You have to give it to Mayor Bill Foster. He’s a lot smarter than he is given credit for by his critics.
By making sure there is an Aug. 27 vote on the future of the St. Petersburg Pier, he’s out-maneuvered his chief opponent, Kathleen Ford, by setting up the opponent he fears more, Rick Kriseman, for defeat in the primary election.
See, Foster wants to face Ford, not Kriseman, in the November general election. He knows that the folks who are currently sitting on their hands will rally ’round him to defeat Ford, just as they did in 2009. Foster does not want to face the more moderate Kriseman, who could build a coalition of blacks, gays, progressives, West-siders, and anti-City Hall folks broad enough to beat Foster.
So Foster needs to finish first or second in the primary (it doesn’t matter which), at the same time using Ford to block Kriseman from making the runoff.
Hence, Foster has accommodated the “Stop the Lens” crowd by assuring them that their initiative will be voted on in the primary election on Aug. 27. Foster knows all of the “Stoppers” and “Savers” will come out in droves to vote against The Lens. While they are at it, they’ll also vote for Kathleen Ford for Mayor. In fact, there may enough of these voters to see Kathleen finish first in the primary.
Foster will still have enough support in the northeast part of town and/or among the old guard in the Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Partnership to finish in at least second place, especially since Kriseman’s campaign has yet to catch fire.
With the Pier issue settled in August, the temperature will drop for November’s general election. Foster will then be able to rally the significant anti-Ford vote to hang on to re-election.
The one issue which could jeopardize Foster’s strategy is if, for some reason, the referendum on The Lens does not occur in August. A primary without The Lens on the ballot could see Foster finish third and/or see Kriseman make the run-off.
However, in letting himself be thrown into the briar patch of an Aug. 27 vote on The Lens, Foster is, come August 28, likely to be laughing as loud as the Brer Rabbit.
