Florida’s Bob Graham dead at 87: A leader who looked beyond politics, served ordinary folks

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A leader like Bob Graham would be a unicorn in the hyper-partisan politics of today.

The former Florida governor and U.S. senator wasn’t a slick, slogan-spouting politician. He didn’t have an us-against-them mentality. Sometimes, he even came across as more of a kind-hearted professor just trying to make the world a better place.

He connected with people on a very real level during his nearly five decades in politics, and he had immense respect for the nation’s political process and institutions. Graham died Tuesday at the age of 87.

In a state long politically divided and now dominated by Republicans, he earned support among Republicans and Democrats alike with a folksy charm that belied the fact that he was a millionaire Harvard-educated lawyer. He fit in just as easily in conservative, rural north Florida as he did in bustling Miami.

Graham was known for his workdays, when he would try a new job for a day. They began when he was a state senator and became a regular feature in his campaigns and time in office. It was his way to meet and connect with every day folks. His 408th and final workday was wrapping Christmas presents for a Florida Keys charity.

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