A Florida Double Crist?

[brooklynite]

Source: WSJ

TAMPA -- Republican leaders in the Sunshine State are fretting that a deal may be in the works to get Democratic nominee Kendrick Meek out of the Florida Senate race in order to boost Charlie Crist's flagging chances of beating Republican Marco Rubio.

Across the state, groups such as Palm Beach Democrats for Crist and Tampa Democrats for Crist are emerging. Republican fears are further stoked by the almost universal acknowledgment that Mr. Meek has almost no chance to win. Statewide polling has his support in the teens and falling. His money coffers are all but dry. Democrats had hoped that when Mr. Crist abandoned the GOP for an independent run, it would split the Republican vote and propel Mr. Meek into the winner's circle. With four weeks to go, no one believes that now. Mr. Meek, who is African-American, polls strongly only with black voters.

Meanwhile, Mr. Crist is striving to assemble a center-left coalition by winning over Democratic voters. His latest mailing throughout the state was titled "Ten Reasons Democrats Should Vote for Charlie Crist." On issues from health care to taxes, Mr. Crist has moved dramatically to the left.

Mr. Crist has also refused to say which party he would caucus with if he wins. His latest nonanswer: "I will caucus with the people." But Mr. Crist has met privately with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, adding to GOP paranoia that Democrats may be getting ready to throw the sure loser Mr. Meek over the side. One Republican Party leader tells me he wouldn't be surprised to hear suddenly that "Meek was offered an ambassadorship from Barack Obama." In late September, under pressure from black leaders in Florida, Vice President Biden was sent to stump for the four-term House member, but local Democrats have long doubted the depth of the White House's commitment to the party's candidate.

Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052748704696304575538231382658298-lMyQjAxMTAwMDAwODEwNDgyWj.html

---

If its going to happen, it needs to happen now.

[Roland99]

1. I concur

Not like Crist would be any different from Nelson

[monmouth]

2. And yet Meek was declared the winner of the recent Senate debate

held this past Wednesday. His numbers may change next week, he really went after Rubio and not so much but still went after Crist. I doubt he's going to drop out, he's a fighter. Charlie, and I like him, is the one who should be worried.

[nyc 4 Biden]

6. Biden won most of the debates in the '08 Dem primaries...

...and that didn't translate into electoral success. As much as I love Meek and do not trust Crist, Crist will still be light years better than Rubio. We need to get some assurances from Crist and put all our weight behind someone who can defeat Rubio.

ETA: unless the FL Dem Party can convince Crist to drop out which I don't see happening since he has a more favorable position in the polling.

[flyarm]

15. too little too late , my county alone has over 250,000 ballots in our hands over 3 weeks ago in

early vote by mail!

Many people have already voted before that debate.

We have hundreds of thousands of Snow Bird residents that never saw that debate, who got their ballots 3 weeks before that debate.

I had my ballot 3 weeks befroe that debate. I hold my ballot but many seniors don't. We have a shit load of seniors !

The Baseball Playoffs were on during that debate..ok what to watch?..Tampa Bay Rays in the playoffs or the debate???????? Yanks and Minn or the debate??????

come on..

[molly77]

23. And what is so sad, those early ballots may or may not be counted.

[flyarm]

27. hell with Jeb as governor shit loads weren't counted in 2004..

my supervisor of elections lost a huge box load of them..under a desk in her office..they weren't found until after she certified the vote ..the certified vote excluded the huge box under the desk in her office!

In Orlando in 2004 boxes and boxes of vote by mail ballots were destroyed by water, and could not be read..I am talking 40 or more boxes of them ..they were stored in a church..totally destroyed by water. It was claimed at the time that they got rained on..the problem arose, when it was pointed out, we had been in a severe draught and it hadn't rained in months!

Those votes were never counted.

Hell in 2008 2 million democrats voted in our primary only to see our delegates thrown out by the democratic party..because our republican ..republican legislature ...tagged on the legislative bill to remove DRE Voting machines from our state a date change of our primary. We were the only state in the nation to abolish the use of DRE Voting machines from our state..and we lost our delegates because of it ..by the democrats.

Hell we are old hands at having our votes stolen. By Both Parties!
I don't vote expecting my vote to count anymore..I assume it will be stolen by someone, somehow any more!

That way I don't have my heart broken anymore!

