Florida Megathread

[Maxwell]

Few Democrats on this forum actually like Crist. We just seem him as the lesser of two evils.

Well Florida Democrats sure seem to like him. Continues to amaze me - I understand the importance of electability, but it just seems like you're throwing out all your beliefs and values if you are going to get behind someone as spineless and opportunistic as Charlie Crist. And don't even try to compare him to Mitt Romney - not even close.

If Scott is SO bad, I don't see why another competent Democrat couldn't beat him if they have proper funding and are able to develop name recognition. Sink should have gone for it again.

I'm guessing National Dems will settle for mediocrity.

Fixed.

[Maxwell]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

I think it did in 2010. Scott won by 61,000 votes out of more than 5 million cast, 1.15% more than Democratic rival Alex Sink, and he didn't even get the overall majority. In Florida, which at the state level is solidly, almost 100% Republican, he barely defeated his Democratic challenger in a year that proved to be a Democratic bloodbath. With his rock-bottom approval ratings, I'd say he's a goner.

I wouldn't say so. Charlie Crist is a skeevey character: he still has a ways to go to get the trust of Democrats, and Republicans are disgusted by him. I think he's actually a worse candidate than some of the people they could've ran (not Sink, but maybe Pam Iorio). It's hard to lose to Scott, sure, but Crist may be the man to do it.

[Maxwell]

...oh my Christ. I hope Rich pulls a rabbit out of her hat and wins this.

Rich started at 16%, no doubt her numbers are probably up from there, and I think an upset is possible when we see Crist behind at this point.

[Maxwell]

The Rev. Manuel Sykes is set to endorse Rick Scott. Sykes was briefly a candidate for Congress in FL-13 before being forced out by Pinellas Dem leadership, and is a prominent leader of the black community in the region.

How much, if at all, do you think this changes the dynamics of this? Will this be interpreted as an opportunistic move from Sykes?

[Maxwell]

The Rev. Manuel Sykes is set to endorse Rick Scott. Sykes was briefly a candidate for Congress in FL-13 before being forced out by Pinellas Dem leadership, and is a prominent leader of the black community in the region.

How much, if at all, do you think this changes the dynamics of this? Will this be interpreted as an opportunistic move from Sykes?

He wants to get revenge on the Democratic party for when they bullied him out of running for FL-13.

I saw that. I'm just wondering how other people, including people who know Sykes as a black leader, would see it.

[Maxwell]

Dominating.

I can't even begin to defend Scott on that move. That was just bad. Really, really bad.

Yeah, I'm gonna go ahead and edit my predictions. Stuff like this matters in close races, that clip is gonna get played over and over again (rightfully so).

[Maxwell]

Crossposting: Smith says growing number of FLGOP insiders think Rubio will run for Governor in 2018.

Rubio doesn't exactly strike me as the Governor type.

[Maxwell]

Crossposting: Smith says growing number of FLGOP insiders think Rubio will run for Governor in 2018.

Rubio doesn't exactly strike me as the Governor type.

Well, at least he's not a criminal, so by Florida standards he passes with flying colors.

How funny do you think you are? Please divide this number by like 1000 to get the real answer.

[Maxwell]

Jane Castor, Tampa's first female and first openly LGBT police chief, has changed her registration to Democratic. Could be an interesting mayoral candidate a few years down the road.

And who she was before?

Republican.


Also, Mary Mulhern, a former member of the Tampa City Council, is considering running in FL-13. She would be the third Tampa-based candidate Dems have attempted to run in FL-13 in as many years. Like the previous two, she will not win.

So is David Jolly just going to become a long term incumbent in a neutral district now?

[Maxwell]

Orangeman is strongly considering running against Jolly.

YEEEEES Please!

[Maxwell]

Beating Rick Scott was a sure thing too, and look what happened to that.

[Maxwell]

Beating Rick Scott was a sure thing too, and look what happened to that.

When Crist carried Pinellas by eleven points?

He didn't campaign exclusively in Pinellas county. There's a difference between winning a congressional district or county in a Gubernatorial race and winning it on a Congressional level.

[Maxwell]

How Democratic would Jolly's district be?