You're hired: Trump to win award in Sarasota

Political bloggers nationwide went gaga recently over news that the Sarasota Republican Party will name Donald Trump Statesman of the Year at a dinner right before the Republican National Convention in Tampa.

“We're extremely lucky to be able to bring him here,” Sarasota GOP Chairman Joe Gruters tells Coffee Talk. “There are very few people in the country who have the ability to command the respect he can.”

Likewise, few people command such a high level of love-hate feelings. Indeed, Trump, a real estate and casino mogul-turned-reality TV star, seems to wear the controversy proudly. He briefly flirted with running for president, and now supports presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney. Trump also stirred up chatter earlier this year when he publicly pressed the case that President Barack Obama wasn't born in the United States.

“People have strong opinions on both sides,” about Trump, Gruters concedes. Those opinions were plastered all over the Web, on sites like Talking Points Memo and Huffington Post. Many wondered how the bombastic Trump can be equated with a statesman.

Gruters, in a Sarasota GOP statement, answered those critics. “A statesman is a sage, skilled and seasoned political leader,” Gruters writes. “Importantly, a great statesman will have demonstrated great vision and perspective... As a conservative and a champion of free enterprise, Donald Trump is a keynote leader in this country.”

The party's annual Statesman award traditionally has been presented to local or state officials. Past winners include Sarasota County Clerk Karen Rushing, former Florida State Senate President John McKay and former U.S. Rep. and Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris. But the award went national last year, when Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour won it.

Trump will speak at the Sarasota GOP Statesman of the Year dinner at the Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota, Aug. 26 — one day before the convention in Tampa. Some ticket prices reflect Trump's moneyed image: A private meet-and-greet with Trump, which includes a photo op before the dinner, costs $1,000 a person. Regular dinner tickets costs $150, with an early bird discount of $110 a ticket purchased before Aug. 1.