An assertion Wednesday by a white Republican gubernatorial candidate that Florida voters can’t afford to ‘monkey this up’ and vote for his black Democratic opponent, Andrew Gillum, was widely viewed as a ‘dog whistle’ to rally racists.
If it was a dog-whistle - the GOP candidate denies any racial intent - a jungle music-scored robo-call that has circulated in Florida is more akin to a bullhorn.
If nothing else, the minute-long audio clip is a clear sign of how quickly racism - subtle in some cases, overt in others - has seeped into the contest to determine who will lead Florida.