[gov_bean_ counter]

And I'm surprised Gallagher didn't do better. I saw a lot of support for him.

Does he still do the busting watermelon thing? That may have been what did him in.

[summer]

I don't know about that, but, here's my big prediction for the FL gov race:

Despite all the concerns about insurance, expect to hear a LOT about RACE in the upcoming gov race, and don't be surprised if more blacks vote GOP. Jim Davis, the Dem candidate, actually voted AGAINST giving compensation to two black men convicted but later found innocent of murder; while the GOP candidate, Crist, pushed for more power for the FL AG (and Crist is the FL AG) to investigate civil rights violation.

I was shocked at how nasty the Dem ads got in the primary, as Rod Smith really hammered home this point about Davis' poor voting record, especially against these black men. And, I think Davis will be toast when the GOP picks up on that theme.

I also think that's one reason Smith did much better than expected; it was a very powerful anti-Davis message to independents (I am independent), and an anti-Davis message that is sure to resonate in the upcoming gov race.

BTW, it will certainly help Crist to have Florida's Favorite Governor, Jeb Bush, endorsing him in this race. In short, I am predicting a total landslide for Crist in November, provided the conservative base turns out for him.

[summer]

Re my post #31 -- More, from Rod Smith's website re Jim Davis:

Thursday, August 31

For Immediate Release
CONTACT: David Kochman, 954/797-7727

[Dem] Sen. Wilson Questions Davis' Values, Fitness As Concern Widens Over Vote against Pitts and Lee

Tallahassee, FL - Today State Senator Frederica Wilson (D - Miami) expressed concern about Jim Davis' values stemming from his vote to deny compensation to Freddie Pitts and Wilbert Lee. Yesterday, Senator Al Lawson (D - Tallahassee) called upon Davis to admit his error and apologize, citing a Special Master's Report available to Davis prior to the vote. The report, conducted by a judge appointed by the Florida House of Representatives, recommended that compensation for Pitts and Lee be granted based upon the merits of the case and legal precedent.

"The Governor is the chief law enforcement officer of the state - a candidate's voting record and values when it comes to fundamental questions of justice are highly important," said Wilson. "Jim Davis' vote against justice for Pitts and Lee, his continuing failure to admit he was wrong, and his refusal to apologize make me deeply concerned about his fitness for office."

Numerous news reports, including a recent story in the Miami Herald, have detailed the outrage in the black community over a Davis vote in the Florida Legislature in 1990 against compensating Freddie Pitts and Wilbert Lee. Pitts and Lee are two African Americans who were beaten and wrongly convicted of murder by an all-white jury. The two men were sentenced to death and spent 12 years in prison, nine of them on Death Row. They had been pardoned in 1975 after a white man confessed to the crime.

Senator Wilson was elected to the Florida Senate in 2002. She serves as Democratic Whip and Vice Chair of the Domestic Security Committee. She also serves on the Criminal Justice Committee.