The closing remarks from Sunday's Florida Governor's race debate showed just how different to the two candidates are. From their vision for the state to their ability to unite their constituents, it is clear that the future of Florida will be better under Andrew Gillum.
DESANTIS: Good to meet you, Andrew. It's been a fun night. I prepared as an Iraq veteran and somebody that's worked with law enforcement and stood for taxpayers his whole life. I'm the guy who can lead Florida and protect our future. We have got to keep our economy going. People are getting opportunities. We can't destroy it with stiff tax increases that are going to cost jobs and prevent more business from coming to our state. We also got to stand with the men ask women and say you're going to cut their budget and say police and prisons have no place in justice. They are the heart of justice. We can't have open borders. I want to make sure we're not trying to abolish ICE and we will finally solve the problem of our toxic algae and dirty water and restore the everglades and clean this up once and for all. I'm asking for your vote. I'll work hard and put your interests above mine. I'm not going to use my office to feather my own nest. It would be an honor to have your vote.
TAPPER: Mayor?
GILLUM: Because my mother and father would have to get up so early they would drive us to my grandmother's house where she would have a ritual to do two things before we left the door. Take her bottle of olive oil and build a cross on my forehead as a way to send us out in the world with covering. Then go to school, mind your teachers, get your lesson and bring that home. Bring it home for your family who get out there and work on somebody else's job. Bring it home for your brother and sister.
What my grandmother was communicating to me was that it wasn't just about me. It's about all of us. And in Trump's America we have been led to believe we have to step on our neighbor's shoulder and their face and backs in order to get ahead. I reject that. We have an opportunity on November 6th as a collective, as a state, to say we deserve better.
We want better. We want better schools. access to health care, a clean economy, a restorative justice system that works hand in glove the community and law enforcement work together for all of our benefit. I'm asking you all for the only thing in life that mother told me to ask for and than a chance. I want to be your governor. Let's bring it home.
You can literally picture Desantis' statement coming out of Trump's mouth, if you just close your eyes. Hate and divisiveness and nastiness.
Gillum's by contrast, is optimistic, hopeful, uniting.
