Opinion: If he were a white Republican, Gillum’s verdict might mean political rebirth

Not guilty. If Florida’s Andrew Gillum were a white male heterosexual Republican, his not-guilty verdict on a charge of lying to the FBI, and the hung jury on federal campaign-funds fraud charges, might also include a path to political redemption.

Preposterous, you say. But, why not?

What’s the difference between Gillum, 43, and former president Donald Trump, 76, who has done much worse?

Only race, money and party affiliation.

The white male 2016 Republican presidential candidate who boasted about grabbing women by their private parts, which is sexual assault — and won — almost stole American democracy. His failure to call off an attack on the U.S. Capitol by his followers placed the lives of members of Congress at death’s door.

Neither Trump nor his supporters have shown no act of contrition or remorse. The twice-impeached ex-president is running for re-election despite being criminally charged and now facing a rape trial. And Trump is out-polling his closest competitor, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whom Gillum almost beat when he ran for governor in 2018.

Why is what’s good for Republicans isn’t not good enough for Democrats in Florida?

DEMOCRATS’ FLORIDA HOPE

Once, Gillum — the first Black nominee for Florida governor of a major party — represented the state’s Democratic Party’s best hope for a Barack Obamalike figure who could cross cultures and inspire voters.

The rising star seemed poised to defeat Trumpbacked ex-congressman DeSantis, who used dogwhistle language to refer to his opponent and began riding the hobbyhorse topic of cat-calling Democrats “Communists.”

A good communicator, Gillum understood the idiosyncrasies of all of Florida — from the politics of Tallahassee, where he was mayor, to the wounds of exile in Miami, where he was born and raised.

When I wrote the column, “I lived in a socialistcommunist regime for 10 years. Andrew Gillum is no socialist,” calling the Republican’s bluff on the single-issue race, Gillum thanked me publicly on Twitter.

“We are going to win this by giving people something to vote FOR, not against — especially these kinds of insulting attacks,” he tweeted.

Although he lost, he came 32,000 votes shy of beating DeSantis.

Had Gillum won, neither culture wars nor the anti-abortion movement would have found an audience and a leader in Tallahassee. Black history wouldn’t be whitewashed in education or anywhere else. Gay and trans people wouldn’t be alienated and dehumanized. And he probably wouldn’t be in bed with the insurance industry, as are DeSantis and GOP legislators.

We probably wouldn’t be paying the highest insurance rates in the country — and wasting millions of taxpayer dollars fighting Disney World over a corporate opinion and litigating a host of other civilrights cases rising out of constitutionally questionable legislation.

After his narrow loss, at first Gillum didn’t give up on Florida or his political career, becoming a CNN analyst and creating a political organization to register voters and fight voter suppression, Forward

Florida Action.

In a 2019 op-ed in The Washington Post headlined “‘Socialism’ is a GOP smear. Democrats have to fight back,” Gillum brilliantly exposed the way DeSantis and Trump were amplifying an untruthful message in Florida.

The two beat him with the false, single-issue attack — and would use it again in 2020, he warned.

Democrats aren’t responding adequately, Gillum argued, writing sympathetically about how for Florida voters from Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, their “traumatizing histories of authoritarian socialist regimes are active memories.”

“Democrats need to make a strong case, and soon, that we are fighting for economic freedom and opportunity — and it is Republican ideas that are diminishing freedom and opportunity for millions,” he wrote.

A prophetic summation of what has, indeed, happened in DeSantis’ Florida, especially during the last two legislative sessions.

GILLUM’S PERSONAL & POLITICAL FALL

Yet, after the election faded from view, a different Gillum emerged when shocking news broke in 2020: The almost-governor and married father of three was found incoherent and drunk in a messy hotel room in South Beach in the company of drugs and two men, one an overdosed male escort.

In a statement, Gillum denied taking pills or crystal meth, but said he began drinking heavily after the narrow loss. He was entering rehab for alcohol abuse and stepping down from politics.

“This has been a wakeup call for me,” he said. “Since my race for governor ended, I fell into a depression that has led to alcohol abuse.”

Months later, in a television interview in which his wife R. Jai also participated, Gillum disclosed that he identifies as bisexual, and said he was working to overcome feelings of guilt and shame for hurting his family.

“You just asked the question. You put it out there whether or not I identify as gay. And the answer is, I don’t identify as gay, but I do identify as bisexual,” Gillum told show host Tamron Hall.

It was courageous of him to put his life out there for all to judge.

Then, came the federal charges for an FBI and federal prosecutor investigation that delved into how his campaign election funds were handled and his time as Tallahassee

mayor.

On Thursday, a jury of his peers exonerated him of one charge and deadlocked, unable to convict him of 18 others.

He cried.

For the past four years, Republican Floridians have trolled me every time there’s a Gillum headline.

Why don’t you slam disgraceful Gillum? they ask.

Because Gillum didn’t hide his failures. He admitted being a broken man. That he’s bisexual is irrelevant, a private fact he could have kept between him and his wife.

Congressman Matt Gaetz, who has criticized Gillum at every turn, for example, was under investigation for worse — the crime of sex-trafficking minors — and he hasn’t lost a thing. His lawyers said earlier this year that federal officials have decided not to charge him.

So the question isn’t why don’t I slam Gillum, but why can’t a Black Democrat — who has apologized to “the people of Florida” repeatedly — be forgiven?

Easy answer: Because he’s a Democrat.

And the double-whammy: He’s Black.

Fabiola Santiago: 305-376-3469, @fabiolasantiago