# The Florida gubernatorial election **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [July 6, 2010, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-gubernatorial-election/545772 "2010-07-06T20:59:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2010, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-gubernatorial-election/545772/1 "2010-07-06T20:59:58Z")
Since Governor Charlie Crist is resigning to run for the U.S. Senate (see [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=565581)), the governorship of Florida is open and will be on the ballot in the November 2010 elections. Wikipedia article: [Florida gubernatorial election 2010](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_gubernatorial_election,_2010#No_Party_Affiliation) The primaries are August 24. The frontrunner for the Democratic nomination is [Alex Sink,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Sink) currently the state Chief Financial Officer. She would be Florida’s first female governor ever. The only other candidate who qualified is far-lefty [Brian Moore](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Moore_(politician)) (the Socialist Party USA’s presidential nominee in 2008). On the Republican side, the candidates are [Bill McCollum,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_McCollum) currently the state Attorney General; and [Rick Scott,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Scott) a healthcare-industry executive and activist against expanding the government’s role in health care. And a very interesting development: Lawton “Bud” Chiles, son of the popular late Governor [Lawton Chiles,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawton_Mainor_Chiles,_Jr.) is running as a No Party Affiliation candidate. [Campaign website.](http://walkwithbud.com/) Chiles is a Tallahassee businessman who has never before held public office – though he is the former vice president of the children’s charity [HOPE Worldwide](https://www.hopeww.org/NetCommunity/SSLPage.aspx?pid=191). The Democrats have been trying to talk him into dropping out, fearing he’ll split the vote and hand the election to the Republicans, but he won’t. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2010, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-gubernatorial-election/545772/2 "2010-07-06T21:12:25Z")
Clarification: Crist isn’t actually resigning anything, he just decided not to run for a second term as governor. Can’t campaign for two offices at once, I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2010, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-gubernatorial-election/545772/3 "2010-07-06T22:41:21Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > On the Republican side, the candidates are [Bill McCollum,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_McCollum) currently the state Attorney General; and [Rick Scott,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Scott) a healthcare-industry executive and activist against expanding the government’s role in health care. Yeah, he made shit loads of money defrauding the Feds, got ousted from his company, and dodged a bullet on charges. Why would he want anything reformed? :dubious: He also appears to be running much more against Obama than any of the other candidates (or even for Governor really). I’ve seen a ton of his ads and not one has mentioned anything substantive about Florida (you know - the state he wants to run). They’re just “THE GUBMINT IS TAKING OVER HEALTH CARE” screeds; much thunder, no content. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2010, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-gubernatorial-election/545772/4 "2010-07-06T23:01:00Z")
I’ve seen nothing but ads for Scott…err, rather ads against McCollum (they don’t even mention Scott by name at all, but instead drop the name of some I-would-assume Teabagger front group at the end). Funny thing is, a lot of the stuff they say about McCollum actually would make me _more_ likely to vote for him, if I as an Indie could do so in the GOP primary. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-gubernatorial-election/545772/5 "2010-07-07T16:42:48Z")
I have a feeling the RPOF/Jim Greer scandal will make a colllosal mess of this election, and hurt McCopllum. Scott has no chances once people find out who he is. After that, it’s anyone’s game. That said, McCollum has to be the [odds-on favorite](http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2010/governor/fl/florida_governor_mccollum_vs_sink-1077.html#polls) for now. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-gubernatorial-election/545772/6 "2010-07-07T16:57:08Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > That said, McCollum has to be the [odds-on favorite](http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2010/governor/fl/florida_governor_mccollum_vs_sink-1077.html#polls) for now. Gotta [win the primary](http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2010/other/2010_florida_primary.html) before leading in general election polls helps you, and McCollum appears to be behind in the most recent of those. Agree that without a major scandal, McCollum almost certainly would win the Governors mansion _if_ he can get nominated. Also agree that Scotts a pretty crummy candidate and if he gets the nomination its probably a toss up between him and Sink. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-gubernatorial-election/545772/7 "2010-07-07T19:25:16Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Gotta [win the primary](http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2010/other/2010_florida_primary.html) before leading in general election polls helps you, and McCollum appears to be behind in the most recent of those. Agree that without a major scandal, McCollum almost certainly would win the Governors mansion _if_ he can get nominated. Also agree that Scotts a pretty crummy candidate and if he gets the nomination its probably a toss up between him and Sink. The expected GOP primary bloodbath certainly help Sink regardless of who wins the Republican primary. This is one of those years when I want a none of the above selection. Why don’t we just not have a Governor for four years, what could go wrong? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-gubernatorial-election/545772/8 "2010-07-07T19:27:34Z")
