Saving his beloved Enterprise Florida and Visit Florida might be at the top of Gov. Rick Scott’s priority list for 2017, but his weeklong, public relations tour might be more politically motivated for 2018 than meets the eye.
On Monday Scott embarked on his “Fighting for Florida Jobs” tour, making stops around Florida to promote the good word of Enterprise Florida and Visit Florida. The governor jetted to South Florida for the third stretch of the pro-Enterprise Florida Tour, stopping in Sunrise and Riviera Beach on Wednesday.
Like other stops where Scott descended upon the districts of lawmakers who have “wronged” him by voting to kill EFI/Visit Florida, Riviera Beach wasn't an accidental selection. It is a testament to his political savviness. Consider it a precursor to announcing for the race for U.S. Senate, as he is widely rumored to do perhaps as early as later this year.
Scott has visited Riviera Beach at least four times since November. Choosing this Palm Beach County city as a stop -- this time or any time -- gives him access to a group of people on whom Democrats sorely missed the mark in 2016: African Americans.
According to 2015 census data, African Americans compose 66 percent of Riviera Beach’s 33,000 population. In fact, Riviera Beach is one of the most heavily populated black cities in the country.
Florida’s overall poverty rate was 15.7 percent, but in Riviera Beach, that number stands at 23.5 percent.
That means jobs -- and a stable income -- are supremely important to people in Riviera Beach, many of whom struggle to sustain themselves and their families.
When it comes down to it, jobs are important to people like the ones living in Riviera Beach. This is one of the cities where the governor's "jobs-matter" message resonates most. Scott's presence offers hope.
“The most important thing [Enterprise Florida and Visit Florida] have.. given people is the opportunity for a job,” Scott said about the agencies. “A job creates hope, a job creates opportunity for your family. I know the importance of that.”
Scott says he relates to people who are just trying to make it in the workforce. He started from the bottom and knows how to tell the story effectively.
Scott recalls struggling as a young boy when his family couldn't make ends meet. As a young businessman, he experienced setbacks. He eventually made a foray into business, opening up a donut shop. Eventually he became CEO of one of the largest for-profit health care companies in the country.
Now Scott's here -- and his narrative could be particularly useful in a Senate race against heavy-hitter Bill Nelson, who has served as Florida’s senator for the last 16 years.
One group of people in particular the Democratic Party failed to reach was the African American community -- and the numbers prove it.
Blacks didn’t find themselves running to the polls in 2016 as they had in 2012 -- in fact, 209,000 blacks who voted in 2012 decided to skip last year’s election.
They just didn’t show up.
Had the same number of blacks voted during both election cycles, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton would have won Florida by 42,000 votes. Clinton lost in a nailbiter election, falling short by 113,000 votes.
Some say the Dems suffered from a messaging problem. Others say they had the wrong candidates. But some believe their biggest problem came from a total disregard for minority voters who could have turned the tide and brought them big wins when they needed it the most.
Nelson, they say, should be listening loud and clear. His political future is on the line.
“[Nelson] has cause for concern,” said Democratic African American Women’s Caucus president Leslie Wimes. “What Rick Scott is doing is, he’s telling the black community he’s interested in them outside of election time and he’s giving them an economic message.”
Wimes spent months urging Democrats to get it together when it came to mobilizing the black community, but she says that message fell on deaf ears.
Scott’s message, however, seems to have hit a sweet spot with black voters, who have continued to turn out for him -- in fact, increasingly so over the years. Scott nabbed 6 percent of the black vote in 2010 but doubled that number and took 12 percent of the African American vote in 2014.
Wimes says it’s because Scott’s putting his money where his mouth is.
“He’s walking the walk and not just talking the talk,” she explained.
Nelson, on the other hand, has been largely quiet recently -- and absent in cities like Riviera Beach -- though he doesn’t have the same political platform Scott does when it comes to promoting a state budget and jobs. Still, Nelson’s incumbency alone won’t win him another term. He’ll need to wrangle all the votes he can get, and the black vote will be huge.
“Nelson will come around election time,” Wimes predicted. “It’s phony ... Nelson has been MIA when it has come to the black community. They wouldn’t be able to pick him out of a lineup, and that’s unfortunate.”
Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.
