Primary Day

The Republican primary is today in Florida. We have a closed primary system here, which means you have to be registered as a Republican in order to vote in the Republican primary. Sarasota County is still considered Republican territory, although, as I recall, the McCain-Palin ticket carried it by just 200 votes or so in 2008.  (Sarasota city residents are another story, voting quite Democratic.)  A rally for Newt Gingrich supposedly drew 4,000 people here last week during a work day.  Personally, I haven't seen much interest here in the primary.  (I found this yard sign down in Ft. Myers, a Republican stronghold.)  For the most part, the political ads I've been seeing on TV are anti-Newt.   The latest poll I read has Mitt Romney defeating Newt by double digits.  Whoever takes the primary, I'm sure I'll hear it dissected 552 different ways on Wednesday. The Republican National Convention is up the road in Tampa this summer.   Buckle up!  It's gonna be a bumpy political ride until November.

Recount!

I really didn't expect to be posting this photo.  And, yet, here it is.  There's nothing like an election recount in Florida!  On Tuesday, three Sarasota city commission district races were held.  One was decided.  One will have a runoff in May.  And, one will have a recount this morning.  In the recount race, just 14 votes separate the two candidates.  By state law, there has to be a recount if there's less than one-half of one percentage point between the top vote getters....so, the recount is on.  Don't expect to hear about dangling chads, hanging chads or pregnant chads, though.  Punch ballots cards are no longer used here.