DR. POLITICS

Peter Bergerson is a professor of public affairs at Florida Gulf Coast University. Before coming to Southwest Florida in 2002, he spent 34 years at Southeast Missouri State University, 17 as the Chair of the Political Science Department. If you have questions or responses to Dr. Politics columns, please contact Peter Bergerson at pbergers@fgcu.edu. Users can find the complete archive of the Dr. Politics columns here.

More Columnists

• Brent Batten: One marathon ends, another begins in Florida
• Jay Ambrose: A lesson from India: We must remain prepared to fight terror
• Thomas Sowell: Freedom, as understood by the far left, is oppression

Tell us about it

• What would you add to this story? Tell us what we missed.
• Do you have photos from this event? Documents we need to see? Share with us.
• Upload photos & videos
• More ways to get your stuff online and in the paper.

STORY TOOLS

• E-mail story
• iPod friendly
• Printer friendly

Share and Enjoy [?]

Election years always produce political conundrums and 2008 starts out to be no different.

This year voters in Southwest Florida will have the opportunity to experience a rare political campaign and general election — a fully functioning political marketplace for the areas congressional seat.

Republican incumbent Connie Mack IV, Democrat Larry Barnes and “No Party Affiliation”/ Republican Burt Saunders have each announced their candidacies for one of the most consistently Republican voting congressional districts in the United States.

The campaign will provide voters with a front row seat to the democratic process at its best — observation of campaign strategies, elite endorsements, political intrigue, fund raising, face-to-face campaigning and the exposure of candidates’ personal values.

At this point in the race the political interest focuses on Mack and Saunders, longtime Republicans, elected officials and party leaders in Southwest Florida. The decision by State Senator Saunders to enter the race represents a legitimate threat to Congressman Mack and has produced the seemingly unparalleled local event.

Policy differences between Mack and Saunders on the social, economic and international Issues will probably be marginal for each has held traditional Republican positions on lower taxes, economic growth and national security issues.

So what will voters look for? How will they make their choice?

In seriously contested local elections the number one issue will be the voter’s perception of the quality of the candidates. Southwest Florida voters will have nine months to assess who best reflects the local political culture. Also, voters will want the candidates to explain their core reasons for public service.

What often decides contested elections is trust — the campaign will center on which candidate can convince the voters that they will best represent the political values of Southwest Florida in Washington.

As the campaign unfolds there will be mileposts along the way to asses the progress and elect-ability of the candidates. One aspect of the campaign will be the competition for endorsements from Republicans Party key players as well as political contributors.

Mack and Saunders will compete for support of a relatively small group of political insiders: elected officials, fundraisers and party activists. These political endorsements serve as a voting cue to the party establishment and the voting public.

The Mack-Saunders match-up will also test the unity and loyalty within the Republican Party. Since both are life long Republicans, party elites signal each other which candidate is their favorite and channel important resources of money, endorsements to the favorite candidate.

Contested Congressional elections are very expensive and contributions become a very important measure of success. Money raised is a signal as to who’s up, who’s down, who’s ahead, or who’s dead. Political handicappers often bestow front runner status based on campaign money raised.

A key aspect will be candidates’ organization and strength. The successful candidate will be the one who is able to identify his supporters and translate that support into votes on November 4.

Thus, as the New Year brings attention to the presidential campaigns, Southwest Florida will also witness the political ballyhoo of a congressional campaign that will bring national attention to the area.