Opinion

Breaking it down

PAULA DOCKERY
Published: August 18, 2012

I'm very excited about a new opportunity that has come my way. Starting this week and lasting through the end of the 2012 election season, I will be joining the ABC Action News team in Tampa as a political analyst.

This allows me to combine two of my loves — politics and talking.

The political bug bit me early. First it was with student government at Coral Springs High School. That was followed by the Student Senate at my alma mater, the University of Florida, where I earned a BA in Political Science and an MA in Mass Communications, once again combining my loves of politics and communicating.

As term limits end my 16-year stint in the Florida Legislature, I've been given two opportunities to put my mass communications degree to good use. The first was to pen this weekly column for Florida Voices, which I have found rewarding.

The second is to join newscaster Brendan McLaughlin. With Tampa Bay in the spotlight for the Republican National Convention and the highly competitive races taking place here, this will be a hotbed of political activity. It is my intention to provide an insider's perspective to the races, having walked in the candidate's shoes and having served with many of those running.

It's been my style to steer clear of regurgitating the talking points, and instead, to call it as I see it without regard to political correctness. There are so many back stories to each of these races that offer a glimpse into the inner sanctum of power politics. I hope time permits us to explore some in depth.

The convention is the main event. Being there with press credentials is an interesting twist for a sitting state senator, but one I will relish.

Many thanks to ABC Action News for this opportunity. I hope to bring a fresh, honest and frank perspective to the 85 days that are left in the election cycle, and to make sense of the campaigns for those who don't live and breathe politics.