Campaign craziness: Politics turn ugly in Downtown DeLand

Early voting continues today at five Volusia County locations

By Pat Hatfield and Barb Shepherd
BEACON STAFF WRITERS

posted Nov 1, 2008 - 12:14:02pm

Two incidents in Downtown DeLand this week illustrate how politics sometimes brings out the worst in people.

In one, customers walked out of a Downtown tavern without paying their tab after becoming angry about a Barack Obama infomercial playing on the tavern TV.

In the other, a 75-year-old McCain supporter campaigning at the corner of New York Avenue and Woodland Boulevard was badly bruised after falling onto a fire hydrant after a tussle with a man waving an Obama sign.

A block away from these unpleasant scenes, voters have been streaming into the Volusia County Historic Courthouse to practice positive politics by casting their ballots.

By the end of the day Friday, Oct. 31, a total of 60,306 voters had taken advantage of early voting at five locations around Volusia County.

Early voting continues today until 7 p.m. at the Historic Courthouse and four other locations.

***

Owner Todd Carpenter had the television at Abbey tuned to the Obama infomercial Oct. 29, because he wants his Downtown gathering spot to be a place for discussing politics or any other important news of the day.

"It's an important time in our history," Carpenter said. "Hey, when McCain is on, we show that."

Abbey hosted broadcasts of all the presidential and vice-presidential debates, and the convention acceptance speeches of both candidates.

On Wednesday, one table of customers complained about the Obama broadcast.

They wanted it turned off, and told Carpenter "the customer is always right."

Carpenter explained his business commitment to current events, and told the group other patrons had come to Abbey that evening specifically to see the broadcast.

The complaining group stayed, and ate and drank, running up a tab of $101.12. They left without signing the credit card slip or leaving a tip for the server.

On the bill, one member of the party wrote, "Todd, stick your establishment up your ass."

Carpenter won't let the incident dampen his commitment to political debate.

"I don't think it was a political thing. It was a lack of willingness to understand other people's approach, other people's business, other people's philosophy," Carpenter said.

Read Carpenter's commentary.

***

The following day, push came to shove at the intersection of New York Avenue and Woodland Boulevard, a popular place for political sign-waving in the heart of Downtown DeLand.

In two locations in DeLand, according to police reports, 53-year-old Timothy Rundle of DeLand had been agitating groups of campaigners waving McCain-Palin signs.

A witness said Rundle held an Obama bumper sticker as he jostled in front of the McCain supporters.

About 5:30 p.m. Thursday, the agitation came to a head, police reported, when Rundle wrestled with 75-year-old William Hunter for Hunter's McCain sign.

Rundle shoved Hunter, according to the police report, and the older man fell against a fire hydrant. Rundle denies shoving Hunter.

Hunter said it was a good thing he had his wallet in his back pocket to cushion the impact of the spigot on the hydrant.

"I'm OK, as much as I can be. I feel like I was hit by a freight train," Hunter said Oct. 31. "It was the good Lord and my wallet that kept me from having a broken hip."

Hunter was taken to Florida Hospital-DeLand and released later with medicine for his pain. Rundle was hauled off to jail, arrested for felony battery.

Earlier, DeLand Police had warned Rundle and let him go, after observing him and other political-sign-wavers at the corner of Plymouth Avenue and Woodland Boulevard, according to a police report.

A spokesman at Obama headquarters in DeLand said Rundle is not a campaign worker, and is unknown to members of the local campaign team.

Rundle, who posted $2,500 bond and was released from jail Oct. 31, told The Beacon Nov. 1 he never touched Hunter. He said he was taunted and shoved himself by the McCain supporters as he tried to display his Obama bumper sticker.

"I got caught in a situation that was deplorable," Rundle said. "I would never, ever assault anyone. That is the antithesis of what I have worked for most of my life in Florida, and what I believe in."

David Eunice of DeLand, a McCain sign-waver who witnessed the incident, had a different story.

"The perpetrator definitely manhandled Mr. Hunter. Stack of Bibles," Eunice said. "I was standing right next to Mr. Hunter, and saw his hand reach back and fling Mr. Hunter to the ground."

— pat@beacononlinenews.com

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