After hearing Mayor Bob Buckhorn at his State of the City address, I was reminded again what a high-energy, hybrid office holder he is and how many City Hall hats he wears: Chief Executive Officer, Executive Visionary, Recruiting Director, Populist-in-chief, Cheerleader-in-charge, Soaring Rhetoric Specialist and Neighborhood Liaison Leader.
Once again, his SOTC message was can-do, have-done and will-do more, the optics (historic Armature Works Building in Tampa Heights) symbolic, and the tone all-embracing.
And that bully pulpit that comes with the job? It also qualifies as that other kind of pulpit. Just ask African-American Pastor T.W. Jenkins of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, who gave the mayor a pre-invocation shout out for his inclusiveness.