I give you [Farid Khavari](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farid_Khavari)! ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-gubernatorial-election/545772/9 "2010-07-07T19:41:31Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > This is one of those years when I want a none of the above selection. Why don’t we just not have a Governor for four years, what could go wrong? What’s wrong with Sink. I don’t really know anything about her, other then apparently she’s the decedent of Chang and Eng, which is kinda cool. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-gubernatorial-election/545772/10 "2010-07-07T19:56:06Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > What’s wrong with Sink. I don’t really know anything about her, other then apparently she’s the decedent of Chang and Eng, which is kinda cool. Nothing’s **wrong** with her, she’s just, you know, an insider, a mainstreamer, a standard-issue politician of upper-middle-class origins with a background in business (former president of Florida operations at Bank of America). In fact, her husband, Bill McBride, ran for governor himself in 2002 (he lost). And currently serving as what amounts to the state’s chief accountant. Nothing there for anyone to get really excited over, you know. Except, perhaps, that she would be the first woman in the office, and the first of even partially Asian or other nonwhite ancestry. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-gubernatorial-election/545772/11 "2010-07-08T17:53:10Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > I’ve seen nothing but ads for Scott…err, rather ads against McCollum (they don’t even mention Scott by name at all, but instead drop the name of some I-would-assume Teabagger front group at the end). Funny thing is, a lot of the stuff they say about McCollum actually would make me _more_ likely to vote for him, if I as an Indie could do so in the GOP primary. I saw one of those ads the other day and wasn’t sure if it was a parody or not. “McCollum: more socialist than you think!” Ummm, ooooookay, I am the sound of Ludovic backing away slowly. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-gubernatorial-election/545772/12 "2010-07-09T04:12:01Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > I’ve seen nothing but ads for Scott…err, rather ads against McCollum Exact opposite here, i see nothing but adds attacking Scott for milking millions out of medicare and from companies illegal aliens use to send money to mexico. I don’t see how he could have a chance in Florida of all places. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-gubernatorial-election/545772/13 "2010-07-10T00:41:41Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > Exact opposite here, i see nothing but adds attacking Scott for milking millions out of medicare and from companies illegal aliens use to send money to mexico. I don’t see how he could have a chance in Florida of all places. If I could ask, where in Florida are you (region is fine, I’m not trying to pin you down)? ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-gubernatorial-election/545772/14 "2010-07-10T02:55:49Z")
Orlando. ---
**Author:** ![NetTrekker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nettrekker/32/2909_2.png) [@NetTrekker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NetTrekker)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-gubernatorial-election/545772/15 "2010-07-10T03:33:26Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Clarification: Crist isn’t actually resigning anything, he just decided not to run for a second term as governor. Can’t campaign for two offices at once, I suppose. I thought Crist resigned a long time ago. How can you even tell we have a governor? ---
**Author:** ![NetTrekker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nettrekker/32/2909_2.png) [@NetTrekker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NetTrekker)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-gubernatorial-election/545772/16 "2010-07-10T03:36:12Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Gotta [win the primary](http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2010/other/2010_florida_primary.html) before leading in general election polls helps you, and McCollum appears to be behind in the most recent of those. Agree that without a major scandal, McCollum almost certainly would win the Governors mansion _if_ he can get nominated. Also agree that Scotts a pretty crummy candidate and if he gets the nomination its probably a toss up between him and Sink. I could see McCollum benefitting from Obama midterm backlash. I hope it doesn’t happen though. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-gubernatorial-election/545772/17 "2010-07-10T20:54:34Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > Orlando. Are you on Brighthouse? I live in Oviedo and I’m not seeing any of that stuff, although in fairness my exposure to campaign ads is typically limited by my refusal to watch network news. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-gubernatorial-election/545772/18 "2010-07-13T02:04:02Z")
I met Alex Sink at a lawyers’ fundraiser this evening. She made much of not being a career politician, this is only the second ballot she’s ever been on, etc. Tried to come across as “nonpartisan,” too. Addressing a group of lawyers, she spoke of her role in organizing FASH (Florida Attorneys Saving Homes – an organization of lawyers volunteering to fight home foreclosures), and she got in some digs at McCollum suing the federal government, and not even finding a Florida lawyer to do it – he had to get his lobbyist friends from Washington, and Scott spending a fortune of his own money just to get ahead in the Republican primary. She’s not terribly charismatic, has kind of a squeaky voice, not much stage presence; but I’m confident she can wipe the floor with McCollum or Scott without working up a sweat. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-gubernatorial-election/545772/19 "2010-07-13T17:15:38Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Are you on Brighthouse? I live in Oviedo and I’m not seeing any of that stuff, although in fairness my exposure to campaign ads is typically limited by my refusal to watch network news. My exposure comes from watching nothing but network news at work in the early mornings as we don’t have cable. ---
**Author:** ![Wisthekiller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/2acd7d/32.png) [@Wisthekiller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wisthekiller)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-gubernatorial-election/545772/20 "2010-07-13T22:15:20Z")
I’m on Brighthouse and they have a decently fair mix of Scott and McCollum pro and con commericals. I have NOT seen more that 2 or 3 Alex Sink commercials. I DO see Jeff Greene commercials more than Sink though. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-gubernatorial-election/545772.md?page=2)