Big money distraction throws contest into question

Maxwell Frost is becoming a distraction in the closing days of the Democratic primary election to choose a successor for Rep. Val Demings, who is expected to be the party's nominee to take on GOP Senator Marco Rubio in November.

While all indications show that—even with ten candidates—the primary is a two-way race between former Congressman Alan Grayson, who lives in the district and represented Orlando in Washington for six years, and state Senator Randolph Bracy, who resides outside the newly drawn 10th Congressional District but has considerable name recognition.

Grayson was identified by Time magazine, Slate and Business Insider as one of the most 'productive' or 'effective' members of the House of Representatives while dozens of legislative measures proposed by Bracy have died in committee in recent years, but questions of competence and courage are taking a backseat in local media to innuendo and lies as a result of the upstart youth whose big-money campaign is backed by a shadowy billionaire.

Some of Frost's messaging is objectively false and misleading, but with nearly $3 million behind it, he has recycled lies from a previous right-wing effort to undermine Grayson, who has proved their falsity in a protected legal battle, which is still pending before a federal appeals court.

And despite his weak position in the polls and huge cash advantage—Frost has raised more money than all the other nine candidates combined—the youngest contender is still furiously seeking more funding.

"A recent poll showed that a majority of young Americans believe that our democracy is in serious trouble. And 35% of young people believe there could be a second civil war in their lifetime," said Frost in an email pleading for more money on top of the $2 million he has already raised and the $1 million spent on his behalf by cryptocurrency billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried.

"If you’ve been paying attention to the news lately, you’ve probably been alarmed about the future of our democracy," said Frost, whose special interest and billionaire connections make him a dubious champion 'of our democracy' at the very best.

"The news is full of brazen insurrectionists, countless voter suppression laws, and alt-right extremism," said Frost, whose alarmist messaging skirts close to reality only when he claimed, "that our democracy is in crisis and we must take action to preserve it."

What he failed to address is that he and his uber-wealthy supporters are the greatest threat to "our democracy" but Frost has cited the same "recent poll" in at least four email messages dating back to 2021, as long as he has claimed "the far-right is trying to torpedo" his campaign.

Bus running against one of America's most energetic and effective progressive champions in Grayson, it is hard to understand why "the far-right" would want to "torpedo" a 25-year-old high school graduate who has already sold out to a Wall Street gambler.

"Believe me when I tell you this: They're selling you snake oil," said Robert Reich, who warned that cryptocurrency is dangerous:

Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Dogecoin are all the rage these days, bolstered in part by the incessant tweeting of Elon Musk. Before you buy, here are 4 facts you may not know:
First, their price is easily manipulated. One negative word from a self-interested billionaire like Musk and the price plunges.
Two, they can be incredibly risky investments. Some cryptocurrencies — particularly smaller "altcoins" — are just "pump and dump" schemes, where the price is artificially inflated by bad actors and leaves unwitting consumers holding worthless cryptocoins.
Three, they can enable fraud and other illicit activities. Since October, cryptocurrency scams have soared 1000 percent and Americans have lost $80 million. This month, a ransomware group extorted nearly $5 million from the Colonial Pipeline Company, forcing it to shut down the biggest fuel pipeline in the U.S. before regaining access to its systems.
Four, they use up huge amounts of energy. Electricity demand for bitcoin is outpacing electricity consumption in several countries including Argentina.
My advice: don’t get near crypto. Companies should stop accepting them as payment. At least not until the Securities and Exchange Commission can catch up and enact much-needed regulations to protect users.

Reich, who served as US Secretary of Labor during President Bill Clinton's first term, has cultivated a wide popular following for his candid assessments of economics.

As the billionaire-backed Frost campaign has been focusing its fire on Grayson, it seems clear that the neoliberal establishment—whose interests overlap with much of the Republican Party's top policy priorities—is hoping to keep for former Congressman in Florida.

The big question is whether Orlando Democrats will take the bait or will they return the "Congressman with Guts" to Washington, where he could prove a pivotal ally for progressive Democrats as they battle a resurgent GOP and a possible return of Donald Trump.