Let’s remember Floyd Brown, the scummy political operative, born on this day in 1961 (March 10)
“Floyd Gregory Brown (born March 10, 1961) is an American author, speaker, and media commentator. He is formerly the CEO of USA Radio Network. Brown founded the news website Western Journalism in 2008. Brown in his early career worked as a political consultant and conducted opposition research for political campaigns. Brown is noteworthy for founding Citizens United in 1988 and for his introduction of the “Willie Horton” television ad during the Bush-Dukakis presidential race,” says the opening paragraph of political operative Floyd Brown’s Wikipedia page.
The Bremerton-born Brown has been somewhat quiet during the Trump years, possibly because he’s not as flashy as Roger Stone, but his presence has been felt on nearly every dirty political attack over the past 30+ years. Starting a 900 number so people can hear phone calls between Bill Clinton and Gennifer Flowers? Check. Spreading the rumor that Barack Obama was a Muslim? Check. Willie Horton? Oh sweet Jesus, he CREATED the Willie Horton ad.
This paragraph from McClatchy is telling:
George H.W. Bush, the Republican president at the time, repudiated the Flowers phone line “as the kind of sleaze that diminishes the political process.” Clinton press secretary Mike McCurry once accused Brown of being “personally responsible for some of the sleaziest politics this country has seen.”
Yet Bush had few qualms about accepting the underhanded tricks that Brown was doing to benefit Bush, even while Bush ostensibly “spoke out” against them.
Floyd Brown practiced a brand of politics where the ends always justify the means, if the end means Republicans win elections. The only logical conclusion to see from that was the election of Donald Trump. It’s Floyd Brown’s legacy and I hope he thinks it was worth it.
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