On Saturday Democratic gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink was in East Tampa with a host of other Hillsborough Democrats on the ballot, from Congresswoman Kathy Castor to state representative Stacy Frank. We noted in our post that there were approximately 100 people in attendance, but in fact that was probably the total attendance, which one might include all those campaign aides and assorted other hangers on who joined the various candidates or causes (Moving Hillsborough Forward, Linda Saul-Sena, etc.).
Frankly, we thought there might be more people in attendance at the Belmont Heights site. But the question needs to be asked: is there a lot of natural love for Alex Sink in the black community?
Diane Hart is with the Hillsborough County Democratic Black Caucus. "We are constantly bombarding people, "she told CL on Saturday, referring to robo-calls being sent to out to black voters in the county. "We have every intention of turning out some votes," she added referring to canvassers who have been going from door to door in the county.
Sink only spoke for a few minutes at the event, took a few questions from the press, and then met individually with some voters and elected officials before she led to group to early vote at the College Hill library.
But Sink absolutely offended some in the black community last week, where she blew off an NAACP sponsored forum in Miami, and then did the same thing the next morning, skipping an opportunity to go on the radio with Bishop Vincent T. Curry, the director of social justice for the Florida General Baptist Convention. But the Democratic candidate for Governor apparently couldn't make commit to that invitation as well.
I’ve done everything in my little power to give Alex Sink a chance to talk to pastors, people, and parishioners…all I get is calls about ‘She wants to meet with you,’" Curry fumed.
"I’ll meet with you in private when you meet with the people in public. I want to know what you are gonna do for the people…Don’t come to the church and mess up my preaching time, slip out the side door, and go mess up somebody else’s preaching time.
This article appears in Oct 21-27, 2010.