What a difference a Chicken makes!
On July 11, Kathleen Ford looked like a lock to finish in the top-two of the primary election for St. Petersburg Mayor. Three weeks — and a chicken — later, Ford has dropped eight points in the latest survey from St. Pete Polls and is now in third place behind frontrunner Bill Foster and a surging Rick Kriseman.
Twenty-five days ago, Ford led the field with 32% of likely voters’ support, followed by incumbent Bill Foster at 26% and Rick Kriseman at 19%. Seventeen percent of voters had said they were undecided.
Today, the numbers paint a different picture. Foster is on top with 33% of likely voters’ support, Kriseman is at 29% and Ford is in third at 24%. This, according to the latest survey of the Mayor’s race conducted by St. Pete Polls and commissioned by this blog.
So why has Ford dropped seven points in the polls in just three weeks? One answer: The Chicken.
After Ford declined invitations to a series of candidate debates and forums, citing conflicts with things like trial schedules, depositions, family birthdays and other speaking engagements, someone dressed in a chicken suit began popping up with a sign saying Ford was too chicken to debate Foster and Kriseman. The local media made extensive hay of The Chicken and Ford being MIA. Questions arose about why Ford would not debate.
It was suggested that perhaps Ford was wise to sit on her lead in the polls, while Foster and Kriseman duked it out for second-place. This blog described this as Ford playing prevent defense.
Well, the only thing prevent defense does is prevent the win.
What is clear from these polling results is that Ford has ducked her way out of the lead and possibly out of the general election.
