Posted on 10/20/2002 5:08:50 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
MIAMI BEACH -- Bob Kunst answers the door on a recent Sunday morning wearing red spandex shorts and a yellow whistle around his neck. At 60, belly bulging over waistband, Kunst has as much modesty as he has a chance of being Florida's next governor.
Which is to say: none.
That doesn't mean this passionate protester and energetic activist -- half-dressed for an afternoon parade -- won't play a role in the contest between Gov. Jeb Bush and his Democratic challenger, Bill McBride.
Though Kunst barely registers 1 percent in the polls as the only no-party candidate on the ballot, he could be the Democratic spoiler come Election Day -- much like consumer advocate Ralph Nader was in Florida's cliffhanger presidential election in 2000. As few Democrats can forget, Nader received 97,488 votes. Had just 538 of them gone to Al Gore, the former vice president would be in the White House today and the governor's brother, George W., would be back on his Texas ranch.
Kunst, of course, is no Nader. Best known for bashing Anita Bryant duringher successful crusade to repeal Dade County's gay-rights ordinance 25 years ago, the Miami Beach native views himself as a "pioneer for social change" and a "conscience of the community," but he has no national reputation, following or party organization behind him.
He has never won an election, but he is a genius at drawing attention to himself and reducing serious issues to a bumper sticker. His most popular slogan: "No More Bushit," which at $2 a pop has grossed more than $30,000 and, along with his longtime partner, is his primary means of support. He counts 27,000 media interviews and hundreds of organized protests -- demonstrating for racial equality, against the Vietnam War, for gay rights and against AIDS, the Holocaust, Nazi war criminals and his theme du jour, the 2000 "stolen election" -- as proof of his success.
Yet as Kunst tours the state in his 1993 Buick, sleeping at truck stops and showering at YMCAs before changing into the only suit he owns, some Democratic activists worry that enough disaffected Floridians could vote for him and deny McBride -- whom he calls "McBush" -- a narrow victory.
"Bob Kunst may be insignificant as a challenger, but his insignificance makes him significant in a close race," said Dean Tarantalis, president of the Dolphin Democratic Club in Broward County, which like most gay and lesbian organizations in the state, is supporting McBride. "He will draw votes away from Bill McBride, and to the extent that it will be a close race, he will hurt the Democratic Party."
(Excerpt) Read more at orlandosentinel.com ...
They have already cast one of the 'bad guy' roles.
The other 'bad guy' roles were cast automatically by virtue of the fact that every Republican becomes one at birth.
Now they are hedged for the loss and ready to deflect the blame...as always.
Ever notice that liberals never lose an election? It's always the fault of some evil force. Here is where they get creative as the 'evil force' could be anything from bad weather to those evil 'gun-loving conservative slave-keepers who mistreat women, start wars, starve children and pollute rivers'. They never get it wrong...it's always someone else's fault for screwing it up.
Seems like a DemonRAT fantasy-come-true to me...MUD
if my last name was Kunst, I would be a little more careful about making fun of Bush's last name.
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