Florida politics are great fun. In this insignificant story, a neighbor of mine named Bill Johnson decided to run for mayor. No money… no poltical experience… but what the heck. He got around 12% of the vote, which meant that neither incumbent mayor Wayne Poston, with about 46%, or pre-Poston mayor Bill Evers (who has already lost to Poston twice but may figure the third times' a charm) got a majority.

Runoff time!

Bill Johnson milked his moment of fame for all it was worth, delaying his endorsement first one day, then two. Friday, November 9, 2007, he finally held a press conference that drew a couple of print reporters and a cameraman from cable TV's "Bay News 9" but no one from our one hyperlocal broadast TV station, Channel 7 in Sarasota.

Oh, well. Bill Johnson read his prepared statement, the Bradenton Herald reporter dutifully talked with endorsee Bill Evers, who mostly whined about how the Mean Ol’ Herald beats up on him all the time. And Poston supporter Janean Martin had some words to say, too.

This video is 9 minutes of local politics, Bradenton style. At least our (male) state representatives haven't been caught trying to pick up a male undercover cop in a public bathroom like the one over in Merritt Island.