Mayoral candidate Deveron Gibbons had the wind knocked out of him yesterday when his supposed patron Governor Charlie Crist declined to re-appoint Gibbons to the Pinellas County Housing Authority, the bread and butter of Deveron’s political clout.
This is one of those under-the-radar stories important to mostly insiders, but I can’t stress enough the magnitude of this slight. If Deveron’s campaign was already wobbly after the revelation of his checkered driving record, then he has to be on the floor with two more legs — Crists’s tacit endorsement and his influence on the Pinellas Housing Authority — cut out from underneath him.
This is one of those under-the-radar stories important to mostly insiders, but I can’t stress enough the magnitude of this slight. If Deveron’s campaign was already wobbly after the revelation of his checkered driving record, then he has to be on the floor with two more legs — Crists’s tacit endorsement and his influence on the Pinellas Housing Authority — cut out from underneath him.
Fortunately for his campaign, Deveron can still raise money. Word is his major fundraiser in Brighwaters on Saturday netted him enough checks to register in the low five figures. At this point, Deveron is sure to be leading in fundraising for this quarter.
But is that enough to save his campaign? Won’t an ungodly amount of checks written from non-337 zip codes only amplify the worst criticism of Gibbons.
Everyone knows I support Jamie Bennett, but Deveron is my clear second choice. And I respect his campaign manager Nick Hansen. But the ship’s taking on water, fellas. Don’t deny that. Right the ship and do it now.
