Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/115375
Sarasota News Leader March 15, 2013 Page 31 Atwell was ebullient. "We've framed this elec- remaining in the race are registered Demotion, the three of us," she said. "There are crats. three lanes and I'll be in the center one." Neither Dorfman nor Holland returned my The final stop on this election night tour was calls. Word of Mouth on Osprey Avenue for the Susan Chapman party. Without question it was Old-timers are probably asking, "Why May? It the most eclectic. One man had walked south used to be April" when the City Commission from Newtown; his hands were freezing and runoff was held. State law changed the date his smile was gleaming. Of all the parties, this to give serving military personnel in remote was also the most inclusive, from big-bucks bases in Afghanistan time to receive, mark supporters to those scraping by. Did it reflect and return their ballots so their votes could the 2,705 votes Chapman received? Or the be counted. roughly $15,000 in campaign contributions? Closer to home, a new phenomenon is rising. For sure it reflected a potpourri. Is it unique to Sarasota? No, it is probably universal, as "social media" begins to play a bigger role in local elections: Blogs with anonOne key element now is endorsements. Three ymous writers making accusations, akin to candidates pulled nearly one-third of the total electronic whispering campaigns. It is easy to vote but did not make it to "the finals." do and hard to stop — the kind of stuff that While endorsements of losing candidates do makes for dirty campaigns. not automatically move voters, they can. So In a Sarasota disinclined to Twitter, more inwho endorses whom may play a role — per- volved with Facebook for grandkids and aloof haps a deciding role — in the May game of from political hate-blogs, the potential for a "odd-person-out." Three candidates are in the serious impact from attempted smears may race, but only two will win the seats they cov- seem remote. But if such tactics prove sucet. cessful, they will intensify. CHOICES AHEAD Holland and Lumpkin collectively received I am happy to report all of the candidates are almost 27 percent of the tally, nearly 3,000 on speaking terms. They have lived through votes. And somebody — an unnamed some- countless and endless forums (fori?), learned body — is already asking for those votes. from each other and begun to build relation"One candidate has reached out to me," said ships. Make no mistake: Running for City Commission — win or lose — makes you a Lumpkin. "We'll talk." community leader, a person of gravitas. Dorfman told me on March 14 that he is the candidate who "has reached out." Lumpkin Each and every one of the six candidates tocould not be reached to confirm that. Both are day stands taller in our community than the registered Republicans, while the two women rest of us. %