Tackling the Bush Vote Thieves in Florida

unday’s news lead (July 15) in the New York Times told how the GOP had manipulated votes and how a prominent Republican congressman compromised the United States military by conducting a wrongful effort to increase the number of Republican votes in Florida during that state’s contentious presidential Election 2000.

This news had directly followed an appearance by Bob Kunst on Friday evening in Cocoa Beach, Florida. There, in a timely manner, he’d unveiled his Democratic gubernatorial "Bush Stole the Election" campaign to an enthusiastic group of Brevard County Democratic party members.

Bob Kunst’s face still retains much of that striking charisma he’d flashed in 1977 during a national TV debate with Anita Bryant. A curious nation had then been treated to the sight of this handsome, black-bearded firebrand who, while administering a dose of earnest good humor, had effectively exposed the unreasonable side of the wacky orange juice ad lady. A decade later, Ms. Bryant admitted in the Orlando Sentinel’s Sunday magazine that Kunst "represented a very dark period in (her) life."

"I’d put her admission in your resume," I laughed to Kunst.

My earliest meeting with Kunst had taken place nearly a year before Hurricane Anita struck.He’d invited me to accompany him to a meeting. I liked it that his focus had been less on treating gays and straights as separate groups and more on disposing of those sexual insecurities that affect repressed people no matter where they may come to rest on the sexual continuum.

Later, traveling, I ran into Kunst in New York (1977), Atlanta (1980), San Francisco(1981), and, when, in the early 1980s I took up residence in Florida, we remained close friendsand co-workers, especially after it became apparent that AIDS is World War III. Kunst hadfounded CURE AIDS NOW, an early grass roots organization equipped to feed 30,000 peoplewith a variety of ethnic choices. The group had been anointed by Peter Jennings on NBC’s AIDS Quarterlyas the "most effective" AIDS organization "in the state hit third hardest by the virus."

In 1986, during Florida’s Democratic U.S. Senate primary, Kunst had run as a candidate. As acolumnist for TWN, the state’s oldest gay and lesbian newspaper, I offered to interview himas he passed through Cocoa Beach. In papers across the state he garnered top notch publicity for his campaign and, with only a $5,000 budget and a borrowed pink Mary Kay Cadillac sporting his single issue CURE AIDS NOW bumper sticker, he secured—in that Senate primary—the votes of 150,000Democrats responding to his clarion call for AIDS action.

Fifteen years have now passed since that AIDS education victory. This time Kunst, after protesting George W. Bush-- at New York’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral (his 139th protest since Election Day) stopped on his way home to visit me in Cocoa Beach. Once again, he’d registered himself as legitimate candidate in the Democratic primary—this time for governor. But much of the corporate news media had seemed to want to avoid any mention of his candidacy.

"I’ve planned a political outing for us," I told him upon his arrival, "Lois Frankel, Florida’s Democratic leader in the state legislature, is running for governor too. We should go and see what kind of input wecan make."

"Do you think they’ll let me say a few words?" Kunst asked.

"Maybe. But if they won’t, we’ll stand out in front with your ‘Bush Stole the Election’ bannerand I’ll sell ‘Buck Fush’ buttons on the street corner."

As it turned out, Kunst’s polite inquiry—after we’d arrived unannounced--quickly earned him a spot at the candidates’ podium. Approximately 75 Democrats (and perhaps one or two clandestine GOPervert operatives) were present. I’d notified Gannett’s Florida Today that previous newspaper accountshad failed to list Kunst as a candidate and that I hoped Gannett would not be so callous.

Prior to the candidates’ speeches, I schmoozed—as did Bob—with a variety of politically active people. I treated myself to a heady orange juice and vodka mix and before I knew it, the room had filled with a lively crowd, many munching on Swedish meatballs and guacamole. A serious young man stumping for the decriminalization of marijuana placed his organization’s publication in my hand.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Kunst schmoozing. He looked utterly at ease, munching on a piece of celery laughing heartily in the midst of those serious questions he was raising about Florida’s electoral fraud. His old charisma was clearly in full swing. A bevy of senior citizens surrounded him, cheering him on as he pulled out his "No More Bushit" bumper stickers.

