Posted on 08/09/2006 5:08:17 AM PDT by Happy Valley Dude
Tom Gallagher is weighing whether to drop out of the governor's race to help his supporters rally around his rival in the GOP primary. BY MARY ELLEN KLAS meklas@MiamiHerald.com
TALLAHASSEE - Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Gallagher is considering dropping out of the race at the urging of top advisors who want time to make peace with his front-running GOP rival, his close associates have told The Miami Herald.
Gallagher, whose fundraising and poll numbers have remained stagnant, is taking the advice seriously but has not made up his mind, his advisors said. What is clear is that Gallagher did not expect such a ferocious challenge from his affable opponent, Attorney General Charlie Crist, who has surged ahead in the polls by studiously avoiding conflict.
Gallagher has complained to friends that when Crist is forced to take a position, he often cribs Gallagher's policy proposals: ''He uses my words and ideas and says it better than I do,'' a frustrated Gallagher told one friend.
Gallagher's campaign said Tuesday that the candidate is considering all his options:
''Tom is evaluating -- with his family and his friends -- what is best for him and what is best for the Republican Party,'' said Gallagher spokesman Alberto Martinez.
This is not what Florida's top Republicans expected when they came through with nearly $9 million in contributions for the chief financial officer and lined up endorsements from the party's religious conservative wing.
Now, with Gallagher as much as 20 percentage points behind in recent polls and down by more than $2 million, many of those same people are getting cold feet. Some want Gallagher to bow out of the race to give high-profile supporters time to position themselves within the Crist campaign and allow Republicans to save their resources for the general election.
`A LOT OF PRESSURE'
''He is under a lot of pressure from a lot of divergent groups,'' said Tom Slade, former chairman of the state Republican Party who said he was among those who have talked to Gallagher about getting out of the race.
Among those who are pressuring Gallagher, Slade said: ``Most of his heavy contributors who would feel very good about the opportunity to make good on the other side.''
Over the weekend, Gallagher met with some of his closest advisors in a series of one-on-one conversations in which they discussed the fate of his candidacy.
In addition to Slade, Gallagher has spoken with former Republican Party chairman Al Cárdenas and political consultant David Johnson, neither of whom would discuss their conversations with The Miami Herald.
Cárdenas did say Gallagher has not made up his mind yet on whether to leave the race and will not decide until new polls assess how well his latest round of ads are doing at moving voters.
''Today is not a day when he's seriously contemplating leaving the race,'' Cárdenas said Tuesday. ``It will probably be next week before it's fair for the Gallagher campaign to make an evaluation of where they stand in the race.''
Cárdenas and Slade said they will support whatever decision Gallagher makes.
The choice before Gallagher is whether to stay in the race and lose nobly, requiring both him and Crist to follow through with plans to spend another $4 million on TV ads before the Sept. 5 primary, or drop out now.
If Gallagher leaves the race, his name would still appear on the ballot, but his supporters could join the Crist bandwagon and jockey to become among Tallahassee's elite if Crist wins the election in November.
Gallagher himself ruled out the third option -- pulling down Crist's poll numbers by launching negative television ads -- months ago. At the time, Gallagher announced that neither he nor the third-party political groups that back him would resort to nasty television ads.
Gallagher has not wavered from that decision, and Crist's political advisors have warned they will return fire fiercely if Gallagher should.
Gallagher continued moving ahead with his campaign strategy Tuesday, visiting newspaper editorial boards while his campaign launched a second ad on Spanish-language television in Miami, featuring popular U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Miami.
Meanwhile, Gallagher is being urged to stay in the race by members of his campaign staff and his wife Laura, Slade said.
'I talked to his campaign a couple of days ago and they said: `We've got the tools to stay in it,' '' Slade said. 'He would not surprise me at all if he were to say: `This is a Republican primary, I've got a legitimate right to be in it and Charlie could stub his toe.' ''
The reality, Slade said, is that Gallagher faces long odds.
''He's got a pretty good deficit in both money and voters and that is not the recipe that winning political candidates seek,'' Slade said.
``He's also running against what some have called the best retail politician they've ever seen.''
As the week goes on, the window is closing for Gallagher to drop out and still protect his supporters if he were to lose, sources said.
MOMENTUM LOSS
Crist campaign advisor Mac Stipanovich said that while he would prefer to have Gallagher drop out early to allow the Crist campaign to ''meld the campaign staff, have sit-downs and retool county organizations,'' the downside is the loss of the after-primary momentum of a competitive victory.
''We lose the slingshot effect from the election night victory -- and all that goes with it -- particularly with a candidate that was once perceived to be very formidable,'' Stipanovich said.
Much of Gallagher's decision will depend on how far he wants to go to help his friends make a soft landing if his campaign fails.
''It's a decision Tom Gallagher has got to make and nobody can push him,'' Slade said. ``He's not pushable.''
He opposes gay marriages, but "is fine with" civil unions. It won't matter, though, because no civil union bill will ever reach his desk.
Why would you link to an unidentified blog that opposes Gallagher on the grounds that he's a Christian? Is that your blog?
Like those who support his homosexual agenda. Like those who agree with George Soros and Peter Singer. Like those who attack Gallagher for being a Christian. You know, those kind of RINOs.
BREAKING NEWS - TOM GALLAGHER IS NOT LEAVING THE RACE FOR GOVERNOR. He's not even "considering it".
I repeat: Tom Gallagher is not quitting the race for governor.
He's getting the Katherine Harris treatment and guess what? She's not quitting either.
If you have PING LISTS re: Florida politics, please ping your lists. Thanks, FV
You're right. It's not just the RINOs. Flaming liberals support Crist too.
Link?
Right. /sarcasm
And what is his position on involuntary euthanasia? Pretty much the same?
Charlie Crist's dad handles Charlie's checkbook. I don't know any fifty year old whose parent handles their checkbook and finances. FV
"Charlie gets an allowance, but he has to go to his room if he's naughty." t'wit
Martinez is makin' trouble, that's all. There's one in every crowd. Stay tuned.
Your blog is a pretty good advertisement for Gallagher. I can see why anyone who hates Christians and conservatives would be convinced by you not to vote for him, but here at FR, this is a glowing endorsement.
Do you have any quotations from Crist about gay marriage and "civil unions"? What has he actually said, himself?
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