[Naomi4]

I hope we can pick up a Republican Senate seat from this race.

However

Betty Castor has run successfully statewide and has good name recognition. She was Secretary of Education in the 90's when that office existed.

Bill McCollum has lost statewide and is a cold fish.

Mel Martinez is warm, personable and comes across as a decent guy. However he is nearly unknown in most of the state. He also was a Democrat not all that long ago. This might be good or bad depending on your perspective. Many Southern Democrats are now conservative Republicans.

His personal story is heartwarming and speaks to what is best about America for those newly arrived immigrants and those whose grandparents came from foreign countries. This aspect, properly highlighted, could win him substantial voting blocks in the southern part of the state from the well-to-do elderly retirement community and also from Hispanics.

His trial lawyer status is more likely to hurt him than anything else in his resume. Florida is in danger of losing its doctors due to malpractice premium increases caused by malpractice suits brought by trial lawyers.

The doctors are finally waking up to the necessity and advantages of political activism. They will most certainly go after Martinez unless he firmly denounces excessive malpractice settlements.

[republicanwizard]

If we don't nominate Martinez, we don't deserve to have that Senate seat. My personal preference would be that we elect Martinez, and failing him, Webster. I definitely do not want Bay Windows to lead the party again.

Moreover, Castor is just above 35%. For a statewide official, and possibly the last one standing, I'm not impressed.