Pedro's Tonsorial Parlor downtown has sometimes been right on the money.
By JON WILSON
Published October 13, 2004
ST. PETERSBURG - The barber poll is back in business.
Clyde "Pedro" Holladay, who owns Pedro's Tonsorial Parlor in the Bank of America tower downtown, once again has placed a ballot box in his shop to conduct a presidential straw vote.
It's a strictly-for-fun exercise Holladay has conducted in major elections - president, governor, mayor, that sort of thing - since 1990.
It's voting the old-fashioned way. Patrons write the name of the candidate of their choice on a piece of paper and thrust it into a decorated ballot box. Holladay made it himself.
The poll opened Oct. 1 and, as usual, has drawn considerable interest, Holladay said.
"It's a heavy turnout," he said.
The poll closes at 3 p.m. Oct. 29, the Friday before the Nov. 2 election. Votes will be tallied immediately and a winner announced - in time, of course, for weekend media attention.
Unkempt reporters have at times counted the votes. This year, a buttoned-down certified public accountant will do the honors. And to be sure there's no partisan chicanery, Holladay plans to recruit Republican and Democratic poll watchers.
Veteran straw voters may know that Holladay's poll sometimes has been uncanny in its accuracy.
In 1990, for example, it predicted precise percentages in the governor's race between the late Lawton Chiles and Bob Martinez, Holladay said. In 1994, it correctly picked Jeb Bush to win the GOP gubernatorial primary. In 1997, it rightly tapped David Fischer over Bill Klein in St. Petersburg's mayoral race.
In 2000, the poll had George W. Bush winning over Al Gore - but in a landslide. As all know, the election proved much closer. Holladay had predicted the election would be thrown into the Electoral College, where Gore would emerge the winner.
This year, he has yet to offer a prediction. He did offer an observation: "I think Kerry's getting more votes than people think."
