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The Lakeland Ledger called for three statewide debates this fall between Democrat Alex Sink, Republican Rick Scott and independent candidates Lawton “Bud” Chiles and economist Farid A. Khavari of Miami.
In yesterday’s editorial, the Ledger said that all four candidates should have an opportunity to discuss Florida’s future.
Sink, the state’s chief financial officer who cruised to an easy victory against feisty challenger Brian P. Moore in Tuesday’s primary, has been leading multimillionaire Rick Scott in recent polls and is generally believed to have benefited from the nasty slugfest between Scott and Attorney General Bill McCollum in the GOP primary, a particularly brutal campaign that was bitterly contested by both sides.
The bad blood from that vicious primary still lingers.
Chiles, the son of the late “Walkin Lawton” — the state’s popular Democratic governor from 1991 until his untimely death in 1998 — is considered the highest profile independent in the race, but has been struggling to raise a decent war chest against Sink, the former president of Bank of America’s Florida operations, and the deep-pocketed Scott.
A Mason-Dixon poll taken in early August showed Chiles receiving 17 percent of the vote when pitted against Sink and Republican Rick Scott.
A more recent poll by Public Policy Polling, a Democratic firm that surveyed 567 likely voters from August 21-22, only a few days before the primary, showed the late governor’s son with only eight percent of the vote in a similar match-up in which Sink held a seven point lead against Scott.
Economist Farid Khavari says he's the only candidate with a comprehensive plan to deal with Florida's troubled economy.
The 67-year-old Khavari, who has been quietly canvassing the state for nearly fifteen months since initially entering the race as a Democrat in June 2009, welcomed the idea of a series of four-way televised debates in the general election.
“Florida’s future shouldn’t be trusted to a career banker or a multimillionaire of dubious wealth,” he said shortly after Tuesday’s primary.
“The citizens of Florida have a right to know how the next administration plans to deal with the state’s growing financial crisis,” he told Uncovered Politics.
Khavari has been one of more than a dozen candidates around the country this year pushing the idea of a state-owned bank to create thousands of jobs and resuscitate the state’s sagging economy. It’s an idea, he says, that’s beginning to catch on.
It’s also an issue he’s anxious to debate with his Democratic and Republican opponents.
“Let’s have a debate and show voters how good you are — anytime, anywhere,” Khavari communicated to his two major-party rivals in a Twitter message yesterday. In his message, he suggested that Scott and Sink could each bring five of their most knowledgeable advisers to help them during the debate.
“I’ll come alone,” he quipped.
How is it that you want to arbitrarily try to include two other candidates to debate the BP (big party) candidates? I am on the ballot and more qualified than all of them. If you want a candidate that has real solutions for putting Florida first, you should invite me to participate.
Call me now at 561-317-3210
Thanks,
Daniel Imperato
Dr. Khavari is the only candidate who actually lives in the real world, with a real world plan to create real jobs and put real food on tables, and real roofs over people’s heads.
Politicians live in a fantasy world where failure is rewarded and success, sacrifice and hard work are penalized. They live in a world where Keynesian stimulus “fixes” a broken economy. Look at where that’s gotten us so far.
In the real world, when you can’t make your numbers you lose your job, when you can’t pay your mortgage you lose your home, and when you can’t buy food you go hungry. But in the world of politicians, if you can’t make your number’s you change how you count them. Now instead of facing the reality of collapsing jobs, we “touch” people with stimulus in new and meaningful ways.
Any politician debating Dr. Khavari in the real world, and discussing real world issues doesn’t stand a chance. Just make sure that you “keep it real” Farid, as politicians, and the media, have a way of extending and pretending the fantasy … and that fantasy is coming to an end.
http://letthemfail.us/archives/5326
I welcome the debate, I believe this will be a good opportunity for the public to get to know what all the candidates bring to the table.
This HAS to be the Golden Opportunity for Florida to break the power of the GOP and Democrats! This is a no-brainer. We have a Con Man vs. a Bank of America Stooge to pick from… according to the mass media.
Here we have a true statesman and scholar to be the People’s Champion. He is neither the left wing, nor the right wing of the same buzzard! Considering that the GOP and Democrats are the same, with only minor differences designed to appeal to certain constituents, Dr. Khavari will offer us a real choice.
I would urge Dr. Khavari to contact the Philips Phile radio show on WTKS 104.1FM in Maitland and ask to be a guest on Jim’s show. The show’s profile and listener demographics would make it an ideal platform for Dr. Khavari to present his case on why he is the best candidate for Florida governor.
Good call for the Lakeland Ledger to call for a debate among the four leading gubernatorial candidates. The Ledger quotes Alex Sink as asking for debates. Good for the Ledger to call her on it.
A four-way debate, fairly moderated, will show Floridians who has a plan, already proven to work, to rescue Floridians and Florida’s economy and create jobs. Only one candidate does, Farid Khavari.
Thanks to the alternative media for calling it to our attention. Can’t depend on the media watchdog to do its job. That dog died years ago.
For an ‘uncovered’ example of media bias, check out the Miami Herald’s idea of the race for Florida’s governor. Talk about circling the wagons. They omitted Dr. Khavari. Included Chiles, but not Khavari?
Their so-called ‘Public Insight Network’ is not showing any public insight at all.
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