Interesting bit of political campaign trivia

[IzzyR]

for those who haven’t had too much of this already.

Unused ad reveals governor’s true feelings

McBride’s campaign had just unveiled what his strategists thought was the election season’s most brilliant attack: outtakes from a 1999 video in which Bush extolled the savvy and heart of McBride, even calling the Tampa lawyer ``one of the great Floridians of our time.’’

The ad was intended to make voters doubt what had been months of hard-edged attack ads by the Bush campaign painting McBride as an irresponsible businessman whose failed vision as managing partner of Holland & Knight drove the law firm to lay off workers and cut employee benefits.

Florida Public Television had prepared the video as a greeting from Bush for a Holland & Knight reception honoring McBride.

The governor routinely tapes such messages.

‘‘Tough, disciplined, focused, he has a real vision in business that is pretty extraordinary,’’ said Bush, who looks to be holding back a full-fledged smirk. ``I think he is a person of high integrity and real honesty.’’

Bush went on to say that McBride ‘‘has a big and caring heart,’’ and has a ``warmth and a real care for people and Floridians.’’

But not all of Bush’s expressions from that day’s taping were included in the 30-second McBride spot.

A review of the outtakes – made possible thanks to a tape dubbed for me by public TV – reveals the governor’s exaggerated gagging, apparently responding to a request by interviewer Beth Switzer that he repeat a soliloquy on Holland & Knight’s expansion abroad under McBride’s leadership.

It’s not clear what prompted the governor’s outburst, which was preceded by and followed up with audible chuckling from Florida’s chief executive and others in the studio.

It seems from the tape that the segment was interrupted, and that a comment by someone off camera led Bush to coil over and pretend to choke.

It appears to suggest that Bush was not as excited about McBride’s contributions to Florida civic life as McBride wanted us to to believe.

Just a cute look at some of the jive that is constantly going on out there.