An endorsement going sideways

Now for something completely different:

The backfiring campaign endorsement.

In most worlds, a statewide politician endorsing a local county commissioner would be great news for the commissioner.

But in one of those political perfect storms, CFO Blaise Ingoglia’s backing of Diana Finegan’s re-election campaign is, as of now, seemingly working against her.

---

It’s a real dilemma for Finegan, one I’m sure she didn’t see coming and, frankly, I don’t know how she handles it.

Let’s talk a little about endorsements.

There are basically two types of candidate endorsements. A media endorsement, such as what comes from the newspaper, and personal endorsements from other politicians, organizations, or community leaders.

I don’t know if they still do it this way, but when I was at the Chronicle, the Editorial Board would interview candidates and issue endorsements, primarily from those interviews.

Readers are squeamish about newspaper endorsements. In general, they don’t like ‘em and never have. The idea of someone telling them how to vote doesn’t sit well. Newspapers would take great pains to say these are only recommendations, but readers still feel lectured.

Candidates have a love/hate relationship with endorsements. Local candidates covet those endorsements; not getting one can be devastating to the ego. Candidates who really wanted the newspaper endorsement and didn’t get it, act like it’s no big deal.

Newspaper endorsements are fairly black and white. While newspapers (and bloggers) have a bad rap for pushing their political views on readers, I have yet to see a candidate refuse an endorsement from one.

Personal endorsements are different. For one thing, they’re personal. It’s not the newspaper touting a candidate; it’s the governor. Whole another critter.

Personal endorsements definitely come with a risk/reward factor. In general, candidates seek endorsements from people and groups that enjoy broad public support. You don’t want the town loser throwing his arm around your shoulder.

Candidates should expect some blowback with personal endorsements. U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, for example, is supporting Finegan. If you’re not a Gus guy, that might turn you off to Diana. It’s a risk worth taking with a congressman.

And, normally, it’s a risk worth taking with the CFO, even someone as polarizing as Blaise Ingoglia.

Timing, though. Good grief. If Finegan and Ingoglia coordinated his endorsement to come on the same day as his blistering anti-Citrus County press conference, as several JWC readers have intimated, boy, wow, bad idea.

The press conference occurred the morning of Finegan’s campaign kickoff that evening. She later posted a photo and video of Ingoglia, saying he made a “surprise visit” to her fundraiser. That’s quite a coincidence. 

Finegan now finds herself defending an endorsement from a statewide politician. I mean, she doesn’t have to. She can continue to tout the endorsement as if everything was normal. We’ll just pretend the CFO didn’t just track mud through the kitchen.

Facts are facts: Ingoglia enthusiastically threw his support behind Finegan at her campaign kickoff just hours after throwing the entire County Commission under the bus.

The things that make you go, hmmm.

— Today’s County Commission agenda has a mysterious addition: Sheriff Dave Vincent is speaking to the board at 1:20: “Discuss the recent press conference.” 

That’s it for today. Have a great one, friends.

Join the discussion on our Facebook page.

Individual donations are appreciated through Venmo, PayPal, or Patreon.