The guessing race

Irving Slosberg's political career may be over but the race to determine his sucelorida 30 State race isn't.

The race for state Senate District 30 should present voters with a clear choice between Democrat Ted Deutch and Libertarian Karl Dickey and their very different takes on the role of government.

Both Boca Raton men are making their first run for office. Both are gregarious and pleasant on the campaign trail. Neither has engaged in negative campaigning in the general election -- they stick to the issues while speaking at candidate events. They both agree the country needs to develop alternative energy sources, but that's about where the similarities end.

In a heavily Democratic district that covers a large swath of southern Palm Beach County and dips into northern Broward, Deutch, 40, espouses classic Democratic party ideals, such as watching out for the interests of the less fortunate.

As chairman of the Libertarian Party of Palm Beach County, Dickey, 41, doesn't have much use for anything more than a bare-bones government that stays out of people's lives.

Dickey admits he is a long-shot candidate, but Deutch is not leaving anything to chance.

"I'm running against someone who is committed to the race," Deutch said. "I am not taking anything for granted. I want the voters to understand how committed I am to doing this."

That means he's still on the campaign trail, still working hard to get his message out, but it is a world of difference compared to the bruising, brutal primary battle against state Rep. Irv Slosberg, who spent $2.8 million of his own money in an intensely negative campaign.

"The tone of the general election campaign is significantly different than that of the primary," Deutch said. "The debates that we have, we have been able to stick to the issues. In this case, I'm running against a Libertarian. We have a chance to discuss our philosophies."

Dickey says their differences couldn't be more pronounced.

"Basically, he's big government, big spending. I'm very little spending, and small government," Dickey said. "You couldn't ask for two more diametrically opposed individuals. But we do get along."

The candidates are battling for the seat of state Sen. Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton, who is running for Congress. Dickey's party has fewer than 800 registered voters in the county.

Dickey's candidacy is very much a longshot. Katherine Harris may have a better chance of being elected next week. My political leanings are more in line with Dickey but I know little about him. The same goes for Deutsch despite the heated primary campaign. Both men are using plain vanila campaigning rhetoric. Is Deutsch a tax and spend democrat? Is Dickey truly for limited government? The Sun-Sentinel article provides few clues and then again party labels mean very little. There are Republicans who spend taxpayer money like its monopoly money too. I don't think we'll know the real answer till after the election.

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