Former Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum was once glorified by much of the media as a rising star. Now, like the disgraced lawyer Michael Avenatti, the media has developed amnesia about its affections for Gillum.
This saga is another reminder that when it comes to the incestuous relationship between the majority of legacy media outlets and the Democratic Party, you’re red hot until the very next day when you are not. That’s the case, whether it’s Avenatti, whom CNN once promoted as a 2020 presidential candidate, or Gillum, who was only a few thousand votes shy of the Florida governor’s mansion. Gillum now faces 24 federal criminal counts as listed in a stunning indictment.
The media’s former love for Gillum isn’t terribly debatable.
In an October 2018 piece for Esquire magazine, Charles Pierce labeled Gillum under the title “A Star is Born.” Pierce compared seeing Gillum to seeing that little-known college basketball player named Julius Erving. Air ball.
Vox needed two writers on a byline to promote Gillum. “Florida voters are still casting ballots in the race for governor, but already some liberals can’t help but ask: Could Democrat Andrew Gillum be their answer to 2020?” opened the flattering profile. Also, according to CNN, Gillum met with Former President Barack Obama about the potential for a 2020 White House Run, making him another in a long line of losing Democrats who can’t win state races but then get promoted to higher office by the national media.
However, it wasn’t just the media. Celebrities weren’t shy about offering their support to Gillum. He was promoted not only by Obama but by Hillary Clinton, Alec Baldwin, Tyler Perry, Rihanna, Gabrielle Union, and her husband, former Miami Heat star Dwayne Wade. No word yet on if any of these stars will be weighing in on Gillum’s indictment. Indeed, Gillum is being represented by Marc Elias, the Democratic powerhouse attorney formerly of Perkins Coie, the firm also of Clinton attorney Michael Sussmann, who was acquitted of lying to the FBI earlier this year. Elias is a media regular, appearing on CNN shows such as Reliable Sources and MSNBC.
We should remember Gillum’s prior promotion by the national media as they now attempt to wash their hands of him. Many media outlets will want to present this as just another local crime story, much in the same way they presented Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby. Mosby made national waves in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests and riots but is also under indictment.
Still, history is clear.
Gillum was once approximately 32,000 votes from winning his race against now Gov. Ron DeSantis, a GOP 2024 presidential possibility. Now, Gillum is just another bad stain on the Democratic Party and the national media that promoted him.
Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) has written for National Review, the New York Post, and Fox News and hosts the Versus Media podcast.
