Daniel TilsonNot one to brainstorm political strategy for Rick Scott, I inadvertently found myself flush today with an out-of-the-box idea for his re-election campaign.
And with the holiday season fast approaching, I thought I’d share it in the spirit of giving.
We all know the governor faces an uphill battle against likely Democratic candidate Charlie Crist, who’s up by 10 points or so in the polls.
Now, follow me on this.
Former Gov. Crist has had a popularity surge since evolving from a moderately conservative Republican into a moderately moderate Democrat. He polls well with Democratic voters and more important, with Independents.
His message of putting partisanship aside, reaching across the aisle, focusing on issues and getting things done for the people of Florida — well what do you know, that sounds pretty good to a gridlock-weary public.
So why not steal some of that warm and fuzzy feel-good thunder, Mr. Governor?
How, you ask?
No, no, not by losing the tie, rolling up the sleeves and smiling through a grueling two-hour shift behind the counter of a doughnut shop. You’re a multimillionaire and everybody knows it, just like they know your economic policies favor rich folks and Big Business.
So just give up on trying to earn working-class creds, it’s embarrassing.
And don’t waste too much time pointing to reduced unemployment and a budget surplus; not when Crist can point out how many new jobs are rotten minimum wage ones, and how the budget was balanced by cutting programs and services for working families.
Face it, the tactics and talking points your team has you using will do little to woo, much less wow many Independents into your demonstrably extreme conservative corner.
So what to do, how best to woo?
Okay, let’s get to work!
Try appointing a Democrat as your new Lieutenant Governor.
Okay, let that sink in a minute. Stop laughing…this is serious.
You were on the right track picking an African-American woman as your first LG. But then Jennifer Carroll got caught up in that whole ethical scandal and had to leave office — what was it, seven months ago now?
So, you gave that little crisis time to clear — lots and lots and lots of time. What the hell, nobody cared much about having no LG anyway, truth be told. And now that the smoke and stench of corruption has cleared, you should strike before the next fire starts.
Just as the selection of an African-American woman was an olive branch offered to two very important voting blocs with grave concerns about your politics and policies, so would the attempted selection of a Democrat now be one heck of a peace offering.
But not just any Democrat, that’s too easy. Picking a Blue Dog whose politics you could perhaps live with in your administration, that wouldn’t move the needle much.
No, you need to pick a progressive Democrat, a proven and vocal supporter of a middle-class friendly public policies, someone who’s yin to your yang, an indicator to Independents that you’re reaching farther across the aisle than Charlie Crist ever has.
If I were you (gulp), I’d pick Orange County Tax Collector (a non-partisan office, perfect!) Scott Randolph.
Great progressive, great mind, great communicator, great sense of humor, great wife, adorable daughter…the whole package.
Of course, he’d never say yes. But who cares, it’s “the ask” that counts. You score your PR points, scratch your shiny head (gently) over the turndown, then move on to the usual suspects we’ve been reading about.
So, listen. If you take a shot with this and it all works out for you, don’t bother inviting me to join your second administration. A simple Thank You card will do.
