On paper, Adam Putnam certainly appears as the traditional GOP establishment candidate – the lengthy government record, substantial donor base, traditional messaging, etc. That does not account, however, for his loyal following of the humblest base in the GOP – working class families in agriculture and evangelicals.
Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority board member Peter A. Wish, a GOP fundraiser who attended Putnam’s campaign kick-off in Bartow last May, compared his establishment credentials as a “double-edged sword” in the current political climate. “We’re in a society now that doesn’t trust the establishment and wants change,” Wish said in an interview with the Herald Tribune.
But what may assuage the negatives from Putnam’s “insider” label is his natural affinity to be relatable. As Wish puts it, having known Putnam for several years, he’s “a down-to-earth, unpretentious, available and very smart person who really cares about people and about the state.”
In juxtaposing a very personable Putnam with his potentially unappealing record, Wish highlights what many political pundits are beginning to see in American politics overall – popularity has become as significant, if not more so, than policy.
