1639-33 Politics TUE NOV 04 1986 ED: THREE-STAR
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: 12A LENGTH: 18 . 05" MEDIUM
ILLUST:
SOURCE: HOWARD KLEINBERG Editor
DATELINE:
MEMO:
DAOUD KNOWS THE KEY TO MIAMI BEACH
Alex Daoud strides to the speaker' s rostrum. The more than 100 women in
the Konover Hotel audience look at him with great expectation. He is tall,
handsome, young and the mayor of Miami Beach. They are members of Na'amat USA,
a Jewish service group.
He knows his audience. Flying to Israel on El Al Airlines is
terrific, he tells them, the food is outstanding and plentiful. Many nod in
1 agreement.
"When I got on the plane, I was a passenger, " he says. "When I got off,
I felt like baggage. "
Laughter.
"As you ladies may know, " he continues, "my mother is Jewish, my father
is Catholic, my wife is Baptist and my cat is an atheist. "
More laughter. He' s on a roll.
"I was out in California recently, and saw a huge billboard in front of
a church. The sign said: ' If you are through with sin, come on in. If not,
call Glendale 6-8000 . ' "
The man to the right of me on the dais is Gerald Schwartz, Daoud' s 1985
campaign manager and close adviser. "I ' ll kill him, " Schwartz whispers during
one of the Daoud jokes. "He ' s supposed to be giving a key. "
Eventually, Daoud does give the key to the city to a representative of
Na' amat.
I wonder to myself how many keys Daoud has presented since sweeping into
office as Miami Beach' s mayor. I recall a long-ago Miami Beach mayor, Marcie
Liberman, who in just one term as mayor ( 1947-49 ) reportedly passed out 5, 000
keys to the city.
"The key is seven times bigger than it used to be, " Schwartz says of the
one being passed out by Daoud. "It ' s got the names of all the commissioners on
it. "
Daoud may not surpass Liberman in the number of keys but may top him in
pounds of keys passed out.
He ' s got another story for the ladies, the worn-out one about the grand
opening of a dry cleaning establishment in the city, to which the mayor orders
sent a spray of flowers. The florist gets the mayor' s order mixed up with that
for a wreath ordered for a funeral.
He tells of the puzzlement of the dry cleaning store owner over
receiving such a wreath but says that was nothing compared to the shock at the
cemetery when a bouquet arrived from the mayor stating: "Best of luck in your
new location. "
The mayor has finished his talk/routine and is basking. Undoubtedly, he
is admired by his audience.
Now seated at my left, still being applauded, he leans over and whispers
to me -- mockingly but friendly: "You guys (The Miami News) didn' t endorse me
because you didn 't think I had what it takes. "
"You' re right, Alex, " I tell him just before the house photographer
grabs us for a picture with a Na' amat official. Even during a photo session,
Daoud is on stage. "Beauty and the beasts, " he says to the lady surrounded by
us two men. Moments later, it becomes "a rose between two thorns. "
Alex Daoud is in his element. He has a charisma with constituents that
was not apparent with his predecessor, Malcolm Fromberg. The latter was
business-like. Daoud tries to be that way too, but primarily he is a
consummate politician, stealing pages out of New York mayor Ed Koch' s
stylebook.
He knows how to play the crowd, what pleases them, what doesn't.
"Pretty good one-liners, " I say to him. "Did someone give you a Henny
Youngman joke book?"
"Toastmasters International, " he responds. "Finished second in the
state. "
"Who won?"
"Beats me. "
That ' s funny, too.
I turn to Schwartz and ask him if what Daoud told the audience is his
stock speech.
"He' s combining three different speeches, " a proud Schwartz boasts.
Daoud now takes leave of the dais, a busy calendar you know -- leaving
just those of us who are to participate in a panel discussion on Israel. His
way to the exit is not without blockades as the ladies stop the 44-year-old
mayor to tell how much they admire him.
Again, I am reminded of the late Marcie Liberman.
When he became mayor of Miami Beach in 1947 , he proclaimed that he had
"reached the pinochle of success. "
So it appears today with Alex Daoud.
ADDED TERMS:
END OF DOCUMENT.