By Chris Ingram

The Tampa Tribune

Published May 3, 2012

The Republican National Committee recently released the hotel assignments for state delegations at the convention in Tampa this summer.

The Florida delegation was severely penalized with an assignment at the lovely Innisbrook Resort — 40 miles away and probably a two-hour commute from downtown Tampa the week of the convention. The RNC’s slight came as a result of the Legislature (dominated by Republicans) thumbing its nose at the RNC when the state chose a presidential preference primary date outside the committee’s preferences.

The RNC retaliation means (more…)

By Chris Ingram

The Tampa Tribune

Published April 24, 2012

There is competition for the television show “Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?” It is not on TV but it is entertainment nonetheless. It’s called the Florida Republican U.S. Senate primary.

Lacking a talented bench, Florida Republicans have nothing but a Charlie Crist re-tread, a blessed to be born with a good name dipstick, and a wing-nut, now that the ultimate political opportunist, Florida’s CFO Jeff Atwater decided not to get into the race.

First there is George LeMieux. LeMieux was the puppet master of the Crist regime. He also gave Republicans (more…)

By Chris Ingram

The Tampa Tribune

Published March 30, 2012

There is an old saying: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”

In 1992, 77 percent of Florida voters approved an amendment to the state’s constitution to limit the terms of Florida legislators to eight years.

The consequence of the amendment has created multiple obvious problems, including a lack of institutional knowledge and effective leadership. Tallahassee insiders say the last legislative session was one of the worst in the state’s history — due in large part to a leadership vacuum.

In 2000, the year Florida’s term limits law took effect, 220 years of legislative experience was forced out of the chambers of the state House and Senate.

Since then, power in the capitol has been transferred from (more…)

By Chris Ingram

The Tampa Tribune

Published February 20, 2012

Imagine you’re a member of the political class. You’ve spent your life being a back-slapping, status-quo-supporting, go-along-to-get-along career politician who tries not to offend anyone. For a while, things were great. You made almost 200 grand a year between your day “job” as an elected official while moonlighting as government adviser or lobbyist or such for a bell-ringing charity.

Then you get term-limited out of the cushy elected position and have to run for something else. The state Senate looks good despite the fact that it’s about a $60,000 pay cut. But you don’t worry; there are plenty of lobbyists and special interests in Tallahassee who will help ease the financial blow.

You run, and you win, but your pesky primary opponent files a lawsuit and airs a whole bunch of dirty laundry about you. Court cases, criminal investigations involving the IRS and dead people, and media condemnation ensue, but ultimately you’re cleared of any wrongdoing because there isn’t a statute that says a politician can’t be an unethical dirt bag.

Two years later it’s re-election time, and a fellow Republican has the gall to (more…)

By Patricia Campion

(Editor’s note: Clearly the author of the following article — Ms. Campion, “gets it.” Unfortunately many of my fine readers did not. That is, that the “memo” in question was satirical in nature. I had questions and comments from people across the state who thought the “secret memo” was real. Now what does that say about what voters think about their elected “leaders”? One commenter said, “Haridopolos didn’t write that, I recognize his writing and that’s not it.” What does this say about voters? Clearly this is not good. Regardless, enjoy Ms. Campion’s read. I loved her reference to the USF student who “spanked” Sen. J.D. Alexander).

Chris Ingram of the blog site Irreverent View was very proud to announce that he had obtained a “secret memo” from Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolous to Senator J.D. Alexander.”

“The memo speaks for itself about what goes on in Tallahassee when we elect boys to do a man’s job,” Ingram blasted Haridopolous.

An image of the memo is prominently displayed on the website. The words of Haridopolous — scrawled on Florida Senate letterhead as if by the hand of a child — appear in shades of blue and pink crayon.

“Dear J-dog,” the “secret memo” to Alexander from Haridopolous begins. “You stuck it to USF good.”

