I had to look up spelling of "Demings" because since having to live within a Congressional district occupied by Michele Bachmann, I now have trouble being certain about doubled vs single consanants. A Demings related websearch.
Grayson-related online coverage, here and here. He got piled on. Believing that web reporting of truth vs negative hyperbole, there has been a smear campaign against Grayson, on two fronts, whoever you believe was involving in the smearing.
It is good to recall that the GOP Minnesota Attorney General campaign folks will know a smear campaign when they see one (or engineer one, or see some PAC, fully independent of the campaign of course, do engineering).
Were I living there, Grayson would have my primary vote, no doubt to that; and the Dem primary winner my general election vote - liking Grayson, Deming the lesser evil in a general election (by light-years, considering Marco Rubio and his ego).
NRSC, the GOP Senate incumbancy-first-expansion-second machine, already is trashing Grayson. Whether also trashing Demings would require web searching, but Marco does fear Grayson which is why NRSC is in fighting posture already, before the Dems have a primary.
If wanting to know establishment DC Dem "wisdom" (a/k/a anti-progressive bias) The Hill issued its story (MSM ran the feed).
Demings being the focus with Grayson mentioned eleven paragraphs into the item, dismissively, with no further mention of him in the post - a pattern emerges. The Hill itself did not anoint a pre-primary winner between Grayson and Demings.
News presenters do not do that other than on the editorial page. Yet, there is this:
© The Hill Demings raises Democrats' hopes in uphill fight to defeat Rubio
Notice of what's copywrited - it is what it is when it is by the item headline, a headline which carries implications of further item content and from major DC media.
Two parties, two suggested general election candidates. This early. So, all that, but The Hill did not manufacture the news nor shade its reporting of prospects. They are honorable. There was an osmosis of outlook, somehow.
You know, however, The Hill did its soundings and talking to sources, polling review and such, and within their shop finding and reporting some consensus, perceived by them, that Deming's the one. As if the will of leadership has spoken to them.
Welcome to the Val Demings Show? The DC Dem institutional leadership prior to this icing of Grayson had stood Demings up as one of its presenters in the Trump Senate trial. The one had after the first House Impeachment vote. On that "big stage" where only fools would have watched it without knowing the GOP nose count had a GOP Senate majority and the outcome therefore was known in advance. The acquittal fix was in.
Cramdown Deming? Much as Dem inner party forces slugged outsider people with its Biden cramdown four years after its Clinton cramdown disaster, we are getting to know a cramdown when we see one and we're seeing a pattern emerge.
Florida -- DWS, Epstein, Gaetz - and besides them, Florida has other great people who elected Rubio already. Demings may have a substantial law and order bloc, but still a questionable chance to win against GOP power and bias in the geriatric fixed-income or comfortably cushioned retiree state; while Grayson might give a more-spirited fight than Impeachment presenter Demings will put into play, if once past Grayson in the primary.Realism often is sad. Realism in Florida, hard to define, since Al Gore won there, but didn't after the votes were never fully recounted and the candidate against Gore, the one who started Iraq warfare and left Obama a bag of bailout, which Geithner and Obama handled as they did. If any voter or politician is really gung-ho over Val Demings as Senator, it would be surprising. This is the calculus of lesser evil for certain, and it will lose since Florida's shown a penchant for greater evil, Epstein getting his plea deal there (but then later not in New York) being an example. Trump prospering there being another.
The guess here is Rubio defeats either.
Neither Dem will try to poison the other's well in pursuit of a primary win, Demings having the war chest. There even could be at least one also-ran primary contestant besides the two. However, if you read that Hill item, do you need a weatherman?
If a Dem primary also-ran tries to poison both Dem wells, you will be able to speculate to yourself, depending on your politics, and judgment, "GOP stalking horse again."