Jonathan Flora

Pres. Lamplight Entertainment•Former Walt Disney Studios Producer HE•Proud husband of @DeborahFlora1•Proud Dad•82d Airborne•Vet•Ohio State & Ohio U!

[Jonathan Flora @JonathanFlora]

Inexcusable and disgraceful!

[Jennifer Sey @JenniferSey]

If you still believe that perverted men won’t go to any lengths — any lengths — to gain access to girls and women for sexual assault, you are willfully blind.

That’s exactly what happened in the case of Kallie Keeler, the young wrestler in Washington forced to compete against a male opponent.

During the match, he assaulted her. This wasn’t some clumsy accident. It was a deliberate violation on the mat, enabled by policies that prioritize feelings and ideology over female safety and fairness.

And if you think men like this wouldn’t exploit those openings, you haven’t been paying attention.

Take Larry Nassar. The former “doctor” for the USA Gymnastics Team for nearly 30 years. He did the job for free. Out of his apparent “love of the sport.”

He had unfettered access to young girls and women. He was respected. Trusted. The guy who could fix you up and get you back on the floor.

He abused over 500 athletes. Over decades. He became a D.O. with the sole intention of abusing girls. He called it “pelvic floor therapy.” No matter what the girl came to him for — wrist pain, ankle sprain, back issue — that’s what he did. Ungloved hand inside her vagina. Or anus. Or both.

He didn’t explain. He just did it. Girls covered under a sheet while he hid his body — and his erection — behind the table at just the right angle. Sometimes mothers were even in the room.

He had a fancy PowerPoint to defend the “treatment.” Oh, those silly girls, they just don’t understand my advanced medical techniques.

There were complaints for years. Ignored. He pretended to be kind. A pillar of the community. Asked the girls about school, favorite subjects, complimented their shoes. All during the assaults. He called himself a Christian. Did all the things. Just so he could keep assaulting young girls for decades.

This is what predators do. They hide in plain sight. They build trust. They exploit positions of authority and access and respectability. They weaponize institutions that look the other way.

So when a young man insists he’s a woman in order to wrestle girls, rub up against them, pin them and knows the system will defend him while calling her a bigot for objecting — you really think he won’t use that opportunity? You think he won’t shove his hand where it doesn’t belong and leave it there? You think this was accidental?

He knew exactly what he was doing. He knew he’d be protected. She’d be doubted, dismissed and smeared.

“Stunning and brave,” they’d say. He’s the vulnerable one! While the girl is left traumatized.

Nassar didn’t invent this. He just exploited the same blind spots we’re seeing now in sports, locker rooms, shelters, and prisons.

Bad men will always seek access. The question is whether we’ll stop pretending they won’t.

[Jonathan Flora @JonathanFlora]

Yes, indeed. And I’m torn between what is more terrifying Crockett or the people that vote for her.

[Riley Gaines @Riley_Gaines_]

The fact she is a licensed criminal defense attorney is legitimately terrifying

[Jonathan Flora @JonathanFlora]

@GarySiniseFound Great stuff!

[Jonathan Flora @JonathanFlora]

This is awesome. Cannot wait to listen!

[GarySiniseFoundation @GarySiniseFound]

Fresh off the presses. 🎶

The vinyl edition of Resurrection & Revival: Part 3 is officially in production, and we couldn't be more excited to see this special project coming to life.

Executive Produced by Gary Sinise and featuring music written by his late son, Mac Sinise and pals, this album is a heartfelt tribute from a proud father and a celebration of Mac's remarkable talent and creativity.

Resurrection & Revival: Part 3 releases June 21. Preorder your copy today at the link below and be among the first to add this beautiful collection to your vinyl shelf. All proceeds from the sales go to the Gary Sinise Foundation to support our mission.

