What Chiles Dropping Out Means to Sink

Bud Chiles has officially announced he will not run for governor.

“I need to be able to look people in the face and really believe in my heart that this was a campaign I could win and really be viable,” Chiles told the Times/Herald. “I just got to the point where it was difficult for me to do that.”

According to a Public Policy Polling poll: Chiles withdrawing might actually help Rick Scott.

-Voted for John McCain by a 62/33 margin in 2008
-Disapprove of Barack Obama by a 69/31 margin
-Were 47% Republican, 30% Democratic, and 23% independent

The voters leaning toward Chiles fit the pattern of older white men that voted for Ralph Nader in 2004 and 2008. These voters mistrust government and are generally conservative. Nader pulled progressive voters in 2000 who were frustrated with Al Gore and neoliberalism. The progressives moved away from Nader out of fear of helping Republicans win the White House. Which happened in 2004, but not because of Nader.

60 percent of the Chiles leaning voters in the PPP poll have an unfavorable opinion of Rick Scott. They supported Chiles because he was an outsider. Not because of his policies. Don't expect these voters to suddenly become Alex Sink fans.

Is Bud Chiles Dropping Out

Jeremy Wallace reports sources have told him Bud Chiles will drop out of Florida's gubernatorial race Thursday. Chiles raised less than $100,000 and did not have the support of a major party. Progressives such as Ybor Stogie supported a Chiles NPA run. I made it policy not to blog about Chile's campaign. I pointed out that progressives need to stop backing loser candidates like Chiles. Where are you my Doug Tudor supporting trolls?

The Chiles campaign (if it can be called that) had no comment for Wallace. If Chiles was staying in the race he would have said this was all an outragious rumor. I say good riddance to Team Chiles.

Why I Won't Support Bud Chiles

I have thoughts about Bud Chiles announcing he will run for Governor as a NPA candidate. Chiles has a right to run and activists have a right to work for the candidate. I wouldn't deny anyone that privilege in a democracy. However, Chiles has come in too late into the campaign and has no fundraising or political party behind him. Chiles will not be Florida's next Governor.

Florida progressives have backed loser candidates before. Some progressive darlings, such as former congressional candidate Samm Simpson endorsed Ron Paul. Another progressive former darling, Jan Schneider ran in 2008 has a NPA candidate with the intention of being a spoiler to Christine Jennings. The result is progressive candidates helping Republicans get elected. That is exactly what Chiles will do if progressives get Ralph Nader 2000 fever.

If Chiles takes away 5 percent of the vote from Alex Sink; progressive bloggers will lament the reign of hard-right conservatism that Bill McCollum or Rick Scott will bring down on Florida. I respect Bud Chiles and believe his father was a great Governor. However, I cannot support Bud Chiles's candidacy.