Despite what anyone will tell you tonight, virtually no one predicted Bob Buckhorn would beat Rose Ferlita by nearly 11,000 votes (10,932 to be exact) in Tuesday night's Tampa mayoral run-off election.
Speaking inside the Channelside complex, Buckhorn gave a 10-minute victory speech shortly after 8:30 p.m. to accept the plaudits from the hundreds of supporters and Democratic party activists (and a few social conservatives, such as Terry Kemple) who were ecstatic about his decisive victory, as well as the all Democratic City Council that will take office next week.
Buckhorn gave deserved praise to Tampa firefighters, whose endorsement last summer gave an electrifying boost to his chances, and all their sweat equity in knocking on doors on his behalf for the past nine months nearly every Saturday. He also gave deserved praise to his staff, including introducing his top aide, 23-year-old dynamo Siobhan Harley, to the crowd. But his aides Joe Farrell, Christian Marble and Andrew Lawrence all worked tirelessly on his behalf since early November.
But about six and a half minutes into his stump speech, he went into the part that was always inspirational. Early on it began as a rebuke to Dick Greco, but became something far bigger along the way:
"It's a belief that we could do better. That we don't have to settle for what we've always known. That we can aspire. That we don't have to do what we've always done. Because you know something? We can be that city in America that everybody talks about. We can be that city once again. That's a place of destiny. That's a place of hope. That's a place of opportunity. That's a place where the best and the brightest want to come. Where we don't have to lose our kids to Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte, North Carolina. That's what this campaign has been all about."
In fact, Tampa citizens — in droves — went for that inspiring talk, instead of the rabbit hole of negativity that Rose Ferlita ended up going down. Days earlier, a Ferlita consultant, Anthony Pedicini, told CL that "negative works," adding, "Fear is a much stronger motivator than hope. You have to make people make a choice. If they’re scared of one, they’re not going to vote for the one they're scared of. They’re going to go with the one who they think is safer."
But negative didn't work this time. Pedicini said the Ferlita camp was trying to knock Buckhorn off his game, but "he wouldn't take the bait."
Speaking to CL and other reporters immediately after he concluded his speech, Buckhorn was asked about that."Nah. I kept my Irish in my pocket, lad," he said laughing.
This article appears in Mar 17-23, 2011.