Preorder now: https://t.co/MuGxcWaSY6

[Jonathan Flora @JonathanFlora]

Oh boy…

[Ryan Schuiling @RyanSchuiling]

We were ahead of the curve on @RSchuilingLive, and many of you already knew that - but @VictorMarx is Looney Tunes and cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs and all the rest of these aphorisms summarizing him as a caricature of a candidate for governor. #WhereNewsHappens

[Jonathan Flora @JonathanFlora]

Don't blame the messenger. Just sharing.
https://t.co/czeQYgVPza

[Jonathan Flora @JonathanFlora]

Keep speaking truth Mr K.

[Ross Kaminsky @Rossputin]

I have no emotion about Victor Marx. I just don't trust him. I suspect you think your comment sounds wise but it isn't.

If you want to support someone whom I dislike viscerally, then go support Scott Bottoms. Glad to know that how you make decisions. I'm sure you'll end up with GREAT politicians that way.

[Jonathan Flora @JonathanFlora]

Very valid question.

[Ross Kaminsky @Rossputin]

I want to be careful here because I have friends who served in the military for whom a service dog is a literal life-saver. But I do have questions about @victormarx's dog being with him on stage. He said the dog has been in Syria and Iraq which makes the dog seem more like a K-9 police or military officer versus a service dog or emotional support dog.

I'd like to know if "Reagan" has service dog training. I'd like to know if Reagan functions as a service dog or emotional support dog and, if so, why Victor needs that support. (This seems relevant for voters to understand.)

If the dog is not a service or emotional-support animal, why was it on stage, and why was it wearing a vest as if it is a service dog?

Whether or not it's a service dog, I'd like to know whether the other candidates and the moderators knew the dog was coming. And were the other candidates asked if it would be OK for Victor to have a prop with him? After all, even if Reagan is a service dog, I strongly suspect that someone could have had Reagan in the front row of the audience with similar effect for Victor. (I'm guessing on that...not an expert. But if Victor can't be without having the dog right with him for an hour, that's also something voters should understand.)

#copolitics @KyleClark

[Jonathan Flora @JonathanFlora]

Well, the Channel 9 gubernatorial debate is now behind us.
Victor Marx finally showed up for a debate. Did he prove he's the real deal, or did he raise more questions than he answered?
Did Scott Bottoms help himself, or did he dig a hole, and is his association with Joe Oltman the cinderblock he's trying to swim with?
Did Barb Kirkmeyer demonstrate the grit, experience, and steadiness needed for the job, or did she simply talk her way through another forum?
Most importantly, what did you think?
Let's hear from you. And as always, keep it civil.
No insults. No bullying. No name-calling.
Just thoughtful discussion and informed opinions.

[Jonathan Flora @JonathanFlora]

Will be tuned in. Lots to talk about.

[Deborah Flora @deborahflora1]

Here is the link to the full @9NEWS debate for the Colorado Republican Gubernatorial Candidates that we will be talking about in detail tomorrow when I guest host for @RyanSchuiling on @630khow from 6 am to 10 am. Hope you join the conversation! https://t.co/ALPVW5MXBY

[Jonathan Flora @JonathanFlora]

Ask his dog.

[Jonathan Flora @JonathanFlora]

I’m afraid he will. And I think only his dwindling hard-core followers will agree. This was terrible for him. Bottoms did not do well either. Clark went after him pretty hard.

[Jonathan Flora @JonathanFlora]

I’m afraid he will. And I think only his dwindling hard-core followers will agree. This was terrible for him. Bottoms did not do well either. Clark went after him pretty hard.

[The Driving In Silence Mandy Connell @MandyConnell]

Wow @9NEWS what a barn burner of a debate! @KyleClark and @MarshallZNews brought the wood.

Victor can't think this went well...can he?

[Jonathan Flora @JonathanFlora]

Kirkmeyer ran away with it. A way galactic second is Broome who couldn’t stop digging a hole and Marx was just all out goofy. Talking to the dog should kill it for him.

[The Driving In Silence Mandy Connell @MandyConnell]

Yikes, Scott is losing this back and forth with Kyle.

[Jonathan Flora @JonathanFlora]

Marx is talking to his dog and accused Clark of calling his dog a liar. Crazy!!

[Jonathan Flora @JonathanFlora]

Folks will be hammered in three minutes.

