There are still a whole lot of voters who are undecided about 
who to pick in the Nov. 2 Miami Beach election. But among those who are, Mayor Philip Levine holds a tiny two point edge over opponent David Wieder.
Except with Spanish speakers, who apparently prefer Wieder to the incumbent.
These are the findings of the latest, unscientific Survey Monkely poll, done about two weeks ago, which also showed voters soundly reject all three candidates on Levine’s handpicked slate.
The survey shows a stark reversal difference between those who answered in English (30% Levine to 28% Wieder) and those who answered in Spanish (40% Wieder to 23% Levine). Wieder’s margin with Spanish speakers is far more comfortable than the incumbent’s margin with English speakers.
Why is that? Two words: Rebecca Towers.
Read related story: Rebecca Towers and a campaign manager’s $10K a month
The future of the city’s waterfront public housing property, where a lot of voting viejitos live, has become quite the question and controversy after it was revealed (right here on Political Cortadito) that Levine’s campaign consultant, David Custin, was getting paid $10,000 a month to lobby for its redevelopment, along with the adjacent marina.
Naturally, Custin dropped the client from the lobby log with the city and says any potential plans for enhancing the parking lot (yeah, right) have since been abandoned yadda yadda. The mayor has had to come out — damage control — to say that nothing will happen to Rebecca Towers. But people don’t really believe him. They may be old, but they’re still lucid. And David Custin wasn’t getting paid $10K a month for nothing. And they know this conversation can be picked up after the election.
This shift between English and Spanish seeking voters is important. Because Levine counts on those votes. He pays for those votes — not just with pastelitos, like everybody else, but with big salsa parties at the convention center, busing in the AB voters by the dozens in air-conditioned comfort. The 65 and over Hispanic vote is key to Levine’s success because he has been able to more easily convince them of his greatness. They aren’t so convinced anymore. He’s losing them.
And if the undecideds get split the same way, this could be a narrow upset.
But while Levine still has a chance to hang on, the numbers are far less forgiving for his cadre of would-be rubber stampers.
Read related story: Phil Levine ekes by, but slate mates are slam dunked
Each of his slate mates are losing quite comfortably, again even more so among the 
Spanish speakers. While there were still a lot of undecideds, the numbers indicate that Mark Samuelian has a lead over John Elizabeth Aleman, Mark Weithorn has a lead over Ricky Arriola and Kristen Rosen Gonzalez is the leading candidate out of the clusterbunch group, where Levine rubber stamper Betsy Perez is tied in third place with Isaiah Mosley.
More than 350 answered the questions in English. A little more than 100 answered in Spanish. So, basically, the incumbent who spent more than $260 a vote two years ago and who has a staff “branding” consultant and hundreds of thousands of dollars at his disposal — spending $340,000 so far without counting the shady PAC money — is basically head to head with a virtual unknown who had spent $4,300 as of Oct. 2.
Talk about rejection. Ouch.
Here for your enjoyment, are the Survey Monkey graphs in this snapshot of a survey.
Miami Beach poll: Hispanic voters reject mayor and pals added by Ladra on
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[…] Read related story: Miami Beach Poll: Hispanic voters reject mayor and pals […]
I can only hope and pray that the most honest individuals will win
If the three independent m
Candidates gonzalez samuelian n weithorn win micky steinberg will join them for four votes to end the corruption permitted by levine malakoff n the disgraceful grieco with jonah wolfson term limited out. Levine n scott robins despite nancy liebman’s attempts to bring samuelian over to the dark side as randy hilliards career ends at last on miami beach!
M
If you rearrange the letters of the words “Mayor Philip Levine” it spells out “EVIL IMPERIAL PHONY”.
phoney phil bought the elderly vote last time,
but hopefully they will see the light this time around.
frank d. v. saw the light and hopefully so will many
others. hopefully ‘we, the people of miami beach’ will
get a new even handed commission that wont rubber
stamp the mayor and his cronies.
a warning to all of us- watch out for potty mouth.
between him, dis-Custin and phony phil, god only
knows what they will attempt after the election. this trio
of evil will always attempt to suck off the teat of our fair city.
all one has to do is connect the corporate connections and
the follow the money trail.
Plenty of us have figured out that two years of Phony Phil’s regime has been unpleasant
Vote for Honorable David Wieder and three independent Commissioners, like Rosen Gonzalez, Samuelian and Weithorn and we will get back quality of life ,planned progress and decency at City Hall.
This poll makes sense. The majority of residents living on this sandbar are fed up with Phony Phil’s regime The City has been turned into a no- end- in- sight construction site.
We endure daily traffic chaos,dirt and noise. And it still floods at high tides.
Just figure how long it will take to get from North to South or East to
West when construction begins on 18 projected developments,a bridge and a roundabout in Alton Road area.
Simultaneously Lincoln Road gets torn up as Convention Center is rebuilt and a 30 story hotel goes up on the corner of Washington Avenue which has its own redevelopment plan.
And possibly Ocean Terrace as well .
With all this going on tourists and visitors will not come.
Vote for honest David Wieder ,who promises to stop this frenzy and bring back common sense and quality of life and decent regard for Miami Beach residents at City Hall.
We need independent Commissioners to help him to do this.
Vote for Rosen Gonzalez,Samuelian and Weithorn.