What I do know is ..no one but me will stand up for my vote. I have seen that first hand. In the 2008 primary.

The one thing I think I can count on this time..if the steal is in for Rubio..Crist is governor..he knows where the bodies are buried..and knows what rocks to look under! Jeb and Rubio will have a tough steal this time!

[onehandle]

3. Meek needs to drop out.

Sorry. Rubio is a nightmare.

Not just for the next Congress, but for whatever that might lead to.

[RockaFowler]

5. Yeah the Democrat needs to drop out

Gotta love Crist Underground. This site is unbelievable.

Kendrick Meek is the Democrat in this race not CharLIE Crist

[stevenleser]

8. I wish it 'twerent so. I advocated Crist getting out a few weeks ago when Meek seemed to close the

gap, but the trend has completely reversed itself again. If you are Meek and are out of money and a debate win didn't move the needle, where do you go from here? What is it you expect him to do? What do you expect Democrats in Florida to do? At what point do you say, he isn't going to get it done so let's prevent the Teabagger from taking over?

And this race has broader implications. Republicans seem to be at around the 50 seat marker in the senate. They could get as low as 48 or as many as 51. If we can get Crist in and have him assure us that he caucuses with the Democrats, we don't lose both houses for sure.

But the main point still stands. I don't get why people like you are banging their heads against the wall for something that is clear is not going to happen now. When do you accept what everyone else INCLUDING THE CANDIDATE is seeing?

[aquart]

39. So glad you mentioned that.

Too many here seem confused.

[hlthe2b]

10. I think that may be the only way to possibly avoid Rubio

I know it is painful, but unless Meek has some information (OCT surprise of infinite proportions) planned to drop, I hope he will.

[DemocraticPilgrim]

32. I'm with you Crist may not be with us on all issues but I think he will be an independent voice...

Meeks not making enough ground it's easier for everyone if Crist wins.

[seafan]

4. This one is hard to read--- thin sources. Meek is denying it.

Here is Meek's statement.


It sure has some GOPers nervous, however.

I think that 'nervous feeling' is genuine.


If this is a race between Crist and Rubio, all bets are off for them.

Polls or no polls.

[stevenleser]

7. Yes, in a two way race, Crist beats Rubio by 10 points. Bye Bye Teabagger n/t

[totodeinhere]

18. Do you have a link to a poll that confirms that?

I can't find it now but I think I remember seeing a poll that has Rubio beating Crist in a two way race. And remember, a lot of people have already voted and it might be too late for Meek to drop out. Plus i don't believe he will drop out anyway.

[stevenleser]

38. Nope, just intuition having lived in Florida for 12 years up until a few years ago.

in the I-4 corredor no less.

the question is, what will happen to Meek's voters if he drops out and endorses Crist. Does anyone think those voters will stay home or vote Rubio? I think Florida Democrats are well aware of who Rubio is and what a Rubio victory means. They will vote Crist. Even at his most Republican he was pretty moderate. Compared to Rubio, well, there is no comparison. Hell, maybe as a Democrat or someone who caucuses with Democrats, he might finally come out.

[flyarm]

9. Last week I got an email from a large democratic club in my area saying they are recommending dems

vote for Crist.

I will not name the club it was an internal email..it is a dem chartered club..
they explained that all elected Dems could not vote or endorse Crist and had to stay out of it..but their recomendation was ..lean to Crist. I will not disclose all the details..but there was no mistaking what message they were conveying to the members.



If we Floridans can save the US Senate seat from Rubio..one day hopefully you will all thank us instead of snearing at us!

This does not give we lifelong Democrats any joy! It is a nightmare.

[Mojorabbit]

13. This race is the reason I have not

yet mailed in my absentee ballot. I am so torn but we just cannot have Rubio win.

[ngant17]

36. I am not sending in my absentee ballot for that reason

But the Dems better make a quick decision, every day is going to divert absentee votes from Crist and indirectly help the Teabagger Rubio.

[FirstTimeVoterAt37]

11. I support Meek, but I've kind of given up on this one

I think Crist is just a better liar than Rubio. I could be wrong, he was betrayed pretty hard, so he might be mad enough to be constructive just to spite them (for a while, anyway) - but I don't want to put money on that. It's one of those "If it happens, I'll be pleasantly shocked" situations.

