The sleeky wealthy…
PETER O’CONNOR
Guest Columnist
opinion@lbknews.com
Just when we all had had enough of primary politics, I find a related mention in The Economist — my favorite newspaper after the Longboat Key News. I think it worthy of note.
“At a polling station nestled among the mansions and marinas of the Miami suburb of Coral Gables, a tanned couple in designer sunglasses paused on their way back to their Porsche to explain how they voted in Florida’s Republican presidential primary.” The article goes on, “It was not just the sleekly wealthy, however, who plumped (definition: to favor or decide in favor of someone or something) for Mr. Romney. A few miles away, beneath towering motorway viaducts on the fringes of Little Havana, a grizzled Cuban-American in a Panama hat also declared that Mr. Romney was the most electable candidate” (The Economist, Feb. 4, 2012).
As reported here in these pages and elsewhere as above the Republican presidential preference (primary election) was widely popular here in Florida. The popularity reached almost wild proportions here on Longboat Key where Romney tallied 72 percent of the vote in our Sarasota precinct and 64 percent in Manatee. That’s good by any measure. Our British cousins add to that reporting. On our small island, with its two polling places, 1,962 votes were cast. This was only by registered Republicans in this, a closed primary election.
I was out there holding a sign for my neighbor, Ray Rajewski. David Brenner had his partisans out to greet the voter also. These two weren’t even on the ballot. I didn’t mark the key voters who passed by in steady streams as ‘sleek.’ Some clearly are wealthy. If any of you think of yourselves as ‘sleek,’ I apologize. You all looked to me like average Americans getting out to the polls with your neighbors to exercise your right to vote. You made a significant statement with about 50 percent voter turnout. This, I guess, was the beginning of the political season on Longboat Key. Maybe we should hold all local elections close to, or even with, statewide or national elections — something to think about.
Having said that, I still doubt that turnout will be this large in March. My reasons: we can’t expect to gather the interest of a national campaign, the 2010 issue of support for the Longboat Key application may no longer interest the voters as much, and most importantly Lynn Larson will not be on the ballot. Lynn, in her victories in 2010, proved to be an indefatigable campaigner and solid vote getter. She carried Brenner, not the other way around.
Out there on Bay Isles Road and at the Longboat Island Chapel I spied some of the regulars. Tom Aposporos, of the Chamber of Commerce, took a turn at the Brenner table at the chapel polls. A relatively new player, Colonel Patrice Greene of the Longboat Library Board stumped for Rajewski outside Town Hall. The voters were enthusiastic, and likely more important than the sign holders.
With this extra kickoff competed, even before the annual spectacle of the Super Bowl, thoughts around here will soon turn to the coming local election — our favorite sport. We’ll see those markers of local politics — signs. I’m surprised these are not out sooner. Yard signs may annoy some residents, even some voters, but they do catch the eye and indicate a level of activity by any candidate. The appearances before condo associations and political party luncheons have started. We may even have one or more candidate forums — our version of the TV debate. Spring is here.
The Economist included its lengthy piece, I suspect, because we here in Florida are important. We are a large state with 29 electoral votes. The winner in November must win here. Perhaps with this in mind they report, “At a rally in Hialeah, a Cuban stronghold, one of [Romney’s] sons told the crowd in their native language, ‘My father does not speak Spanish, but he speaks the language of the economy.’ Mr. Romney then gamely denounced the Castro regime and carved up a suckling pig.” They conclude, “To have prevailed in a big, swing state like Florida is an enormous boost for Mr. Romney, but Mr. Obama will find some solace in the results as well” (The Economist, Ibid.).
With all the euphoria about huge victories, it might be wise to remember that even on Longboat Key there are other forces not heard in the recent primary. There might be more Republicans than Democrats here on our key, but not many. These folks are very active, are big contributors and are enthusiastic supporters of the president.
I think we’ll have a busy year greeting the many candidates who will again visit Sarasota. There are votes to be mined here.
Meanwhile remember to get out and vote on March 20, or before.
