest’s fourteenth birthday, this week’s Floridaman story, shout-outs, and wrap-up!

truly this divided as a nation? Also congrats to Chris on re-election! 30:49: Democrats didn’t fare well in Florida, but the Amendment to raise the minimum wage passed. What’s the correlation? What’s next for the Democratic Party of Florida? 43:17: Are we at the point where polling has lost its influence? And how has tone in communication affected the election? 50:20: Where is the nation President Trump wins re-election? Where is the nation if Biden wins? 58:44: We talk about some of the local and states election results. 1:08:04: This week’s Floridaman story, shout-outs, and wrap-up!

0:00: We welcome Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Correspondent Kirby Wilson to the pod! He explains the six proposed constitutional amendments on this year's ballot in Florida. 34:50: Floridaman story! The #1 song on our guest's 14th birthday! Shout-outs!

0:12: The hosts discuss Amy Coney Barrett's SCOTUS nomination hearings, what we think will happen, and what this means for both parties going forward. 20:12: President Trump has been campaigning in Florida this week. Is the I-4 corridor even more important than usual come election day? Plus some classic polititainment! 38:43: The hosts discuss University of Florida head football coach Dan Mullen's comments on inviting a full stadium of fans to their home games. How do we feel about full events at this time? 45:58: How will we look back at total lockdowns during the pandemic? What is the best plan to keep businesses open and people feeling safe? 48:48: This week's Floridaman story, shout-outs, and wrap-up! Let us know which four historical figures you would want to have a dinner with on our Facebook and Twitter page!

0:12: The hosts discuss the first debate between President Trump and Vice President Biden. 17:29: The hosts react on Trump’s lack of denouncing white supremacy during the debate and race relations in the U.S. 39:46: Governor Desantis opens the state back up with no mandatory restrictions. The hosts discuss. 46:57: THE TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING ARE STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS. 51:25: We pivot to some classic polititainment, this week's Floridaman story, and shout-outs!

0:00: The hosts open by talking about the death of Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the subsequent debates of bringing another Supreme Court justice nomination to the senate prior to the presidential election. The hosts also debate if we are truly a divided nation. 33:56: The hosts debate on Michael Bloomberg assisting in paying former felons' fines so they can vote in the election and if it should be allowed. 48:42: Some classic polititainment! We talk about Halloween costumes and more! And of course out weekly Floridaman story and shout-outs.

Chris Latvala is back and we couldn't be happier! 0:00 Chris talks about his last two weeks with Covid-19. 10:28: Why is this virus so politicized? 20:57: We discuss free speech and the media. Should there be consequences for your speech? 32:47: We’re getting closer to #ElectionDay2020 - how do you plan on voting this year? What are good unbiased resources to learn about local and state candidates? 39:32: Floridama! Shout-outs! Wrap-up!

0:12: It’s move-in time across the country for Colleges and Universities, our hosts discuss what will happen with students living on (and off) campus in the middle of the covid-19 pandemic. 6:24: It’s #PrimarySZN in Florida and the votes are in. Our hosts discuss what happened on Tuesday and particular races to keep an eye on come November. 21:43: Takeaways from the Democratic National Convention so far. 33:03: This week’s Floridaman story, shout-outs, and wrap-up!

**We experienced some technical issues with Becca’s audio** 0:00: Ed Narain joins the pod! We open discussing Joe Biden’s selection of Senator Kamala Harris as his VP candidate. 24:14: Maya Rudolph benefits from the selection for sure! Who should play our hosts in a biography of their lives and more polititainment! 29:58: The hosts discuss the latest news of college football conferences canceling fall sports. Is it safe to play college football in a pandemic? We also discuss the movements started by Trevor Lawrence, KJ Sails, and other players in regards to a player’s association and more. 44:08: We discuss brick-and-mortar and remote learning and what school will look like this academic year with all of the uncertainty. 49:18: The #1 song on Ed’s fourteenth birthday, this week’s Floridaman story, shout-outs, and wrap-up!

1:02: It’s friend of the pod, newly re-elected Mayor of Largo Woody Brown’s birthday! And we discuss other local political news. 10:03: We discuss elections and divulge into some old fashioned polititainment. 20:54: Cyn Epler joins the pod! We discuss a story about a flight attendant, her versatile work at Macdill and beyond, and reality TV! 58:36: Crazy story time, you don’t want to miss this one. 1:03:03: After a tough story to follow we bring you this week’s Floridaman story and the #1 song on our guest’s fourteenth birthday. 1:12:07: Shout-outs and airing of the grievances.

0:00: Why are so many people posting invalid conspiracy theories in today’s society? 9:59: Baseball is back! But for how long? Is an outbreak in the Marlins clubhouse going to jeopardize the MLB season? 18:34: The hosts discuss the latest campaign adds from President Trump. 33:11: We discuss the upcoming election, give Karla a shout-out, and talk about Kanye West. 54:09: Emmy nominations! Hurricanes! The Floridaman Story and shout-outs!