Gallagher's metamorphosis
A Times EditorialPublished May 22, 2005
Tom Gallagher backed a tax increase to build prisons, supported abortion rights and opposed tuition vouchers the last time he ran for the Republican nomination for governor. Apparently a lot has changed since 1994. Gallagher kicked off his campaign for the 2006 GOP nomination this week by declaring he favors more tax cuts, opposes abortion rights and supports expanding vouchers. Politicians often evolve over time, but this is a metamorphosis.
Gallagher's makeover says a lot about the transformation of the Florida Republican Party over the last decade. Led by Gov. Jeb Bush, conservatives now dominate the party and marginalize moderates. Social issues that were own the list of priorities have become litmus tests, which is why Gallagher spoke at a Terri Schiavo rally and has embraced an unneeded constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.
But the signals Gallagher sent in his announcement speech in Tallahassee also say something about him. He has not shied away from disagreeing with Bush as the state's chief financial officer or as insurance commissioner. He has battled insurance companies seeking unjustified rate increases. Yet Gallagher has calculated he has to reinvent himself and shed his moderate, independent image to pander to conservative voters in the Republican primary. While some of his position reversals may be based on a genuine reassessment and his experiences as a husband and father in recent years, he risks appearing disingenuous and too willing to say anything to win.
Candidates traditionally appeal to the most loyal, fervent members of their political parties in the primary elections before shifting toward the middle for the general election. The Republican primary for governor, which is shaping up as a two-man race between Gallagher and Attorney General Charlie Crist, likely will be spent fighting about who is the most conservative and who is the legitimate heir to Bush's political throne. That will not serve them well in the long run. Neither is particularly close to Bush, and both have substantial records as legislators and Cabinet members that stand on their own.
Now 61, Gallagher may be taking his last shot at the Governor's Mansion. He lost in the Republican primary in 1986 and 1994, and he will need support from conservative voters next year. But he has a broader record than his first speech reflects, including creating subsidized health insurance for children and supporting environmental causes. The Tom Gallagher on the Capitol steps last week was barely recognizable.