I'm more of the mind he'll play nice until the repubs deliver his latest shipment of foreign cash, but I admit I have no evidence of that beyond his republicanism.

Meek got screwed, which sucks.

[flyarm]

16. Lets face some facts..Meek ran a bad campaign..I love the guy but outside his district he was

hardly known in the rest of the state. Very Active dems knew and know him, but the rest of the populous did not, and still doesn't.

He had no big campaign push anywhere or anything on the I-4 corridor..if you don't have the I-4 corridor you can not win! Period!

Charlie is from the anchor of the I-4 corridor.

Do not forget..many Dems voted for Charlie as governor. And many have liked Charlie as Governor.

After two terms of Jeb..Charlie was heaven in comparison to Jeb...perfect no..not even close, do we trust him like we would like to trust a democrat..no..but Charlie was the first to ever stand up to the Jeb/ bush machine..consequently Jeb created Rubio ..to get back at Charlie for going 100% against him! Because Charlie stood up with Obama and stood and supported Obama and Obama's policies.
That fact has not been missed by many active democrats in Florida.

Does this make democrats happy in Florida..no..but we know who Rubio is ..we know who created him and why ..we know how evil that sob is! And we know what a danger he is to us all ..and not just to Floridians but to all of us!

[FirstTimeVoterAt37]

30. I'm facing facts, just not happy about it

I hope you're right about Crist, I very well may not be. Even if my suspicions are closer to the mark, I concede that a crook and a liar is better than a complete fucking lunatic. This has gone beyond the individual states now.

[flyarm]

34. I don't believe any Democrat is happy about this situation. I certainly am not and I know no one who

is.

That is why my ballot is still sitting on my kitchen table. I still have not made up my decision who I will vote for and when I do, it will be decided by my conscience and me and my ballot.

I know Kendrick and I respect him enormously. I sat next to he and his wife for four days as an elected delegate for the State of Florida at the 2004 Democratic Convention. I adore that man and his family.

But my responsibility is to my state and nation and her people first..and what is best for all concerns.

Rubio would destroy every thing I believe is right and good for my state and nation and her people.

The ramifications of this election and my vote, are too important and too catastrophic to this nation and the Democratic party, for far to long into the future, if Rubio were to win this election.

[hlthe2b]

12. Has early voting started? If so, this would need to happen NOW

if it were being considered.

[flyarm]

17. I got my vote by mail early vote ballot over 3 weeks ago! eom

[iscooterliberally]

14. damn damn damn

I really really want to vote for Kendrick Meek. I would prefer him of the 3 candidates. However, I really really REALLY don't want Marco Rubio to even be remotely involved in my government, let alone be senator of my state. shit... :banghead:

[bc3000]

19. Why do you want to vote for Meek?

Is it because he's the democrat? That would be understandable. Other than the D next to his name do you find anything appealing about him?

[iscooterliberally]

24. Honestly...

It is because he is the Democrat first, but I drive through the area that he represented often on my way home from work. I think out of the three candidates he would be the most likely to think about the poor and middle class people in this state. I am not optimistic about his chances though, and will most likely end up voting for Crist unless some miracle happens.

[davidwparker]

20. I don't live in your state, but I would go with Crist. If

Meek showed a last minute surge and possible lead, then I would go with him.

Crist needs to be an (I), caucus with the (D), and come out.

[iscooterliberally]

26. I'm riding it out.

I will go for Crist at the last minute, just to keep Rubio out.

[No Elephants]

21. I've thought for weeks that the DNC was for Crist.

[flyarm]

22. I have believed that for months! all the indications have been there since spring.

what were whispers and fears at first and secret emails by many DNC folks around the state, are now coming out of the dark..and spoken more freely. The real fears are now spoken publically with just slight whispers..what most active and very active democrats in the State know without a shadow of doubt..Rubio will be a disaster for Florida , for Florida democrats, for the DNC , and for all democrats nation wide.

Many big democratic donators went to Crist in early to late Spring.

[seafan]

25. If these rumblings are true, Meek may not be privy to the deal.

Benjamin Sarlin at The Daily Beast:

October 8, 2010

.....

