Alex Sink is running the worst campaign for Florida governor since Bill McBride, her husband, in 2002. McBride is reportedly the last word in guiding Sink's campaign. It is hard to know where to begin.
Although McBride whomped Janet Reno, the primary race was no predictor of success against Bush, who was pulling in campaign contributions from the Growth Machine like a John Deere harvester on steroids. On key issues facing Florida, McBride ran as though he were in a bubble: smiling, personable, and utterly without substance. I had some access to the Reno campaign. My advice ran along the lines of calling out for public attention the massive overdevelopment and speculators run amok in Florida.
McBride, who I never spoke with, walked on egg shells with respect to the financial muscle of the Growth Machine. (It was the same for Jim Davis, four years later, as Dems continued to mimic GOP campaign strategies and tactics.) He didn't want to turn off any potential contributor from construction, development and real estate industries. That turned out well, didn't it? The fear was palpable, reflected in the absence of any criticism-- at all-- of the forces at work ramping up the housing boom that was clearly and obviously unsustainable.
The point, in respect to the governor's race today: there is still no discussion, not a breath of insight about the causes and origin of the housing boom and bust-- the worst since the Great Depression. (Sink has proven singularly resistant to holding up, for public view, how the nonsense that passes for public policy from the Florida legislature aided and abetted near-criminal activities in the investment and losses of the state pension fund. She simply can't get her hands around the expressive features of outrage that so many Floridians are experiencing.) I wrote, the day after the 2002 election when McBride was soundly defeated:
"Forget about the polling: voters and taxpayers need to be reminded (by leaders), sometimes, what they believe in... the problem is not pro-growth/anti-growth. The problem is that the Democrats are raising money and sacrificing strategy to the apologists of suburban sprawl. We have an incredible opportunity to use fiscal and economic policy to rejuvenate the American economy by concentrating incentives on smart growth/new urbansim/revitalizing cities/mass transit, etc. What Democrats will have to jettison is SPRAWL and its boosters among the party leadership: let the GOP have them! One of the more troubling thoughts being expressed by Democratic leaders in the papers this morning, is the need to return to grass roots organizing and campaigning. Since this is something I know a lot about, let me make a simple point: Democrats cannot organize grass roots unless candidates give grass roots (something to believe in): inspiration on core values of the Democratic party. Who did Bill McBride inspire?"
That was 2002. Today, who is Alex Sink inspiring?
6 comments:
This points out how in Florida the extremism of the party system on both sides has limited our choices to these two lackluster candidates.
Isn't there anyone out there with the brains to grasp the reality of how frigged up Florida is and the charisma to win ?
She hasn't inspired me but she is the lesser evil by a mile! She has my vote.
What is her position on Florida Hometown Democracy? I have e-mailed, responded to her callers and made it very clear that she will not get another dime from me until she takes a public position on Florida Hometown Democracy. It doesn't take a genius to figure out where Howdy Doody is on the issue (all for business as usual) but where is Sink? Maybe she is getting money from the Chamber of Commerce or developers but until she has a platform she won't get my vote. Meanwhile, her campaign keeps calling and e-mailing me. It's time to look seriously at another candidate; maybe that guy from North Miami.
If I were Sink, even if in favor of it, it would not be prudent to take a position.
One thing that I find galling about Ms. Sink is the constant stream of emails from her current state office featuring her photo. Although these purport to be about one or another "issue", the repeated appearance of her photo with the emails conveys the impression that a)she is the only employee in the office or b)that she's using the state's resources in sending emails as a not-so-subtle effort at self-promotion.
Neither conclusion instills much confidence.
Development or over-development is only one small part of issues for any gubernatorail campaign. But meantime, she has not distinguished herself on any other issues at all. It's a big state with big issues - how 'bout stepping up on other things like: tax structure reform, transit-transportation, new (green) jobs, getting college or even H.S. curriculum that supports these "high-tech" jobs,etc. Otherwise, for me, so far, she's just "Not McCollum". I see this as McBride (read that Loser) Round 2....
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