While the U.S. political media establishment was guffawing over #FanGate, some pretty important things happened in the past 24 hours.
Like the San Francisco Giants making it into the World Series for the third time in the past five seasons.
Please forgive me, Tampa Bay area, but like so many non-native Floridian sports fans, old habits die hard when it comes to rooting for the team you grew up with. The fact that there were very few good years over the past four decades for Giants fans makes this recent renaissance all the more rewarding. Now San Francisco faces Rays alums James "Big-Game" Shields and Wade Davis and the rest of the Kansas City Royals in the World Series starting next Tuesday night. And no doubt most of America that doesn't have much of a rooting interest will be for the Royals, the team that hasn't won anything in 29 years, vs. a Giants squad that's making it a bi-annual habit to appear in the Fall Classic.
Okay, back to politics. While the obsession around Wednesday night's gubernatorial debate in Broward County continued to play out, two recent polls came out that are worth scrutiny.
And judging by one of them, Amendment Two looks to be going down the drain.
Mock the accuracy of Tampa Bay Times polling all you want (sorry, but taking Romney +6 in Florida three days before the 2012 election wasn't that long ago), but their survey showing the measure getting only 48 percent — winning by four percentage points, but well below the 60 percent required for the amendment to pass — appears to spell doom for the medical marijuana advocates. Question its accuracy if you want, but is it 12 percentage points shaky? Doubtful. Other recent polls also show the measure below 60 percent.
If Amendment Two goes down to defeat, much credit (or blame) should go to Sheldon Adelson and the millions he provided the No on 2 folks, as well as the family trust of Carol Jenkins Barnett, the CEO of Publix. A while ago some pro-Amendment Two folks told me they were putting up a Facebook page to advocate for boycotting the grocery chain because of its opposition. That doesn't seem to have gone anywhere, however.
Another Times poll that I'm inclined to believe is today's survey showing Attorney General Pam Bondi with a solid 10-point lead over Democrat George Sheldon. Money, name recognition, perhaps even star power are fueling Bondi's advantage. Sheldon may be more in sync with the Florida electorate on a lot of key issues, but he's had all those factors working against him from the start.
In other news…
How long will President Obama be able to resist pressure to impose a travel ban on those coming to the U.S. from West Africa? At a press availability last night, he said he'd be open to it. Earlier in the day Polk County Congressman Dennis Ross announced that he will introduce legislation to do just that when Congress convenes again.
Charlie Crist spoke with CL earlier this week as part of our election coverage in the current issue. You can read that Q&A here.
Kathy Castor took the bus in St. Petersburg to talk to the regular folks who rely on PSTA in Pinellas County for their transportation needs. Ellen Kirkland reports.
A local activist group that wanted the Tampa City Council to endorse a proposal to offer drivers' licenses to undocumented immigrants didn't get too far yesterday. CL's Ashley Whitney has more.
