Map of the New World... by gimleteye

In response to a reader's question on g.o.d's post below: Miami-Dade county elections are still non-partisan.

Nothing changed from yesterday's vote. Some have expressed concern about giving the new strong mayor a big voice in the 2008 presidential election. Well, who knows. We're sure that Al Gore never thought the last strong mayor, Alex Penelas, would play Houdini in the 2000 election.

The bigger question is what the black hats at County Hall will decide to do, now that the people have spoken for the first time in 50 years.

Will they challenge Mayor Alvarez, claiming that the new position of strong mayor requires a new special election, or will they decide to bide their time until his term is up in 2008?

We suspect there are plenty of lobbyists who want to fight, if only to keep their fee based relationships going. But it might not be a smart move, and that's what the next investors in the next mayor's race could decide.

2008 isn't that far away.

Mayor Alvarez has just run a county-wide election successfully and shown himself to be a powerful force--more powerful than many insiders were willing to acknowledge. That has certainly changed, and we expect that the 29th floor is humming with phone calls and visits offering congratulations from new best friends, even if the Mayor does not have time in schedule to meet them.

One thing is for sure: Mayor Carlos Alvarez must not lose the opportunity to organize his office to properly deal with the responsibilities that the people have entrusted to him.