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When state Commissioner of Agriculture candidate and U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam, R-Bartow, needed to choose a location to hold a recent Republican fundraiser for supporters from Manatee and Sarasota counties, he was advised to not show favoritism.
Local supporters suggested he not to hold the event too far south into Sarasota or too far north into Manatee or he might not maximize attendees — or more of a concern to some, show preference for one county over the other.
So, to be politically correct, at least geographically, Putnam and his campaign managers chose what the candidate referred to as “Switzerland” in his remarks to fellow Republicans. The neutral site: Dolphin Aviation, just north of the Manatee-Sarasota County line. The general aviation operator splits the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.
In his talk to the 100 or so assembled, Putnam called for creating a more pro-business climate, saying, “We can come out of this economic trough stronger than we were when we went into it.”
The candidate also called for continuing to make changes in property and casualty insurance and the need to address capital flight and talent flight by relocating businesses from other states to Florida.
A seasoned politician elected to the House when he was only 26, and now 34 years of age, Putnam promised to use modern technology to get his message heard, saying, “The internet is not a left wing conspiracy tool.”
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