Kelly Still Looking For Four Votes

Kelly, Reives Trying to Cut A Deal

Editor's Note: The final post in the series analyzing the election is being postponed to bring you up to date on the latest developments in the fight for chairmanship of the Lee County Commission. That analysis will come next weekend. Yesterday's column can be found at the e-Lee Dispatch Plus. (click here) Also, in the interest of fairness work by a genealogist has found that I am indeed related to Jamie Kelly's paternal grandfather, Sion Kelly. Perhaps that is where we get our common interest in politics, but my wife has told me not to expect an invitation to Thanksgiving Dinner!

After two years of being in charge of every major decision, the thoughts of being "just two commissioners" doesn't appeal to Jamie Kelly and Robert Reives. It is a blow to two large egos While likely-chair Richard Hayes continues to talk about an open, participatory, and less partisan board, the two king pins of yesteryear still aren't listening to the voters. Kelly has approached each of the two Republicans on the board, Linda Shook and Doc Oldham about them possibly serving as chair instead of Hayes. While Shook is thought to have considered it, Oldham gave a quick and strong "No." Where the two deal makers would get the fourth vote is not clear because they struck out with Ed Paschal. Perhaps they are counting on those provisional ballots to be counted tomorrow, but Lemmond is not likely to pull it out.

By arranging such a deal their votes would become very important, and they could negotiate for concessions about their roles and power in the new board. Right now the decision to go with Hayes is pretty firm, making the wishes of the two former bosses largely irrelevant. Their votes don't matter, and they can't stand not having veto power over what the commissioners may do.

While going to a new commissioner like Oldham is not really a surprise, going to Shook who they virtually ignored for two years shows the growing level of their desperation. Kelly is particularly interested in establishing that his political career has not been hurt by the sign controversy even as at least one group of Lee County activists is considering a petition drive calling for his resignation. Ed Paschal has seen this kind of stunt before and is having none of it.

Kelly may be gaining encouragement from a poll currently being run by the Sanford Herald on the front page of its electronic version. Or he may still that he is just flat supposed to be a king maker if he can't be the king.

He is gathering 22% of the vote. (click here) While Hayes is the leader, nearly one in four say they favor Kelly. What is not known is how many people have expressed an opinion. These polls typically draw small numbers and could simply reflect the Dairy Bar crowd of 25 or 30.

The access to the poll is on the free portion of the site. All those who have talked about petitions and protests have a chance to let your feelings be known by clicking here and voting for your choice and encouraging others to do so. (You can only vote once.) It is an excellent way to have a referendum on Jamie Kelly and Robert Reives. You can bet they have there hard core supporters trying to paint the picture that all is forgiven with the sign fiasco. (click here) After her loss to Jimmy Love, the offer might have been tempting to Shook, but she soon grasped that after her shoddy treatment by the two suitors for two years, this was about giving them a sense of power and control and not a vote for her. Most Republicans have decided that since the Democrats hold the balance of power in what could be a very difficult year. the democrat Hayes, as leader of the ticket, deserves their votes. Hayes is getting a quick education that his motivation of what is best for the county is not shared by Reives and Kelly who look out instead for themselves and their power base. No doubt Hayes will try to bring them around to his ethical standards, but it is like teaching pigs to sink--the pigs don't learn and you end up annoying the hell out of the pigs.

Richard Littiken doesn't seem to be taking the election results any better than Kelly and Reives. While he had a motive to do so, Kelly has at least called Doc Oldham to congratulate him while no member of the county GOP executive committee had done so by today. Like the other two, Littiken is likely preoccupied by the failure of his candidate for commission, Andre Knecht. But here we begin to get into that final analysis that you can look forward to next week along with news on the perjury investigation which has taken some very interesting turns.