Post #23, Bob McKnight's Subscription Commentary
Giving an interview right after his resounding upset of former Congresswoman Gwen Graham, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum said that his priority for selecting his running mate would to select a person 'who could be a good governor,' and 'who could be effective with the legislature.' That is a solid answer. As a former legislator, I thought of the names of many Democrats that might fit that bill. As I have said in this column before, the currency of law making is a chit--support in return for a member's earlier vote. So, I was sure the Mayor must have known that his pick would need to have a ton of chits to be effective with this ornery Republican legislature.
I was quite surprised when he chose Chris King as his running mate, but not because King garnered only 2.5% of the vote in the race for Governor. I was shocked that he picked a person who never has served in the legislature, or any elective office for that matter. The Mayor's priority of his running mate being 'effective with the legislature', had no chits with either Republicans or Democrats. I have read that the two Democrats became comfortable friends in their race for Governor, but the Mayor's priority of legislative experience seemed at odds with his selection. King is said to be bright and a quick study, so he may surprise the Tallahassee pundits. But it will probably be a rocky 4 years if the Democrats win.
You can't help but ask, where are the chits?