Does Orlando need new leadership?

[WAJAS]

There's been a lot of discussion on this throughout the subforum. I'm interested in what the actually consensus is, and if there even is a consensus.

Edited December 10, 2020 by WAJAS

[elefants]

Show me a candidate with new ideas that inspire people to get to the polls.  We're stuck with Buddy, otherwise.

[spenser1058]

8 minutes ago, elefants said:

Show me a candidate with new ideas that inspire people to get to the polls.  We're stuck with Buddy, otherwise.

The problem with that is that the best candidates won’t run against an incumbent. Given our history, they likely have a point. We’d also need to get the election date back to March to increase turnout. The incumbents on city council have no incentive to do that.

[elefants]

1 minute ago, spenser1058 said:

The problem with that is that the best candidates won’t run against an incumbent. Given our history, they likely have a point. We’d also need to get the election date back to March to increase turnout. The incumbents on city council have no incentive to do that.

If were making changes to anything,  I'd prefer adding term limits.  I think Buddy would win even if we had far larger turnout.  For most people, everything is "fine", so why vote for anything but the incumbent?  I guess I don't understand why having more people at the polls would change anything.

[nite owℓ]

4 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

The problem with that is that the best candidates won’t run against an incumbent. Given our history, they likely have a point. We’d also need to get the election date back to March to increase turnout. The incumbents on city council have no incentive to do that.

Who are these top notch candidates and where are they? Sorry, I think candidates not wanting to run against an incumbent is a lame, lazy excuse... if our anecdotal poll shows us anything, it's that most people do want a change in leadership but there hasn't been anyone worthwhile. Surely there is someone in Orlando who thinks they have something more to offer. If you take Buddy out of the picture, I don't think a bunch of exceptional candidates are magically going to start popping up all of a sudden.

Over the years, I can't think of any candidates that offered an agenda that was like a breath of fresh air compared to what we currently have. I don't want a socially conservative Mayor running things. I don't want fiscally conservative Mayor that would stifle what little growth Downtown Orlando manages to cough up - but that's not to say that I want someone who will be reckless with city coffers either. I think Buddy is charismatic, diplomatic and a visionary. He ain't perfect and there is always room to grow, but I'm sticking with the "devil" I know... Buddy is also the reason why I invested downtown. IMO, I don't think there were any other candidates that could have gotten us to where we are today.

P.S. When I read the title, why did I automatically assume it was @spenser1058 who created the poll to be messy? lol

[jack]

9 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

The problem with that is that the best candidates won’t run against an incumbent. Given our history, they likely have a point. We’d also need to get the election date back to March to increase turnout. The incumbents on city council have no incentive to do that.

That is generally true about the power of incumbancy, but that does not mean that they would be a good candidate. Increasing turnout won't help much, I think most people are generally satisfied with the direction of the city. I am satisfied and it would take a unicorn to get me to vote for someone else. 

Moving the election will not make much of a difference. 

[AmIReal]

Potential candidates:

The "has rans": Mulvaney, Diamond, Paulson, Ings

My analysis- no

The "has beens": Chapin, Crotty, L. Stewart, J. Thompson, S. Boyd, 

My analysis- hell no

The OC commish (those with larger chunks of City coverage): Uribe, Gomez-Cordero

My analysis- see above

The City comish: Grey, Ortiz, Stewart, Sheehan, Hill, Burns

My analysis- some good people here, but I believe the latter 3 have topped out in their current role and the first 3 bring nothing to the table beyond what Dyer brings. Grey is likely qualified, but yuck.

Names I've heard mentioned: Eskamani, Carlos G. Smith

My analysis- I like them both. I think Eskamani has much higher ambitions and lacks the technocratic skills needed (at this time), but she is a dynamo. She is just a 1 term rep (recently reelected), has great name recognition, but needs quite a bit of seasoning. Smith is really interesting, but my preference would be to see him get much more experience running things before I turn my keys over to him. I'd like to see him run for OC or City Commish.

Bottom line. Given the above options I'd take Dyer back for another 4 terms,

Anyone else to add?

[Urban Mail Carrier]

Yep no one exciting. I don’t see any visionaries. Eskamani is an interesting choice . Hmmm

[prahaboheme]

I wouldn't mind seeing an ex-executive from Disney or Lockheed Martin  taking the helm as mayor and then appointing some of those out of work imagineers and Epic Universe laid off employees to come up with a bold vision for the city of Orlando.  There's plenty of local talent in Orlando - why not retain them before they scurry off to other cities?

Maybe it is time for Buddy to finally reach his ambitions and run for governor.  He's clearly outgrown Orlando at this point.

Edited December 12, 2020 by prahaboheme

[jack]

On 12/12/2020 at 12:52 PM, prahaboheme said:

I wouldn't mind seeing an ex-executive from Disney or Lockheed Martin  taking the helm as mayor and then appointing some of those out of work imagineers and Epic Universe laid off employees to come up with a bold vision for the city of Orlando.  There's plenty of local talent in Orlando - why not retain them before they scurry off to other cities?

Maybe it is time for Buddy to finally reach his ambitions and run for governor.  He's clearly outgrown Orlando at this point.

You might not, but there does seem to be a backlash against anyone with experience in the private sector. Because turnout is so low, a well organized group can torpedo executives. I can see it now, candidate x works for company that kills babies and is part of the military industrial complex. Candidate y is bad for working families, racist etc. 

[spenser1058]

On 12/12/2020 at 12:52 PM, prahaboheme said:

I wouldn't mind seeing an ex-executive from Disney or Lockheed Martin  taking the helm as mayor and then appointing some of those out of work imagineers and Epic Universe laid off employees to come up with a bold vision for the city of Orlando.  There's plenty of local talent in Orlando - why not retain them before they scurry off to other cities?

Maybe it is time for Buddy to finally reach his ambitions and run for governor.  He's clearly outgrown Orlando at this point.

Buddy has a problem - he’s not particularly the charismatic sort that does well in statewide elections. He lost to Charlie Crist by almost 7 points (which in Florida statewide elections is not a small gap). That was also before his arrest - although the charges were dropped, you may be certain the GOP will make extensive use of the mug shots in ads and on social media. It’s likely one reason Buddy has been frozen in place for so long.

[AmIReal]

21 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

Buddy has a problem - he’s not particularly the charismatic sort that does well in statewide elections. He lost to Charlie Crist by almost 7 points (which in Florida statewide elections is not a small gap). That was also before his arrest - although the charges were dropped, you may be certain the GOP will make extensive use of the mug shots in ads and on social media. It’s likely one reason Buddy has been frozen in place for so long.

Agreed. The statewide election issue seems to plague all Dems. Doing this off memory, but I think Nikki Fried (2019) is the only statewide, non-incumbent, Dem elected in Florida since Bill Nelson back in 2000.