Rick Scott, candidate for governor, is running as the consummate outsider in a year of outsiders. Hes never held office, and he hits the theme often people are tired of career politicians he says as he campaigns around the state.
In one of his ubiquitous TV ads, Scott says its time to hold these guys in government accountable.
But as the multimillionaire businessman wraps up a nearly weeklong bus tour of the state he wants to govern, the people on the bus dont exactly fit the Scott outsider profile.
He may be a political newcomer, but the people making his campaign go are anything but theyre classic insiders.
Among those on the bus with Scott are Arlene DiBenigno, an adviser to former Gov. Jeb Bush and current Gov. Charlie Crist who also worked on John McCains presidential campaign, and Donna Arduin, who helped shape Bushs economic agenda and now is doing the same for Scott.
Arduin, a much-sought-after consultant by Republicans, may have even more insider experience: she was called the other star of the administration when she worked for California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, after she solved budget woes for New York Gov. George Pataki.
Many of the insiders are impressed with Scott.
DiBenigno, the campaigns political director, said she was shopping for candidates to work for when campaign manager Susan Wiles brought her in to meet Scott.
I was just blown away, said DiBenigno. I thought he was fabulous.
Like DiBenigno, many trying to get Scott elected have plenty of experience on big-time campaigns, with several having worked for presidential candidates on some level.
Former Mel Martinez campaign aide Jennifer Baker came on as a communications director, originally only temporarily because she is having a baby in September. But she said she couldn't leave.
When this came up, I was looking for something and they were looking for a Floridian, said Baker, whose last job was working on the failed gubernatorial bid of Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson.
Scotts press shop also includes Alice Stewart, who was Mike Huckabee's national press secretary, and Trey Stapleton --who, like Baker, worked for Hutchinson, running her campaign war room. Stapleton and Baker rotated in and out of the tour this past week while Stewart remained with Scott.
Another person on the bus this week who is no outsider is considered a legend among campaign operatives, although hes technically not working for Scott just helping out.
Lanny Wiles, a longtime advance man who started his career running Ronald Reagan's three presidential races, and has advised candidates Dan Quayle, George Bush, Jack Kemp, Phil Gramm and John McCain among many others, has a well-documented reputation as a campaign fix-it guy and happens to be Susan Wiles husband.
Susan Wiles wasnt on this bus tour, but that didnt keep her husband from lending his campaign expertise to help newbie Scott. Once this week, he jumped in to help out Rick Scotts driver and got him to the correct destination. Lanny Wiles insisted hes only there to jump in if the train is coming down the tracks.
With much of the Republican establishment behind Scotts truly insider primary opponent Bill McCollum, who has been in Congress and is the sitting attorney general, Wiles said Scott needed his help.
I've always said in a primary not everyone supports you, so it's much more difficult, he said, referring to the lack of party infrastructure to help do advance work. In a general election everybody supports you.
Not everyone on the bus is a campaign pro Rick Scotts mom Esther Scott was hitting every stop, even with swollen feet. She said she loved every bit of it, Sunday night in Apalachicola as her son got a boat tour of the bay from a local oysterman. Scott was also joined on the tour by wife Ann and his oldest daughter Alison.
The six-day bus tour that began in South Florida concludes Monday evening in Pensacola.
