Independent gubernatorial candidate Bud Chiles is scheduled to call it a day – or a campaign- with an announcement Thursday that he's dropping his bid to follow in the footsteps of his father and run the state of Florida.
The former Democrat, who never quite sounded authentic when he opted to go indie, didn't get in the race until the first week of June, so let's be honest: any discussion of his candidacy has been a side issue. Back in June, Chiles said this:
"It’s big money versus big money and the people are left on the sidelines. I refuse to play that game. I am in this race as an independent, beholden to no party. My campaign is all about bringing people together, not dividing folks.”
Chiles had been flirting with running for higher office for over a year, using his platform with the Lawton Chiles Foundation to rail against Tallahassee's GOP priorities – or lack thereof -when it came to core Democratic party issues like education and health care in a campaign he called Worst To First.
But any momentum as insurgent seemed to be squashed when the St. Pete Times Lee Logan reported that Chiles had a ton of baggage from his personal business dealings (information that we know certain Democrats were very helpful into getting into reporters hands).
It's too bad that Chiles didn't run in the Democratic primary. Sink was the overwhelming party establishment favorite, but Chiles has lots of good ideas.
This article appears in Aug 26 – Sep 1, 2010.