https://soundcloud.com/wuft/republican-convention-day-3
It was not a quiet day for the Florida delegates in Ohio.
Former Mayor of New York, Rudy Giuliani, addressed a vivacious crowd of the sunshine state delegates, alternates and guests. The delegates were chanting his name as he walked into the Embassy Suites ballroom.
His speech focused on Hillary Clinton’s widely-publicized email scandal, and his opinion that she would go to prison if he were in a position to prosecute her. The delegation gave him several standing ovations in response.
Sally Beach is an alternate delegate from Lake City. She said she feels like Clinton should go to prison instead of the White House – a popular slogan here in the streets of Cleveland this week.
“There’s a fraction that wants to keep (Trump) out, but they’re a minority here because most people here support Trump and do not want Hillary as president," she said.
Bill Folchi, a delegate from Charlotte County, agrees with Beach. He was at first a Rubio supporter, but has, he said as he teared up, wholeheartedly embraced a Trump administration.
“He’s capable of being an excellent president. In fact, he’ll be the best president we ever had,” Folchi said.
Folchi compared this year’s convention to when he was a delegate for the 2012 RNC in Tampa. He said this year feels more exciting.
“Better speakers. I get the crowd is more energized too, I don’t know — it’s electric!”
Folchi may think highly of a Trump presidency, but U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz from Florida’s 23rd district does not. She’s visiting Cleveland before the Democratic National Convention next week in Philadelphia. And she stopped by the media area at the RNC to speak out against the new Republican nominee.
“I thought it was really important knowing the vitriol and divisiveness that would be spewed from the podium that it was important that we stage a counter-convention,” she said.
For the main stage, the convention was Florida heavy with Governor Rick Scott, and Attorney General Pam Bondi speaking, and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio was present via video address.