by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
If one had to pick a theme song for the 2003 City elections, Bob Dylan’s “The Times They are a-Changin’” may be quite appropriate.
Those weren’t Bruce Barcelo’s exact words, but at Friday’s Downtown Council meeting, he did intimate that next year’s elections — in which Jacksonville will choose a new mayor, at least five new City Council members, three new School Board members and possibly several new constitutional officers — could be the most important in the 35-year history of consolidated Jacksonville.
“We will see significant turnover in the established names in terms of leadership,” said Barcelo, principal of Barcelo & Company.
A Dartmouth graduate, Barcelo has been on the Jacksonville political scene for many years. He has helped organize and run the campaigns of former U.S. Rep. Tillie Fowler and Mayor John Delaney. In fact, Barcelo claims he provided the impetus for Delaney to enter the 1995 mayor’s race.
“John Delaney has an 80 to 85 percent approval rating right now as my mayor,” said Barcelo, who first got into politics with former Maine Sen. Ed Muskie in 1970. “I’m the one who talked him into running.”
In surveying the mayor’s race, Barcelo firmly believes that for the first time in many, many years the voters wield the power rather than the politicians. While campaign contribution reports make for entertaining water cooler chat and great headlines, Barcelo believes the race will come down to who presents themselves as the best, most believable candidate and the one who is most capable of maintaining the momentum Delaney has established.
At some point, television will begin to play a role in the race. It’s through that medium that Barcelo thinks the people will be strongly influenced by the candidates. According to Barcelo, a good TV ad won’t do nearly as much good as a bad ad will do harm.
“The rich candidates can’t buy enough TV or newspaper ads,” said Barcelo, adding that poor ads with poor messages will send people channel surfing. “If people see a bad ad, they will simply change the channel. I maintain that the most powerful invention of the 20th Century is the clicker. For the first time in 500 years, the audience has control of what they see. It means the audience is in charge.”
Barcelo wouldn’t speculate on who will win the mayor’s race next May. As a Republican lobbyist, it simply wouldn’t be prudent to publicly side with one candidate when the Republicans have several heavy-hitters in the race. He did say that the next mayor will be facing great expectations and must be able to come across as both knowledgeable and charismatic. Regardless how they portray that image, Barcelo contends the city needs a leader capable of not only following in Delaney’s footsteps but also able to leave their own legacy by attacking another county issue such as public schools.
“My personal belief is that the Jacksonville voters will be listening for that message,” said Barcelo.