What we see is a pathetic attempt to pander to both sides of an issue. Putnam seems to be trying to oppose medical marijuana and support it at the same time by hiding behind the Constitution for the need to do it, but not saying how to do it appropriately or pushing to allow market access for vendors or customers. Instead, Putnam took the legislature to task just like he did for its K-12 education legislation without offering any alternative solutions. As noted in prior posts, “Rip Van Putman” seems to have awakened with a renewed thirst for the Governor’s Mansion, but he still has no ideas and no solutions to Florida’s challenges.
Considering Putnam more broadly, it is simply stunning at how little this man has accomplished in his nearly three decades of elected service – quick, name one piece of signature legislation or public policy for which he is known? For a man who has been on the team, well-liked, but seems to have lacked any meaningful success, it is also stunning to see how willing he is to criticize others “in the arena” who are actually doing the fighting on some tough policy issues. To believe Putnam has had a successful political career would require one to measure it more by the friends he has made than the difference he has affected.
