In 1977, state legislator and relatively
unknown gubernatorial candidate, Bob Graham, created campaign publicity by undertaking a series of
100 "workdays." Graham announced he would experience the lives
of ordinary Floridians firsthand by working their jobs. Although the model
for this innovative strategy was Lawton Chiles' walk across the
state during his successful 1970 campaign for the US Senate, the initial
idea for a workday was not Graham's. In 1974, during a committee meeting,
Graham began complaining at the poor level of the civic awareness of
Florida’s students. A frustrated high school teacher, Sue Reilly, dared
the young legislator to teach a class himself for one day. He agreed,
thinking it would never happen. But Reilly set up for him to teach after
Labor Day at Carol City High School in Miami Lakes, Graham’s hometown.
Publicly committed, Graham taught the class. In 1977, Graham would count
the teaching stint as his first workday.
Throughout 1977 and 1978, Graham worked all sorts of jobs from lobster
fisher, mullet gutter, shrimper, and dive boat operator to short order
cook, bellhop, social worker, and plumber. He even spent a night riding
with the Tallahassee Police Department, which included the discovery
and investigation of a near-fatal shooting. He also spent two days as
a temporary worker, including applying for food stamps. His final job
before the 1978 election was as a housewife.
The experience converted Graham from a candidate with zero name recognition
(and few supporters) to Florida’s next governor. Other gubernatorial
candidates in 1978 included such well-known politicians as Secretary
of State Bruce Smathers, former governor Claude Kirk, and Jacksonville
mayor Hanz Tazler. In the process, it also transformed the self-proclaimed
introvert to an avid conversationalist. Finally, the workdays gave him
insight into the lives of working people, as well as valuable political
ammunition during his first gubernatorial and later campaigns. In 1978,
Graham published Workdays, an account of his experiences.
Of course, the workdays made for good television and garnered ample
newspaper coverage as well. Graham followed a couple of rules in order
to stay legitimate in the eyes of voters. He worked the entire shift.
He only allowed the press to be present for a part of that shift. And
he did all aspects of the job. After winning the election, Graham kept
up the workdays throughout his terms as governor and US Senator and during
his brief presidential candidacy in 2003. He has worked 921 jobs in over
109 cities and five states. |