[Jonathan Flora @JonathanFlora]

Valid question.

[Ryan Schuiling @RyanSchuiling]

WHY does @VictorMarx get the center podium? Was there a blind draw? #9NewsDebate

[Jonathan Flora @JonathanFlora]

Tuck and run.

[Kyle Clark @KyleClark]

UPDATE: The poll on Victor Marx’s Facebook page has been taken down. At last check, 89% of respondents said he should keep his commitment to debate his opponents.

[Jonathan Flora @JonathanFlora]

None.

[Ryan Schuiling @RyanSchuiling]

*From the mountaintops*: THERE IS NO REPUTABLE POLLING showing @VictorMarx is the frontrunner. Not one. It doesn't exist. Ask @MagellanStrat. Maybe by his smurfed fundraising numbers, but even those are fugazi and check out his *burn rate.*

[Jonathan Flora @JonathanFlora]

Yep.

[Ross Kaminsky @Rossputin]

I was very surprised that @VictorMarx agreed to an interview with Kyle, even with the requirement that it had to be at Victor's location so they could try to charm Kyle. (Kyle mentioned this requirement in his conversation with me on @koacolorado.)

I mentioned to Kyle off the air that I think Marx will look for a reason to back out of the debate.

To be clear, as Kyle was, that interview was about Marx's background and, to a lesser degree, his qualifications. The debate would be mostly about policy.

But just as Marx couldn't answer basic questions about his own backstory, even claiming that telling Kyle how many people Marx and his team had "rescued" would pose a "security risk" (WTAF?!?), Marx will not be able to answer questions about policy because he's only been thinking about policy for 5 minutes and has zero relevant experience.

When Kyle asked what made Marx fit to be governor, Marx said that he was good at team-building. Sure, that's a useful skill for an executive but it didn't even occur to Marx to say that he actually had good policy ideas.

I will remind Victor that @laurenboebert said on my show last week that while she thinks many politicians do too many debates, Victor should absolutely "do more than zero." Yes, he should. The problem is that everyone will see him dodge and weave and be unable to answer almost any substantive policy question because he spends his time raising money to pretend to rescue children, not thinking about roads or crime or water or energy or AI or TABOR or school funding or...you get the idea.

Victor is in a tough spot here because he really has to do at least one debate to not look like a coward but he also realizes that he will likely come across as unprepared and unqualified for the job he's seeking (because that's what he is, as far as I can tell.)

Let me add that the GOP contest for governor has become very Trump-like in tone which is to say it's become largely about a person, which isn't how (good) politics should be. Victor's supporters do not want to hear criticism or even questions. They take his word for everything he says even though those same supporters surely know that Trump, who lives in a similar cult of personality, lies all the time. Well, maybe they believe him or maybe they just don't care if he's lying.

But here's the thing: a governor can impact your life more than a president does. You should care a lot about whether a governor has what it takes. And just claiming to be a man of faith who has some claimed martial arts black belts (that don't actually exist), and claiming to have rescued lots of people -- until telling Kyle Clark that the actual number is "between 1 and a bunch" -- doesn't make someone a good choice to run a state.

Seriously, go listen to Victor's answer to Kyle's question about how many people he (Victor) has killed and tell me you actually believe anything that comes out of Victor's mouth. He's a smooth-talking grifter. He reminds me of Jim Bakker with an AR-15.

And finally the most practical point: There is an approximately 0% chance that Victor Marx will be our governor. That's not an exaggeration. I actually think 1% is too high. (If Marx is the nominee, I will bet on this.) But if such a highly flawed character, who will get utterly wrecked by Dem opposition research, is at the top of the ticket, a bunch of Republicans in swing districts or close races around the state who could win will instead lose.

I don't know Victor. I've spoken to him twice on the radio and never any other time. I have nothing against him personally. I just think he is not credible, either in his stories or in his candidacy, and I think Democrats can't believe their good fortune in how many Republican primary voters seem not just willing, but excited, to vote for someone who strikes the rest of us as all hat, no cattle.