Ho-Hum in Florida

Sitting in his truck of butter beans at the Plant City (Fla.) market one day last week, Farmer E. O. Goodson looked utterly bored. "I don't think I'm going to vote on May 29," he said, when told that Democratic Presidential Candidate Adlai Stevenson was speaking only a few blocks away. Then, his beans unloaded, Goodson drove home without another thought of next week's presidential primary, in which Stevenson and Estes Kefauver face a showdown for Florida's 28 convention votes.

Although the primary will be considered an important test of prestige between Stevenson and Kefauver, most Floridians seem to share Farmer Goodson's expressed indifference. The prospect is for a light vote of between 300,000 and 500,000 (as against the 840,000 ballots cast in the May 8 gubernatorial primary).

In Plant City last week Stevenson drew an audience of only 120; in Tampa only 350. At a major rally in St. Petersburg, he was introduced by one of his candidates for delegate, former Governor Millard Caldwell, who made it clear to newsmen that he could hardly care less. Said Caldwell: "Stevenson is not the most satisfactory candidate from my standpoint or Florida's standpoint, but he is the strongest possible Democratic candidate."

Reminder of a Reminder. Florida's indifference comes partly from the letdown after the tumultuous gubernatorial campaign that ended in sweeping victory for Incumbent LeRoy Collins. Even more, it can be traced to the fact that Floridians, basking in the warmth of their economic boom, seem in no mood for a change: they still like Ike and tend to see the Democratic nominee, whoever he may be, as an inevitable also-ran.

But most of all, the apathy stems from the old-hat performances so far of Candidates Stevenson and Kefauver. Four years ago, recalled Miami News Columnist Bill Baggs, Stevenson "reminded many people of Woodrow Wilson. Not a few of the same people today say he reminds them of a man trying to remind them of Woodrow Wilson." Kefauver's act has gone equally stale. Wrote Baggs: "There is nothing special in shaking [his] hand any more. Everyone in the state has done it." Result: "We find there is more interest in the constable race in District Three than in the Stevenson-Kefauver race."

Advantage in Apathy. For Adlai Stevenson indifference is an advantage. He has the support of nearly all of Florida's top Democrats, from LeRoy Collins (who announced for Adlai but has not actively campaigned) on down. With a small vote, this organization support could be the margin of victory.

But Kefauver has his own kind of advantage. In his corner are Miami Lawyer Henry Sinclair, a shrewd but small-bore politician, and a crew of enthusiastic amateurs who have already stolen at least one march on Adlai's pros: they organized Dade County (Miami) down to the block-captain level while the Stevensonites marked time. In a close race Dade County, which casts more than 20% of Florida's vote (and which Kefauver carried nicely against Georgia's Senator Richard Russell in 1952), could make the difference.

With primary day approaching, however, every sign indicated that the voters who might have decided the Florida primary will ho-hum and stay at home.

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