Reubin O'D. Askew and the Golden Age of Florida Politics.

• Author: Adkins, Mary E.

Reubin O'D. Askew and the Golden Age of Florida Politics

By Martin A. Dyckman

Martin Dyckman is a familiar name to readers of Florida political history. A retired associate editor of the St. Petersburg Times, Dyckman reported on many of Florida's political events for the past several decades. This book, his third, is an homage to Reubin Askew, Florida's governor from 1971 to 1979, and the personal courage and principles Askew embodied.

Askew began as a little-known Democratic state senator from Pensacola and became, a mere 12 years later, Florida's youngest governor. To achieve victory, he had to overcome slight name recognition and an unwillingness to throw his hat in with the rural block of senators, commonly known as the "Pork Chop Gang." In his two terms as governor, a first in Florida under the new Constitution which enabled a governor to succeed himself, Askew became known for his progressive vision for Florida and also for his principled --some called it stubborn--stances on matters he believed in. Askew fought initiatives which would have legalized casino gambling in Florida; presided over court reforms which created independent judicial nominating commissions; oversaw prison reform and inmate rehabilitation programs; worked to desegregate schools; and ensured "government in the sunshine."

Dyckman's focus in this "Golden Age" book is primarily on Askew and his career and to a much lesser...