Posted on 09/06/2006 6:52:14 PM PDT by summer
NEWS ANALYSIS
Democrats divided, Republicans united
The contest to replace Gov. Jeb Bush features a Republican who wants to preserve his legacy and a Democrat who wants to tear it down.
Charlie Crist coasted to victory. Jim Davis stumbled into it.
Crist, the Republican, and Davis, the Democrat, will meet each other in the Nov. 7 general election, but they begin the race to be Florida's next governor in vastly different shape.
Davis, a congressman who blasts the way business is done in Florida's capital, arrives at the general-election race battered and broke, still shaken by the pounding he took from rival Rod Smith, the Alachua state senator who blasted him for opposing state compensation for two black men who were wrongfully convicted four decades ago. Davis' first tasks: repair the wounds of his divided party and make peace with crucial black voters...
Crist enters the contest with more money in his pocket and a sound-bite friendly message perfected by his mentor, former U.S. Sen. Connie Mack. Crist offers optimism and hope, promising to continue the programs of popular Gov. Jeb Bush while portraying himself as a populist leader.
''We know that when government stays within its proper bounds, the opportunities to our citizens truly become boundless,'' Crist told a jubilant crowd of 700 supporters in St. Petersburg Tuesday night.
``Starting tonight, people will have a choice: Will Florida continue to prosper? Will Florida continue to be a national leader in education reform, continue to offer hope and promise to our people, or will we go back to the days that have failed us in the past?''
The matchup between Crist and Davis has been shaping up for months as both front-runners braced for the general election with a mainstream message aimed past their primary opponents and to Florida's key swing voters -- those with no party affiliation.
Those voters, and the party loyalists who picked the lineup for the general election, will set the direction for the next era in Florida politics -- life after Jeb...
As both campaigns gear up for the eight-week battle ahead, several factors are likely to influence the outcome:
• [Jeb] Bush: The governor stayed out of the primary but has promised to campaign vigorously for the Republican nominee.
Both Crist and Gallagher portrayed themselves as the keeper of his legacy, promising to continue his programs. Polls show that kind of promise plays well: A Miami Herald poll by Zogby International shows that while 83 percent of Republican voters believe Bush's policies should be continued, as many as 25 percent of Democrats also agree...
Both candidates have until noon Sept. 12 to pick a running mate, and both have remained mum on their prospects. Crist's short list is rumored to include House Speaker Allan Bense and Jacksonville state Rep. Jennifer Carroll, a former Navy lieutenant and African American.
As it is now, it is time to point the wheel to victory. For me, there is no other choice.
Of course we can't tell but for some reason I had that uncanny feeling from the beginning. Now it appears she's in hiding!
If you feel bad - take a look at Nelson. It will do wonders for your enthusiasm!
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