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What voters really want is a candidate they can support
© St. Petersburg Times, published October 5, 2000 Quick, pick the top public policy issue in central Pasco. Water, growth, a natural gas pipeline, law enforcement resources, traffic or crowded schools all seem likely candidates to top the agenda. What do people want? "People want health insurance, to educate their kids and to sock a little (money) away for themselves," said Doug Bell of Tampa. Forget future land-use maps. This is real life in the here and now. Bell offered his succinct interpretation Tuesday evening at the conclusion of the first presidential debate. Except Bell didn't learn anything to persuade him to support either Vice President Al Gore or Texas Gov. George W. Bush. "I didn't hear any plan of action to solve the problems," he said. "I'm about ready to give up voting for the presidency." Bell was one of nine voters culled together as a focus group for the Los Angeles Times to watch the debate in the Lutz home of Judy Williams. After the saturation of candidate appearances on Oprah, and Letterman, and Leno and Larry King Live, Tuesday marked an opportunity for voters to digest public policy instead of pop culture. By the end of the evening, it remained a dead heat among the mostly 50-something crowd gathered in front of Williams' large-screen television. Three supported Bush. Three backed Gore. Three continued to be undecided. It is a microcosm of the race in Florida, which offers 25 electoral college votes to the winner and increasing attention from the candidates as they attempt to sway the uncommitted electorate. What about an alternative? Perhaps Green Party candidate Ralph Nader? And there's always the Reform Party, which has Pat Buchanan heading its ticket this time around. "It's too close. I feel like I'd be throwing away my vote," said Dana Reuter, manager of the Pasco Food Bank in Land O'Lakes. Reuter, a Republican, is resigned to a tilt toward Bush even though she is dismayed at his stand to restrict abortion rights. "I'll probably just vote my party, but I don't like either one of them." There's a more drastic alternative. She and her husband own property in Costa Rica. Relocating has its advantages. Arthritis medication costs $15 there, compared to $73 here. Prescription drug costs were just a portion of the statistics that bombarded viewers. The dizzying data included Social Security, tax cuts, military spending and education testing. Confused? Imagine how people felt when Bush and Gore entered the stage both wearing dark suits, white shirts and red neckties. "They look like the same person dressed them," said Bonnie Belton, who moved to Wesley Chapel five years ago from Tennessee. Familiarity breeds her contempt. Her exposure to Gore in his home state has her leaning toward Bush. "Gore says he's middle class, but he hasn't been around the middle class," she said. The pocketbook continues to be a deciding factor for some. "Gore's going to tax you more," said Jerry Pankey, a telecommunications consultant, and the most staunch Bush backer in the group. "I'm tired of being taxed to death," said Williams, a Republican well-known in local circles for her environmental activism. She, too, is leaning toward Bush despite the shortcomings she heard Tuesday. "I had hoped he'd be a little more pro-environmental. He didn't talk about alternative energy sources at all." Bush's statement that he would encourage more pipelines to carry natural gas drew a remarkably subdued response from the group considering it came at the same time as a public hearing at the West Pasco Government Center about Buccaneer's proposed 36-inch gas pipeline through Land O'Lakes. "Environmental issues are not as important as moral issues and I think they're both abysmal," said Sally Barclay, a state Department of Agriculture employee. She remains undecided. "They both pissed me off more than they made me happy." It is a common sentiment. "It's like voting against who you think is the worst," said Belton, "It's not voting for who would do the best."
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