 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
Negatives dog Buckhorn campaign
By DAVID KARP, Times Staff Writer TAMPA -- City Council member Bob Buckhorn, a player in Tampa government and politics for 15 years, could be considered the front-runner in the race for mayor. Public opinion polls show him ahead of the other three candidates. Voters say they know Buckhorn better. And his campaign has raised $259,000, more than enough to run a competitive race. But Buckhorn has yet to emerge as the clear choice. A recent St. Petersburg Times survey suggests the reason: About one-third of the residents who said they knew Buckhorn hold unfavorable opinions about him. He has significantly higher negatives than any of his three opponents -- council member Charlie Miranda, business consultant Frank Sanchez and fitness author Don Ardell. The poll suggests that the same qualities that make Buckhorn visible and a leader have turned off many voters. "I think this is in some measure the price of leadership," said Buckhorn's political consultant, Adam Goodman. "When you stake out positions that rub against the political grain, you find you are not universally supported." Many voters remember Buckhorn for his crusade against lap dancing and strip clubs. With his pressed suits and slicked-back hair, he became a familiar face on television. As the son of a journalist, he knew how to feed the media nice-sized quotes. In a Southern town that embraced the smooth-talking Dick Greco, Buckhorn has made a name by using tough language to criticize policies. Buckhorn said many voters valued that outspokenness. "I think we have taken a leadership role in a lot of issues that affect people's lives," he said. "We know the neighborhoods. We know the streets. We know the potholes. And we know our neighbors." Anyone who watches City Council meetings knows how Buckhorn stands out. The council recently discussed land deals approved by former city development chief Steve LaBrake, who is now under federal criminal investigation. Buckhorn's colleagues stressed how the mayor was putting the ordeal behind him. Buckhorn pointedly called LaBrake's business practices a "Ponzi scheme," a business sham typically seen in investment schemes. This month, the council discussed recent shootings outside Club XS, a late-night hip-hop club near the Tampa Convention Center. Police officers told council members that shootings could happen outside any bar or club, not just Club XS. "I don't think they are shooting people outside of Promise Keepers events," Buckhorn quipped, referring to the religious organization. Buckhorn's strong language gets him noticed. And to some people, his willingness to speak his mind makes him a leader. Indeed, the Times survey, conducted by Communications Center Inc. of Lakeland Sept. 24-26 with 350 Tampa residents who said they were following the mayor's race, showed that Tampa residents were much more familiar with Buckhorn than his opponents. About three-quarters of the residents interviewed said they knew about Buckhorn. Almost 40 percent said they were "very familiar" with him. Slightly more people knew Buckhorn, elected in 1995, than knew City Council Chairman Charlie Miranda, who was first elected in 1974. But Buckhorn also inspired stronger negative reactions from residents than the other candidates. About 33 percent had an unfavorable opinion of Buckhorn -- much higher than Miranda, who had a 19 percent negative rating, and Sanchez, who had a 9 percent negative rating. Residents who don't like Miranda talked about his voting record and what they said was an unprofessional demeanor. Many residents don't like that it has been years since Sanchez lived in Tampa. About 19 percent of the residents said they didn't like that Buckhorn was building his political career on his fight against adult businesses. "He wants to tell me what I can read and see," one resident said. "I don't think that's what city government is meant to do." Another resident said Buckhorn should "stop cramming his Christian values down other people's throats." Almost as many people said they didn't trust Buckhorn on a personal level. Some describe him as a political opportunist, a "goody two-shoes" or a "career politician." Buckhorn said he had always been dogged by negatives perceptions. He said it came with the territory. "When you take on tough issues, you are bound to make enemies," he said. "To me, that is what we were elected to do. We were elected to lead." It's easy to be popular, Buckhorn said, "if you sit there and do nothing." Friends and supporters acknowledge that Buckhorn sometimes comes across as overly stiff. But they say that's not the Buckhorn they know. "You don't think of Bob and think of a really warm person at the start," said John Dunn, a friend who worked with Buckhorn in former Mayor Sandy Freedman's administration. "You have to know him and be around him a little bit. "He does have a warmer side," Dunn said. "You may have to dig a little bit to get to it." Freedman, who wasn't known as the warmest mayor when she ran City Hall, used to tell Buckhorn, who worked for her, that he needed to get a life. Now, especially since Buckhorn, a longtime bachelor, married in 2000 and became a father, "he has a life," Freedman said. "He has a very full life." Buckhorn is so focused on city government because "he loves what he does," Freedman said. Buckhorn's friend Steve LaBour said he was surprised that Buckhorn's devotion to city government would turn voters off. "I would think people would be impressed by the fact that he knows city issues so well," LaBour said. "He has an incredible background since he worked on the executive side of city government, and now he has worked on the legislative side." Buckhorn's biggest challenge in the coming months will be to overcome people's negative impressions of him. Other elected officials have overcome far higher negative ratings, said Goodman, the consultant. When voters pick a mayor in March, the election won't be decided by personalities or a popularity contest, he said. Freedman won a contest for mayor even though many considered her too outspoken and rigid. "You are talking to someone who was criticized for not smiling enough," Freedman said. "I think at the end of the day . . . people vote for whoever they think will be the best for the community." -- David Karp can be reached at 226-3376 or karp@sptimes.com.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 
|
|
