Lawton's Chiles' son running for governor as Independent in Florida.

[The Backlash Cometh]

What's the word? Lawton Chiles was more cracker than good ole boy. Very well liked and respected in Florida. What's the word on his son, and what does the Dem party think about him running against the Dem candidate for Governor?

TALLAHASSEE — Lawton "Bud" Chiles III, the son of the late Florida governor who walked the state to deliver his message to voters, announced Thursday he was running for governor as an independent and spurning corporate cash.

"The political parties are not the solution. They are part of a system that pits big money against big money," he told reporters in Tallahassee. "I won't play that game."

Chiles, 57, a Polk County native who has run non-profit organizations, a public-relations firm and a development company, flirted with running for governor in 2006 but discovered he was barred from doing so by an obscure constitutional provision because he hadn't lived in Florida long enough. Gubernatorial candidates are required to live in the state for seven years before taking office, and Chiles had moved back from the New York area in 2003.

Now he meets the requirement and said he would organize his campaign much like his late father's initial U.S. Senate bid in 1970, without accepting party, PAC or corporate dollars. He also said he would limit individual contributions to $250, saying that freedom from big donors would allow him to back bolder environmental and educational reforms. His father set a $100-per-person limit on contributions.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/os-bud-chiles-announces-future-20100603,0,2415793.story

[WI_DEM]

1. This will doom the democrat in the race who was gaining in the polls.

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. You are probably right.

Alex Sink's biggest advantage was that she was running against McCollum.

As Attorney General, he had a phenomenal opportunity to use the high seat to prove that he was working for the people of Florida. It's no wonder that the group fighting the BP issue left him out of the loop. They probably thought of him as a potential mole for the other side.

[FlaGatorJD]

3. It's our own fault for not running better and electable candidates

Period. If the alternative is the GOP wins, and if I was a betttng man, that's where my money would be, I will support Chiles. It doesn't count if the Democrat is gaining, but still hasn't a chance, which I'm not willing to say about Sink yet, but close. McCollum or Scott are both disasters if elected Governor. I will give this a wait and see, but I was sure hoping someone else would get in the race.

[The Backlash Cometh]

4. My husband who is apolitical...

...heard Scott's anti-immigration television ad and started laughing. I asked what he found funny. Basically, he was in shock that anyone would be so stupid to run on a platform that would threaten the latinos in this state. Afterall, latinos are some of the most wealthiest people in South Florida, and very established. It's not a social class issue here in Florida, as it is in Arizona.

Understandably, one has to disrupt the elections in order to eliminate the ballot count in Miami, but a swing of Republican latino votes will probably go in favor of McCollum in the primary, and then to the Dem candidate after that.

Which means, that Alex Sink should have resonated with this group long before now. She may be a phenom when it comes to anti-corruption, but I haven't heard anything about her in the papers in the last two months. That's going to be a problem. The Chiles' name has traction. Especially since he's saying everything that real Democrats want to hear. (As opposed to Florida old guard Democrats or soi disant Liberals Democrats (Not!) who are ingrained in the real estate market.)

[WI_DEM]

5. The last poll had Sink down by only four-points. How do you know f Sink isn't a good candidate?

[Dr.Phool]

6. Sinks biggest weakness is, she's not running a campaign.

The positive is, McCollum got himself primaried, and he has to fend off Scott. The incessant attack ads on Sink have stopped.

I met Chiles at a candidate forum a couple of years ago. Seems like a nice enough, intelligent guy. But, Governor? I don't know.

Sink is a friendly person, and competent. But, she's invisible. She's better start defining herself, because the repukes are already trying to do it.

[The Backlash Cometh]

7. Exactly.

Why has she been so quiet? It doesn't sound like she really wants the position.