This page is part of an undergraduate assignment at Davidson College.
Betty Castor emphasized education, jobs, and healthcare creating a campaign centered on social services and families. Castor’s background in education enabled her to stress education and point out Republican Mel Martinez's lack of a plan other than support for the No Child Left Behind Act. She criticized both the Act, and Martinez, saying she would “fix George W. Bush’s education policies” (Betty on the Issues). Martinez could not counter Castor on education so she emphasized both her strength and his weakness. Education has historically been a key issue in Florida with the St. Petersburg Times saying of the 2002 gubernatorial election “education is by far the most important issue for Florida voters this year” (Gailey). Castor was correct to emphasize education because she has a strong background in it, and it is also an issue traditionally owned by Democrats allowing her to reinforce her base constituency. Education gave Castor a strong starting point from which to launch her family and social services based campaign.
Castor attempted to link education, her strongest issue, with jobs, another traditional strength for Democrats. She emphasized the role she played as president of the University of South Florida and that she worked in conjunction with the University to draw high tech jobs to the area, comparing her education based plan to Martinez's small business based plan. Castor tried to connect high tech industry, education, and jobs however, though education and jobs were both key issues for her, that connection may have been too complicated to voters highly concerned with security.
The link between education, families, and healthcare may have been easier for voters understand. Castor emphasized her commitment to family healthcare by pointing out her Healthy Kids program and stating her desire to expand it into a Healthy Families program (All About Betty). She also pushed the issue of prescription drug benefits. Florida has the highest percentage of elderly residents at nineteen percent (US Census). By emphasizing prescription drug benefits Castor picked an issue that allowed her to use healthcare to reach out to both families with children and the elderly. She attacked Martinez's plan as inadiquate. Healthcare, like education and jobs, is also a traditional strength for Democrats. Unlike education, Martinez also talked about healthcare, preventing Castor from dominating the issue.
By emphasizing education, jobs, and healthcare Castor put together a campaign that reached out to voters concerned about their economic situation and social services. Castor had a strong background in education and attempted to carry that over to other social issues. Though her selection of issues appealed to her Democratic base, her emphasis on education may not have won over undecided voters concerned about security and the War on Terrorism, issues dominated nationally by Republicans.
Lindley Swartz