Gwen Graham: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

A leopard can’t change its spots, and neither can Democratic candidate, Gwen Graham.

Gwen Graham, the daughter of former U.S. Sen. and Gov. Bob Graham, is trying to positioning herself as a political outsider, despite having aided her father’s political career and worked on the presidential campaigns of former Gov. Howard Dean, D-Vt., and then-U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., in the 2004 election cycle. Graham is running a campaign on being an independent voice for Floridians in Washington, and is hoping to defeat U.S. Rep. Steve Southerland, R-Fla, in November.

While Graham is trying to distance herself from her liberal roots, liberal groups in DC are doubling down on her, and making it hard for the former Senator’s daughter to be viewed as independent. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and outside interest groups such as, Emily’s list are ramping up their support for Graham and funneling millions into the district. They are determined to help Graham defeat Congressman Southerland in November.

Although Graham is working hard to brand herself as an outsider with zero connections to Washington, Politico.com begs to differ. In July 2013, Politico published an article titled: “50 Politicos to Watch: Gwen Graham.” The opening line, “Gwen Graham knows a thing or two about politics” showcases Graham as a political ace with a war chest that would make even the most seasoned politician smile. In the article, Graham says, “North Florida is full of Graham Democrats who are “yearning for the kind of leadership my dad represented.”

As a legacy in the political arena, Graham has been a clear Democratic favorite from the onset. Her knowledge of the game is sure to be her biggest asset and achilles heel if she wants to  win in a GOP leaning district by convincing voters she’s just like them.

It is no surprise this race will be close, but like Abraham Lincoln said, “You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.” Only time will tell if Graham can fool the people of Northern Florida to vote for her in November.