James Fishback allegedly blocked from entering Florida Republicansā rally
Being told you're not welcome at your own party's rally is about as blunt a message as politics offers. James Fishback, who ran for Florida governor as a Republican, says he and his wife were stopped at the door of a Get Out the Vote event hosted by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna in Clearwater and told exactly that. Whatever the backstory, it's a reminder that primary campaigns leave scars, and those scars don't always heal by the time the general election rolls around.
I'd want to know who actually made the call. Was it Luna, her staff, or a security guard acting on instructions? And what's the history between these two? Fishback's run for governor presumably put him on a collision course with some of the party's establishment figures, and Luna has her own loyalties. The fact that no one from her office has explained the decision leaves the door open for speculation, which rarely helps anyone.
The bigger picture is that this kind of public snub can become a story in itself, and for a party trying to turn out voters, it's not a great look. But I also don't want to overstate it. One rally, one incident, and we're hearing one side of it. I'd want to hear from Luna's team before drawing firm conclusions.