Their story (WSJ) is based more on signs and murmurs than solid reporting, but they do note that Crist has met with Majority Leader Harry Reid. Before Meek began consolidating the Democratic vote, Crist was in the lead in many polls and if Democrats conclude Meek can't win, it could be in their interest to throw their weight behind the governor, especially given his recent swing to the left. Rubio is well below 50 percent in the polls and still potentially vulnerable in a two-candidate race. Meek's camp is moving quickly to deny the story, however, and if Democrats want Crist as their man, they may find their current candidate won't go quietly.

Meek's campaign reps tell the Florida Independent that their candidate "laughed out loud" when he heard about the Journal story.

.....

It's easy to see why some Democrats are open to the idea of him leaving the race, however. Meek dropping out could set up Democrats for a potential silver lining in an otherwise disastrous year. If they manage to hold off Tea Partiers Rubio in Florida, Sharron Angle in Nevada, Christine O'Donnell in Delaware, and perhaps Rand Paul in Kentucky, there will be a lot of stories questioning whether the Republicans' turn to the right was worth losing multiple seats that could likely have been won with conventional candidates.

This last point is the long view that I am taking from this. Not only is it important for Florida to stop Rubio's advance, it is also critically important nationally to stop him for the aforementioned reasons.

Until now, Crist and Meek have spent nearly all of their time in a slugfest against each other, while Rubio waltzes away unscathed. They should have been tag-teaming Rubio from the beginning.

As a result, Democrats and Indys are splitting up the vote between Crist and Meek, further weakening the forces to stop Rubio.


Crist was elected as Governor with the support of many Democrats and Indys. Meek's support has mainly been Democratic only.


I have watched and documented Rubio's carefully groomed ascent from Jeb Bush's knee for the better part of this decade. His winning the US Senate race would solidify a dangerous turn of events not only for Florida but also nationally.



You know, there comes a time when the handwriting is clearly on the wall as to the proper course of action.


This is one of those times.

[flyarm]

28. The signal was extremely clear with Wexler's endorcement of Crist.

We In Florida and many of our most powerful state democrats have been huge supporters of Wexler!

This endorcement was meant for all the powerful democrats in the state. The message was carried throughout the state, so no one could miss it. Wexler is no one's fool, he is loved throughout the state by all Democrats! He carries a very strong Democratic Jewish constituancy and most constituancies and respect throughout the state. His endorcement for Crist spoke volumes, with anyone who has ever worked within the Florida democratic party.



Democrat Wexler Endorses Charlie Crist - Jacksonville News ...
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[seafan]

37. Yes, that was a pivotal moment, when Robert Wexler endorsed Crist.

Crist, the moderate, has had appeal for many. It is also why the GOP turned on him so viciously, because Crist pointed out how radical they have become over the last 18 months in particular. And he left the Party because of it.


Right now, his overall approval rating as Governor is approaching 60%.


Crist's interview with the Orlando Sentinel recently was quite good, and it covered every topic that so many people have questions about. It's about one hour, and worth the time to watch.

[Zambero]

29. If the practical choice is between...

A right-wing teabagger extremist and a moderate conservative, I say do whatever it takes to get the teabagger defeated. If Meek agrees to bow out in favor of Crist, he (Crist) would owe a political debt to the Democrats. What's left of the GOP despises him, so Crist would likely remain an Independent but may well caucus with the Democrats, who still manage to retain a big tent mentality (for lack of a better term). Bottom line -- we don't need the likes of Mitch McConnell as Senate Majority Leader, especially when the House could tip Republican.

[lsewpershad]

31. Better Crist than Rubio

Although I would prefer a democrat

[Odin2005]

33. All of you saying Meek should drop out are violating DU rules.

[flyarm]

35. Skinner has been very clear that this can be discussed here at DU. eom

[Dappleganger]

40. In agreement with you.

It's one thing to ponder aloud that you may vote for Crist, yet another to tolerate one DU'er after another saying the Meek should drop out, that he isn't honorable for staying in the race which he EARNED the right to be in and making fun of his name. This is just fucking shameful.

If you want to vote for Crist, fine. Do it and stop trying to sway other democrats on this forum who want to vote for the DEMOCRAT. You have no right to act like Meek should drop out, however. That kind of spineless posturing should have been saved for the democratic primary and not this election. If you don't like "weak" candidates, DO SOMETHING besides pissing all over democratic voters.

[Name removed]

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