Broward Politics: How A Candidate Spins
BY BUDDY NEVINS
This is how spin works:
Chad Klitzman’s campaign claimed in a news release that he raised “more funds in a single month than any other candidate for Broward Supervisor of Elections in recent history.”
His haul for November was $24,186.
What the release didn’t say:
Klitzman’s total is pumped up with $7,550 from folks or businesses named Klitzman. If you pull that money out, he only raised $16,636, not as much support as he proclaimed.
What the release also didn’t say:
Klitzman has raised far less money than his leading opponent, former Democratic Party boss Mitch Ceasar.
Far less.
Ceasar raised $60,510 so far, more than double Klitzman.
Don’t get me wrong.
Klitzman raised a lot of money in a month from a lot of people in a race that is traditionally hard to fund.
Most lobbyists and other business types avoid supervisor campaigns for one reason: self interest. There is little the Broward Elections Office can do for them in the future.
The office spends most of its money on salaries, not on purchases from the lobbyists’ clients.
Still, Ceasar has managed to get some lobbyist money from his lifetime in politics.
Setting the money aside, Klitzman has some interesting stories to tout.
How about Klitzman and his sister’s trip across the state visiting Election Offices to find out how they keep voting honest? He claims to have driven 4,000 miles and met more than two dozen supervisors.
It’s a stunt, but so was former Governors Bob Graham’s Work Days or Lawton Chiles’ walk across Florida. It’s a stunt, but it still shows dedication and an interest in educating himself about the job.
Knowing a big campaign drawback is his youth, Klitzman adopted a campaign slog that harkens to Broward election history:
“Chad Won’t Leave Your Vote Hanging.”
The slogan refers to the recount 19 years ago. For a time the choice of next president appeared to hinge on hanging chads that had to be examined laboriously by Broward election officials in front of the world media.
That was in 2000. Klitzman was six years old at the time.
His slogan is clever and a nod to the past. It again shows he has thought about this campaign…a lot.
Whether voters will accept such a young person running the multi-million dollar Elections Office and supervising dozens of employees remains to be seen. But Klitzman’s fund raising abilities in one month prove he is serious contender. He will have plenty of money to campaign, especially if his family re-ups.
Klitzman calls his youth a bonus because he will bring new ideas to the job. It would be nice if one of his the new ideas was a little less spin in his news releases.
XXXXX
An earlier story about Klitzman is here: https://www.browardbeat.com/screenwriter-brings-hollywood-glam-to-campaign/
December 12th, 2019 at 1:14 pm
The problem with his stunt vs. the Walk-in Lawton or Graham Work Days is they used them to earn free media attention, where I never even heard of Klitzman except on this blog.
December 12th, 2019 at 2:16 pm
Yeah the money thing stinks.So who raised the most money is best qualified- I think not.
December 13th, 2019 at 8:27 am
It is said that blacks are half of the Democrats. Klitzman has no connections to the black community. Mitch has been there for for decades. He may have more money by primary. Klitzman will fail among blacks.
December 14th, 2019 at 5:37 am
#2 is right. AA Ruth Lynch is the candidate who has the greatest chance.
December 14th, 2019 at 7:26 am
Both have a drop in the bucket that will not make a difference. 129,959 voted in the 2016 Democratic primary. Each of these candidates have less than $1 per voter. That kind of money can’t make a difference.
December 15th, 2019 at 9:58 am
New ideas Klitzman is bringing are summarized here:
https://countonchad.com/issues
….
December 18th, 2019 at 1:46 pm
Broward has more jerks who have ZERO credentials, ZERO training in political economics. And low voter turn-out — unless, of course a school shooting happens.
Then human beings vote on emotion. That is scientifically proven.
More young people like this kid, Klitzman, with no skill set,figure they can use social media to manipulate voters at a low cost.
Makes no difference to me as an independent. Notwithstanding that, when I look at Mr. Ktlizman’s “platform,” I see him essentially saying he wants to have election process improvement and employ interns.
Every candidate says that. And every voter paying attention knows — too many chiefs and not enough indians — and no one agrees on how to tally votes.
Here is an idea — Broward County commissioners should hire / rent industrial engineers from Toyota or General Motors — and ask them to map out a process flowchart to avoid inconsistencies.
Very simple. Lean, short cycle time.
But instead, Broward voters will get more inundated with useless INFORMATION on the internet because it’s cheap and easy to come by. Corey Weiner.
December 19th, 2019 at 12:17 am
You singled out one 2020 candidate receiving a significant amount of money in donations clearly coming from family but you don’t call out other candidates doing the exact same thing?
December 23rd, 2019 at 2:57 am
@7: Your premise is incorrect.
https://countonchad.com/about
December 23rd, 2019 at 9:09 pm
>> Voting by Toyota.
Now really sure how Toyota’s Just In Time inventory methods would aid voting …
December 25th, 2019 at 1:40 pm
Dude is 26 years old … can he even vote?\
Chad reminds me of Daniel Sohn. Or, even worse, Donald Trump — some dude out of left field, no experience, nothing to offer, who thinks he can run the joint.
Do we really need another Trump in charge?
Still wet behind the ears, all sorts of stuff that’s not applicable to the job, and oh I wrote a fucking screen play.
Who the fuck cares?
I got on the Daily Show (twice) … should I run for CEO of Disney?
January 2nd, 2020 at 5:54 pm
Chaz. Dude. You need to calm down. You are dripping with hate and bitterness. Think about it. Do you want to see Mitch Caesar as the next Supervisor of Elections? Didn’t he lose to Brenda Forman in 2016? Money, name and “political connections galore”. And. He. Lost!
And tell me what kind of experience does it take? Brenda Snipes retired from the Broward County School System and Broward’s SOE for 15 years. How well did she do?
I suggest taking some deep breaths and maybe open the mind to something a little different. Point is, we have had MUCH worse!! With that said, the most qualified appears to be Ms. Lynch.