Kunst himself was wearing a colorful tropical shirt decorated with a large button that said:

"Bob Kunst Wouldn’t Steal Your Vote for Governor, Democrat." Too many Democratic attendees made it necessary for our overflow group to move outside the Democrats’ suite where, under a large canopy, the candidates spoke.

An orange sun was hanging low over the Banana River and Kunst reminded me that the Jewish Sabbath was upon us. Two male candidates for the Florida Senate spoke first. They received a politely measured applause. Kunst was introduced next. I’d always told others that Kunst ranks among the most effective orators alive.

On this occasion I had no reason to retract this view. Kunst came out swinging, declaring that Bush had stolen the election, telling how 20 out of 67 counties had yet to do mandatory machine recounts for 1,800,000 Floridian voters. He blasted Jeb Bush for spending $500,000 to illegally manipulate 100,000 absentee ballots. This hadn’t happened in Seminole and Martin counties alone, "but all through the Northeast counties and out of Alachua." He told how 2000 "illegals" had voted and how 4,000, wrongly accused by Katherine Harris of being felons, had been disallowed.

"If you want a federal investigation of this High Treason, vote for Kunst!" The crowd burst into a frenzy of delighted applause. "If you voted for Gore last time, do it again and vote for Kunst," he continued.

"If you want to impeach the U.S. Supreme Court Extremists, vote for Kunst!" The crowd erupted with passionate approval. Its enthusiastic reception of these ideas no doubt surprised the other candidates.

Kunst continued:

"I don’t care who Jeb Bush is sleeping with, but the same evil forces who stole this election on November 7th, are ready to do it again."

"I wouldn’t put arsenic or raw sewage in your water, as Jeb is doing," Kunst said, "nor would I drill for oil in this Paradise, but if you believe in America then we must investigate this Stolen Election, and we must all stand up and say ‘NO MORE BUSHIT!’ "

Kunst held up his ‘No More Bushit’ sticker, receiving a rousing ovation. An African-American man collared him as he stepped into the back row, asked for the sticker and gladly donated $20 to Kunst’s campaign. A bevy of attractive older women gathered around Kunst to be photographed, holding up their ‘ No More Bushit" stickers.

Gubernatorial hopeful Lois Frankel, the Florida legislature’s leading Democrat, spoke last. But, it was obvious, Kunst had turned into the toughest possible act to follow. Lois Frankel, it appeared, knew as much. Her voice, though earnest, lacked Kunst’s thundering crowd-pleasing passion. While she seemed to back his viewpoint (to do otherwise, apparently, would have been political suicide) she stepped back from his self-description as a radical Democrat, assuring her crowd that she wasn’t radical. She made a passing mention, however, of Jeb Bush’s complicity in the unwelcome outcome of Election 2000, but for the most part, her stump speech was bland by comparison with Kunst’s, the kind of say-nothingism that is employed by too many too-ordinary publicty-managed aspirants. What she did not seem to sense was what Kunst had uncovered: a deep vein of anger about an election that peak numbers of Floridians believed to have been stolen by the Bushes.

As a result, Bob Kunst seemed to have won the hearts of the uncommitted, perhaps as much as thirty percent of this local group. The remainder of the attendees had already committed themselves to one candidate or another. But Kunst had demonstrated his ability—through what Walt Whitman called ‘Personal Presence’—to triumph on the stump.

"All you need," I told him, "is someone to drive you from one political meeting to another where you speak in concert with other candidates, and this gubernatorial election next year is yours!"

Some asked him how he intended to win.

He replied "With a plurality, of course! In a seven-or-more person race, this third of the votes will come from existing Democrats who’ve felt totally disillusioned by the Bush coup. This is the winning combination."

Seeing how he is a very tough act to follow and how other candidates seem zombie-like by contrast—I found myself agreeing as I overheard him saying: "What happened here in Cocoa Beach will set the tone everywhere in Florida. We’re on a roll."

