Out of step with the rest of us

Some blogs just write themselves.

This one was inspired over an extraordinary three days last week when Sheriff Mike Prendergast’s re-election chances spiraled into the stratosphere.

It wasn’t the County Commission doing him in. Though he does it poorly, Prendergast can handle politics.

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The humanity thing, though, caught him squarely off guard.

How else to explain the outpouring of criticism, from citizens across this county, to Michelle Lahera’s special Chronicle column last week? That Prendergast and his top commanders planned to relieve Andy Lahera of his duties even while he struggles to survive a devastating on-duty injury was news to us all, and not well received.

The sheriff made it worse by issuing an absurd cynical statement on the agency Facebook page supporting Andy. About 1,600 comments saw right through it.

A Just Wright Citrus reader summed it up:

“This dude has got to be beside himself at this point with the way the tables have turned. True colors always come out in the wash. I’d love to have been a fly on his wall over the last couple of days.”

My, my, my. Where do we go from here?

First off, despite what people think, this doesn’t kill Prendergast’s re-election chances. Elections are neither won nor lost by Memorial Day. Voters’ memories are short, allegiances strong, and folks tend not to get riled up unless there’s a very good reason.

That said, I’m stunned at the utter destruction Prendergast has brought upon himself. It’s practically impossible for an incumbent sheriff to blow a re-election short of scandal or a massive crime wave.

Yet, this is where Prendergast stands today.

As unpopular and confrontational Prendergast is with well, um, everybody, that alone would probably not cause an Election Day loss. The fact that, as of now, there are three challengers has folks concerned about the incumbent squeezing into a third term with well short of 50%.

Until recently, I bought that argument. Then came the “defund police” remark to county commissioners, and that’s when I started to see the wheels really falling off. There are commissioners who support him, and Prendergast tossed them under the bus for his own political gain.

While aggravating behavior, it still gave Prendergast a campaign platform as the anti-Citrus County incumbent. He'd unite us by dividing us. That $200,000 in campaign contributions would buy mail pieces extolling law-and-order by the book.

While I believe that to be a flawed plan, it was a plan nonetheless.

Now what’s the plan?

Michelle’s column dropped out of the blue sky. It was blunt and heartbreaking. Devastating in its honesty. Andy’s community is outraged at the actions of a cold politician, and springing into action to help the Lahera family. While Prendergast fumbles, the community shows exactly what he’s been missing all this time.

(Check these links for fundraisers at Crump’s Landing; Cattle Dog Coffee Roasters; and a “Love for Lahera BBQ”.)

It caught the sheriff totally off guard. Like many politicians, he’s a control freak about what people are saying; before he knew it was happening, Michelle’s message had already spread (Just Wright Citrus’s post of the link was shared over 900 times). The p.r. hit was significant.

Prendergast’s attempt at damage control made things much worse. It was bad enough to issue a cynical statement to the media, but to post it on the agency’s Facebook page all sweet and nice…seriously, who’s call was that? Over 1,600 comments; I gave up reading after the first few hundred. Few were complimentary of the sheriff.

Prendergast is on shaky political ground. Ballot qualifying is in two weeks. Early voting for the Aug. 20 primary starts eight weeks later. That’s a very short time to get over the public mess he’s in.

Our thoughts turn from the politician to the Lahera family. I’m expecting a huge turnout for today’s County Commission meeting when the board will present the family with a proclamation on Andy’s behalf. This community always rises to the occasion. If nothing else, Michelle and Andy Lahera know their neighbors love them.

It’s sad that Prendergast, even after seven years in office, still has so little connection to the community he serves. He doesn’t feel its heartbeat. Therefore, he doesn’t understand its outrage.

County Commission. 1 p.m. Courthouse. Let’s show this man what he’s missing.

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