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US House Races – Conventional “Wisdom” All Wrong in Florida Contests
Canada Free Press ^ | May 30, 2008 | Yomin Postelnik

Posted on 05/31/2008 7:44:49 AM PDT by Ooh-Ah

...

While a lot of predictions are being made about Florida’s congressional races, as usual, the conventional wisdom is superficial and wrong. ...

Republican Pick Ups? – Probable. But Not Where Initially Expected

First of all, there is a possibility for some Republican pick ups. It won’t be in the District everyone expects that it might be, FL-16... (Foley's).

Where Republicans can pick up is in FL-22. Ron Klein won in 2006 with only 51% of the vote against a good incumbent, but one who was loathe to campaign. Klein hasn’t caught on and most of his support comes solely from his party affiliation.

By contrast, Klein’s 2008 opponent, Lt. Col. Allen West, is a strong and affable campaigner. He also spent a year teaching high school in the district. What’s more, McCain is heavily favored over Obama in this district.

A West election has national ramifications. He brings true leadership and integrity to the House. He’s a great speaker, frank, believable and to the point. If elected, he’ll be the first African-American Republican congressman since J.C. Watts. For more on this eloquent candidate see Canada Free Press Article...

It should be noted that if West wins the seat, a real possibility, it will be because of his own leadership, not Republican strategy. But, regardless of the reason why, the fact is that West’s seat is the GOP’s best hope for a pickup, not only in Florida, but possibly in the entire Southeastern United States.

The other extremely possible GOP pick-up is, surprisingly, FL-23. ... incumbent Alcee Hastings, a friendly politician whose career hasn’t been particularly effective. The Republican candidate, the brilliant Dr. Marion Thorpe, is not someone who should be written off easily.

(Excerpt) Read more at canadafreepress.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: 2008; alceehastings; allenwest; congress; drmarionthorpe; elections; fl2008

1 posted on 05/31/2008 7:44:50 AM PDT by Ooh-Ah
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To: the Real fifi; tomkat; AprilfromTexas; Yomin Postelnik

PING


2 posted on 05/31/2008 8:03:38 AM PDT by Ooh-Ah
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To: Ooh-Ah

I was thinking just the other day that an Obama nomination could be the best thing for Republican coattails. By the time his “hate whitey” friends get done the Democrats will be lucky not to lose the House.

The only people Obama’s racism doesn’t bother is the hard-core Dem base. The moderate Dems and independents have a real problem with this guy’s words and his associates.


3 posted on 05/31/2008 8:14:55 AM PDT by VeniVidiVici (Ted Kennedy is the finest collection of hops and barley money can buy)
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To: Ooh-Ah

But but but I thought the rat and his puppets in the ratmedia said this is a democrat year. :-)

In the deep blue districts of course. In the purple districts? Don’t count on it. Having barack curious george mcgovern around their necks like a burning tire full of gasoline will be a problem for the so called blue dog rats and a few others. We will NOT take back either house, but I can see us having about the same number of seats, just a few different ones.


4 posted on 05/31/2008 8:19:20 AM PDT by jmaroneps37 (Conservatives live in the truth. Liberals live in lies.)
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To: Ooh-Ah
Ooops! Bad link above for Canada Free Press--try this:

No Minority Candidate for the GOP With a Chance of Winning? Really Politico??

5 posted on 05/31/2008 8:25:41 AM PDT by Ooh-Ah
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To: Ooh-Ah

Allen West(Rep) for U.S. Congress

Welcome to Allen West's campaign for Florida's 22nd Congressional District! This site will give you the opportunity to learn more about Allen and his vision for the future of America. Please take a moment to learn more about Allen West and then take action to help Allen's campaign!

6 posted on 05/31/2008 8:29:17 AM PDT by Ooh-Ah
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To: Ooh-Ah

They say the Democrats will win in November because the economy is weak (which the media says in recession but which is not, it grew at about 0.9% in Q1 of 2008).