No matter in what region he speaks, his competitors will lose the debate. The corporate media sees this as a threat. Big money in Florida has thus far placed its bets elsewhere. But frankly, Lois Frankel, in my opinion, hasn’t got a chance at becoming governor. While I’ve admired many of her stances through the years, she’s no orator. If she wins the primary, name recognition, Bush money and Republican Baptists will return the office to Jeb.

Only a candidate who speaks-- as Kunst does-- to the real frustrations of the electorate has a chance in the 2002 race.

"I felt very excited and also quite exhausted by the experience," he told me afterward. At home, talking into a tape recorder, he said:

"While the Democratic leadership is detached and unhappy about my being in this race, we’ve definitely sparked the grassroots which is what, in the end, will defeat Jeb and W.

"Folks from Indian River County, wearing fancy caps and sport shirts, who I’d met previously came over and said they would invite me to speak. One of them had seen our aerial banner at the Air and Sea Show in Ft. Lauderdale and witnessed how the huge crowd had responded to Bush Stole The Election: www.oralmajorityonline.com

"Several others told me they also knew of Oral Majority which is just great as to our impact. And also several of our Oral Majority protesters came too to check out this event and my being there was also a surprise for them.

"Afterwards, Richard Richmond, a precinct captain, was giving me high praise for our Oral Majority efforts, and allowed that even if we had already ‘won’, we’d now be needed to back a major candidate in order to be ‘welcomed at the table’.

"I suggested that making such a decision would be premature. He argued that we only have 15% of the vote, but I stated that this is only the beginning and that we’ve captured the anger. Once everyone knows where to channel that anger, through the Kunst Campaign, I told him, ‘we are going to win’ ".

"He said that this is like a game at the casino and favoring the House, and I responded that there are times when the House loses and the Jackpot is won, even though rarely.

"An older lady listening came over to tell me not to compromise. Her father had written a wonderful song song, she volunteered, called: "Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries". She and I got along just fine, and I’m taking her advice.

"Meanwhile Richmond offered me a free poll. I could write the questions, he said, which he would pay for.

"I will take him up on this offer. I’ll ask Oral Majority members to write questions that could be used in this poll. I’ll send them to this guy, who is actually making what amounts to an $1800 gift.

"Of course, my polling has always been in the streets in the protests which is more genuine then the media and politicians put out but this might well open another can of worms and give the pundits and the media a real headache.

"I’ve been thinking about a poll that asks:

‘Would you vote for Bob Kunst, IF…he would investigate this stolen election and prosecute the conspirators and set into motion to impeach and jail the Supreme Court traitors?

"Remember, if this is the reaction among activist Democrats, with whom we did so well, how about all those folks who don’t trust the Democratic Party and its silence about all of this, which is also gives my campaign a very deep well of support. These people wouldn’t get involved with the Party but wouldn’t they get on board with us?

"If we’re already suspected of having this much clout without the campaign, what would happen with the campaign and last night was certainly both an eye opener and boost that our process works and is a winning combination."

Saturday morning, after the candidate’s forum, Florida Today ran a lackluster photo of Lois Frankel, listing her, along with Bob Kunst, as a candidate for the state governor’s office. Kunst was simply listed as "a gay rights activist", which may or may not have helped his cause. The reference marked media’s first recognition of Kunst as a candidate, however.

As time passes, they’ll find he’s one who can’t be bought and who won’t shut up. He is Jeb Bush’s worst nightmare—an opponent who refers to the Republican governor as a treasonous vote thief. "Oooo, those Republicans really hate being called thieves," laughs Kunst, "but if the shoe fits…."

Afterthought:

Late on Saturday night I sat across from Kunst as he finished a sandwich. "You know," he said, "the Bushies are seeing everything unravel around the legitimacy of W’s election. If these investigations uncover too much, I wouldn’t put it past them to create their own unnerving threat and then to declare martial law. They won’t give up power without a struggle."

Jack Nichols is the author of The Gay Agenda: Talking Back to the Fundamentalists (Prometheus Books, 1996) Of Men’s Liberation: A New Definition of Masculinity (Penguin Books, 1975) and of Welcome to Fire Island: Visions of Cherry Grove and The Pines (St. Martin’s Press, 1976)

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