Posted on 06/25/2006 7:19:19 PM PDT by LdSentinal
Alachua County Republicans gained two new allies and candidates for the 2008 elections Friday at an event intended to show the growth of the county party.
Alachua City Manager Clovis Watson and Ward Scott, a Sante Fe Community College professor, traded in their Democratic party registrations for Republican ones and announced their intentions to run at a "switch event" held in downtown Gainesville.
"I'm a man of action and ideas," Watson told a group of a few dozen Republicans who attended the event. "I cannot continue to support a party that uses criticism and calumny as its stock in trade."
"We're turning this county a crimson red," said Watson, who declined to say what office he planned to run for.
The event, attended by Republican Party of Florida Chairwoman Carole Jean Jordan, included speeches honoring the new Republicans and defending Watson in his ongoing legal issues with state House of Representatives candidate Charlie Grapski.
Scott, a city of Alachua resident, announced his intention for a 2008 rematch against County Commissioner Mike Byerly. Byerly defeated Scott in a Democratic primary in 2004 after a write-in candidate prevented the race from being put on the general election ballot.
"We're the part of the county that's really carrying the economic development," Scott said, referring to the several distribution centers that are open or planned in the city. He said his switch to the Republican Party was partially driven by opposition by Democrats to these and other projects, such as a Wal-Mart Supercenter.
Watson's speech, which blasted Democrats and included passionate rallying cries to Republicans, was unusual since city managers and other high-level appointed officials tend to be reserved about their own political views. Alachua County Public School Superintendent Dan Boyd, for example, came under some criticism recently after donating to the campaigns of members of the School Board.
But Watson said he carries out his duties without regard to an individual's politics and said his position should not preclude him from voicing his own political opinions.
"And I will not always be an appointed official," he said.
(Denny Crane: "Every one should carry a gun strapped to their waist. We need more - not less guns.")
What is pathetic is that he will join the emerging RINO chorus we have to put up with here in the Sunshine State. Reformed Democrats need to take a seat at the back of the bus until they prove their conservative bona fides. Most of the time, they are simply government power agrandizers who have figured out which way the wind is blowing.
What did Murtha do in Miami? Claim the terror group there were just fighting the illegal occupation of Iraq, or something equally inane?
(Denny Crane: "Every one should carry a gun strapped to their waist. We need more - not less guns.")
Murtha is a disgrace!!!
On the surface, this sounds great, but just remember, Michael Bloomberg, a lifelong Democrat, was elected Mayor of NYC by claiming to have become a Republican. Rudy Guiliani is a Republican but when you look into his doings, he's not really a Republican. These guys are these guys. If you don't like liver, don't order liver.
I agree, but this is Alachau county and anything helps.
This is great! I used to live in Alachua County, and of course, the big problem is the university with its hordes of college liberals. It's the only Dem county in North Florida.
In addition, the GOP was pretty dysfunctional there because of infighting. I hope things have simmered down now and some real work can get done, because I think there would be other people (particularly black Dems, some of whom I have heard are sick of the same old same old Dem stuff) who would be attracted to it.
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