By the end of the memo one could concur with Ingram that these words portray the tantrum of a spoiled brat who didn’t get his way. However, what the Irreverent blogger failed to do was disclose how the story began.

Flashback to July: The campaign for (more…)

Irreverent View obtains secret memo from Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolous to Senator J.D. Alexander

By Chris Ingram

The memo speaks for itself about what goes on in Tallahassee when we elect boys to do a man’s job and egomaniacal twits born into wealth and privilege are elected to serve as our “leaders.” When they don’t get there way, issues like what is unfolding with regard to funding for the University of South Florida ensues.

(more…)

Mark Sharpe to make major announcement regarding his congressional campaign LIVE on the air.

Listen to “Chris Ingram’s Irreverent View” radio show live today, February 10th from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Special guests Commissioner Mark Sharpe, Republican candidate for U.S. Congress during the 11:00 hour followed by Josh Burgin, conservative activist and gubernatorial appointee to the Board of HART during the 12:00 hour.

The show will be broadcast live on 1470 AM in the Tampa/St. Pete market and can be heard worldwide streaming on your PC by going to http://www.newstalkflorida.com Just scroll down to the “Listen Now” section on the right and then click on “1470 Listen Live.” An audio stream of the show will pop up in a new window. As long as you leave the new window up, you can continue to use your computer and listen at the same time.

Listener calls will be taken throughout the show. Dial 866-977-4820 to ask a question and join the show!

Don’t bet on Newt if beating Obama is the goal

By Chris Ingram

Just recently I made up my mind to vote for Mitt Romney for president. In assessing the rather weak field of GOP candidates, I believe Romney is the only one who has the experience, temperament, steady hand, and enough appeal to independents and swing voters to beat Barack Obama.

Newt Gingrich’s potential jackpot victory in Florida on Tuesday will only come at the behest of conservative Republican voters who don’t like Romney. Gingrich is betting they will leave their conscience at the door and forget about all the things they claim they value (morality, smaller government, no amnesty for illegals), roll the dice and vote for him. It’s an election strategy most Vegas odds-makers called a long-shot just weeks ago.

Newt Gingrich with Las Vegas casino magnate Sheldon Adelson (left). Adelson and his wife have contributed over $10 million to a Super PAC benefitting Gingrich.

But Newt’s silver tongue, intellect, and remarkable recollection of history have served him well.

He’s wagering voters’ memories aren’t as remarkable as his own.

Gingrich would rather voters forget about (more…)

Listen to “Chris Ingram’s Irreverent View” radio show live on Wednesday, Jan. 18 from 11:00 a.m. – noon.

The show is broadcast live and can be heard on your PC or on your I-Pad, Android phone or tablet. If listening on your mobile/notebook/portable device, you must first load the app on your phone/notebook/portable to listen — see directions below or at http://www.rhinoonair.com.

Topics for today’s show include the upcoming South Carolina GOP presidential preference primary, the RNC penalties on the Fla. GOP conventioneers, and we’ll have Florida political consultant Kevin Keogh,  who is the former three-term chairman of the Maine Republican Party as our special guest . The listener call-in number is 727-388-4777.

To listen on your PC just click on the “Listen Live” button on the homepage of RhinoOnAir.com.

To listen on your phone or tablet go to the  IphoneApp Store or Android Market and click download/install to load the app to your phone. Then go to RhinoOnAir.com and click on “listen live.”

By Chris Ingram

The Tampa Tribune

Published January 17, 2012

Ask any Republican — from the rank-and-file grassroots to party leadership — what their No. 1 goal for 2012 is and the answer is always, “Send Obama an eviction notice.”

Yet somehow the Republican National Committee, most of its members and its national chairman, Reince Priebus, are hellbent on airing the party’s dirty laundry by taking Florida to the woodshed for violating the RNC’s “rules” about election dates.

I have what I think is a great idea to solve this “problem.” But first, it’s important to understand the facts. They are: (more…)