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Jeanne McIntosh, who helped run the Bush-Cheney campaign in Citrus, is one of 27 chosen to cast Florida's votes in the Electoral College.
By AMY WIMMER SCHWARB
Published November 8, 2004
LECANTO - This fall, Jeanne McIntosh was the 4-foot-10 fireball with a different "W" brooch for every tailored suit. She championed the George W. Bush cause in Citrus County, clipboard in hand, rallying the grass roots and stressing unity, unity, unity.
Next month, she'll travel to Tallahassee as one of the 27 Floridians who cast the state's votes in the Electoral College.
But McIntosh has an admission to make: She was born a Democrat. She grew up in Los Angeles, of all places. In the 1960s, she admits, she was (gasp) a Democrat. She says she saw the light later in life, when Ronald Reagan ran for president in 1980.
She counted herself among the Democrats for Reagan and hasn't looked back.
"As you mature, and you become a property owner, and you have children in the school system," McIntosh said, "you just become more and more conservative and less idealistic."
Four years ago, the Electoral College, that rest stop on the highway to direct democracy, came under new assault from disappointed Democrats after Al Gore won the popular vote nationwide but lost the presidential election because Florida's 27 electoral votes went to George W. Bush. Bush got 543,895 fewer votes than Gore nationwide in 2000, but because he got 537 more in Florida, he won the presidency.
This year, Bush's victory was more decisive in Florida, and McIntosh and the other electors selected by the Republican Party of Florida aren't likely to become celebrities. Their role is as old as the U.S. Constitution, and not terribly suspenseful. They were selected for their loyalty to the party, and everyone knows which direction their vote is going to go.
"I consider it a huge honor," McIntosh said.
According to state statute, each political party recommends electors equal in number to the Florida senators and representatives in Congress. Right now, that number is 27. The governor then nominates the presidential electors that represent each party but can only nominate those who are recommended by the parties.
The electors then take an oath that they will vote for only that candidate from the party they are nominated to represent.
McIntosh ran the Bush-Cheney campaign for Citrus in partnership with Richard Corcoran, a Crystal River lawyer who focused more on local fundraising while she organized get-out-the-vote efforts.
Tuesday night, as election results poured in from Citrus County precincts, McIntosh was elated. The Republican Party of Florida had charged Citrus with delivering 34,000 votes for Bush; when all votes were counted, 39,498 Citrus voters had voted for the president.
The race also drew more attention that any of the local races. A total of 69,462 people, or 76.5 percent of the 90,780 voters eligible to vote Tuesday, cast ballots in the presidential election. Comparatively, 68,039 voters cast ballots in the sheriff's race, the second-most popular race for voters to participate in Tuesday.
Most of the constitutional amendments on the ballot Tuesday drew voter numbers in the mid 60,000s in Citrus. When it came to retaining appellate judges, the voter participation dipped into the 50,000s.
Amy Wimmer Schwarb can be reached at 860-7305 or wimmer@sptimes.com
CITRUS COUNTY VOTES IN 2000GEORGE W. BUSH: 29,766, or 51.99 percent
AL GORE: 25,525, or 44.58 percent
CITRUS COUNTY VOTES IN 2004
GEORGE W. BUSH: 39,498, or 56.86 percent
JOHN F. KERRY: 29,274, or 42.14 percent
Each political party recommends 27 electors to represent Florida in the Electoral College; the governor then nominates them. This year, the Republicans representing Florida in the Electoral College are Al Austin, Allan Bense, Sally Bradshaw, Al Cardenas, Jennifer Carroll, Armando Codina, Sharon Day, Maria De La Milera, Jim Dozier, David Griffin, Fran Hancock, Cynthia Handley, William Harrison, Al Hoffman, Bill Jordan, Tom Lee, Randall McElheney, Jeanne McIntosh, Nancy Mihm, Gary Morse, Marilyn Paul, Tom Petway, Sergio Pino, John Thrasher, Janet Westling, Robert Woody and Zach Zachariah.
[Last modified November 8, 2004, 00:36:25]
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