As the drama unfolded Tuesday, with Sink offering conflicting answers and her campaign in overdrive, the blunder became a gift-wrapped package for her Republican rival Rick Scott.
Scott spent the first day out of the fray, saying he was surprised by the incident, then let his advisors exploit the gaffe. They cranked out press releases, forwarded video and transcripts to reporters, cut a new radio ad, and went for the jugular, portraying Sink as a cheater, and her explanation a lie.
The incident crystallized the relationship Florida's candidates for governor have with their inner circle of advisors. Sink relies on longtime friends and colleagues but is also quick to dress down someone when a mistake is made, while Scott entrusts his fate to an experienced campaign staff he assembled just six months ago.
``I've always believed that you hire the best people you can, check out all that you can, then you follow your gut,'' Scott said.
Sink and Scott each rely on a small inner circle of advisors for campaign and political advice.
Sink, Florida's chief financial officer, confides closely with her husband, Bill McBride, her longtime chief of staff Jim Cassady, and a small group of female friends that includes former education commissioner Betty Castor. For political advice, Sink listens to the young aides she has assembled as part of her campaign team but, while she welcomes their advice, she doesn't always do as they recommend.
Scott, who has never before run for public office, keeps a close circle of advisors that includes his wife, Anne, and longtime friend and Washington lawyer, Enu Mainigi. But most of the political shots are being called by political campaign veterans that include Washington pollster and strategist Tony Fabrizio, who has imbued in the campaign the mantra that they are running a different kind of campaign.
That difference is evident in the sheer size of Scott's political machine, financed mostly with Scott's own money -- more than $60 million, so far.
Scott's weeklong bus tour of the state that began Tuesday includes Scott and three family members, lieutenant governor candidate Jennifer Carroll, 15 staffers, a luxury motorcoach, a press van, an advance car, and two cars with support staff.
Sink, by contrast, has raised $15.4 million in cash and in-kind support, and is dependent on the Florida Democratic Party to finance much of her television ads. She travels with four to six staff members, and her campaign is not underwriting a press van until the last two days.
This is the second time Sink has run for public office. She was elected state chief financial officer in 2006. But she was intimately involved in her husband's unsuccessful gubernatorial bid in 2002 when he ran against incumbent Gov. Jeb Bush.
She says the most difficult thing about running for office is running the gauntlet of politics, and she has learned to become better at it by asking questions, listening to her advisors then, ultimately, making decisions on her own.
``I didn't run for CFO to be a political person, I ran to make things work better,'' she said.
Scott says he likes to surround himself with people who share his goals but come from different backgrounds. ``I have a no-jerk rule,'' he said. ``You can disagree without being disagreeable.''
Ridley Scott Plans User-Generated YouTube DocumentaryScott-Sink ad wars exceed $54M
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