Here is a quick political quiz for you. Name in their order of service the last five people to serve as Florida’s lieutenant governor. Each correct answer is worth 20-points.

Give up?  

Well, here are the names and their order of political service; Bobby Brantley (1987-1991), Buddy McKay (1991-1998), Frank Brogan (1999-2003), Toni Jennings (2003-2007) and Jeff Kottkamp (2007-2011).  

As far as I am concerned, if you were able to name three of them in order, you did an amazing job. If you got four, “Bravo!” And if you were able to name all five correctly and in order, well then, you really need to get another life.  

Heck, the lieutenant governor’s office was once considered so unimportant in Florida politics that back in 1889, it was completely abolished.

You see, the job is as thankless as that of U.S. vice president and as a result, just as forgettable.  In fact, since its re-creation in 1969, the office has been a “political career ender” for all who have held it. (Yes, Buddy McKay did serve as the state’s chief executive….for 23-days. But only because Lawton Chiles died just as he was leaving office.)

If I had to guess, one reason the office is a “career ender” could be because the lieutenant governor often gets saddled with the worst political assignments ending up in the governor’s office, those no state chief executive in his or her right mind would want to touch with a 10-foot pole. In support of my argument, I cite the case of our state’s current lt. governor, 52-year-old Jennifer Carroll.

Gov. Rick Scott announced a few weeks ago that he had formed a task force to review the state’s gun laws, including Florida’s controversial “Stand Your Ground” provision and the lieutenant governor has been given the “honor” of heading it up.  

Lucky her!

I’m not going to go into the “Stand Your Ground” killing in Sanford that sparked the outrage.  After all, unless you have been in a coma for the past several weeks, I suspect you already know as much about Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman as I do. And I’m tired of hearing people shoot off the mouths about the incident without waiting to hear all the facts. I’m not going to join them.

But I do have to say, I feel sorry for Lt. Gov. Carroll. You see, as far as I am concerned, she has been placed in an impossible situation. Granted, the Martin death certainly suggests a review of the state’s Stand Your Ground law is in order. I just wouldn’t want to be one of those given the task…particularly if I might have a dream of someday occupying the governor’s mansion myself.

After all, if the task force says the current law is valid and sound, Carroll will be denounced for letting a bunch of “gun nuts” continue to run loose in Tallahassee. (By the way, some folks are already saying the governor has stacked her committee with NRA supporters.) And if the panel says the law needs to be changed, those on the other side are certain to denounce her as an ineffective wimp.  

In short, she will be vilified by one side or the other no matter what the outcome.  

Some folks like to be political lightning rods. I hope Lt. Gov. Carroll is one of them.

Jim lives in Live Oak.