The Democrat Congress weakens our economy daily:

1) When Republicans took full control of Congress in Jan 3, 2003, Dow Jones was at 8784. On Jan 3, 2007 - Dow Jones was at 12,398. Today it is barely above that, at 12,600.
In the 4 GOP years, it grew 3.1% in 2005, 2.9% in 2006, 2.2% in 2007 and 0.9% in Q1 2008 (preliminary). Democrat control of congress has not been good for the economy.

2) Growth was strong from 2003 to 2007, averaging over 3% or more. Since the Democrats took over the Congress, growth has weakened to under 1%.

3) The Democrats have proposed new taxes even on the first day of taking office. Taxes on oil companies, taxes on income, higher gas taxes, higher payroll taxes. Their Tax proposal in their 5-year budget is to enact the largest tax increase ever by repealing the Bush tax cuts. This massive tax increase will ‘pay for reduced deficits’. To put it in other terms, the Democrats want to tax-and-spend our way to prosperity, something that never has worked. The amounts are staggering and the costs to the economy is equally staggering. The Bush tax cuts grew reveneues and the economy both from 2003 to 2007 and undoing them would be a disaster.

4) They have brought up CEOs for show-trial like finger-wagging and tongue-lashings, they that threatened
new regulations. THIS DOES NOTHING GOOD BUT HURTS OUR FREEDOM AND OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY.

5) Democrats promised earmark reforms. They lied. When minority Republicans tried to advance it, Democrats said no, and worse have put more earmarks, more pork, and more wasteful spending than ever. They have busted the federal budgets worse than in the past, and have irresponsibly demanded yet more Federal spending.

6) They have proposed unproductive subsidies and bailouts for irresponsible homelenders in the wake of a rise in foreclosure rates, those foreclosures themselves brought on in large part due to various Govt policies (community reinvestment act conditions, loose monetary policy, etc)

7) The Democrats have let corrupt criminals in their midst stay in Congress. Even the man with the $90,000 in bribe money is still there.

8) The Democrats have opposed domestice energy drilling, use and extraction, which would creat jobs, grow the economy and save us from oil trade deficits and help keep global oil supplies up and OPEC on a leash and therefore oil prices down. THE DEMOCRATS ARE THE #1 IMPEDIMENT TO ENERGY INDEPENDENCE.

9) The Sarbanes Oxley law that has induced more private equity and less IPOs, harming the entreprenuerial sectors of the economy. The Democrats have pushed for more punishing regulation.

10) To Top it all off, Obama promises ever more spending, higher capital gains taxes, higher payroll taxes, more spending, health insurance mandates that would add to healthcare costs, etc. THE WORST IS YET TO COME IF THEY WIN.

On the war in Iraq, all the Democrats offer is lies and evasions about their failure to make a difference and their failure to make sense; they promise only a path to defeat, even after a strategy for victory has been laid down and is being implemented.

SAVE THE ECONOMY, DUMP THE DEMOCRAT CONGRESS.


7 posted on 05/31/2008 8:35:03 AM PDT by WOSG (The 4-fold path to save America - Think right, act right, speak right, vote right!)
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To: Ooh-Ah

Well I took the trouble to send a link to the article to Bill Young, for all the good it will do.

I kid you not, his most recent fund-raising solicitation to me listed his proud accomplishments in bringing earmarks to my District. The guy is just clueless!


8 posted on 05/31/2008 9:12:12 AM PDT by CJRun
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To: VeniVidiVici

Cook, The Hill and RCP have the Pubs losing probably up to 30-40 seats. Perhaps after the hate machine which is the DNC, the voters will finally realize that most of the Dem candidates resemble the socialist pacifists that represent the national Dem Party and vote in some conservative Pubs.It is possible but who will rally the BASE to do that? Certainly not ole John. Where is the Pub House and Senate Contract, which might????


9 posted on 05/31/2008 11:55:39 AM PDT by phillyfanatic
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To: Ooh-Ah
incumbent Alcee Hastings, a friendly politician whose career hasn’t been particularly effective. The Republican candidate, the brilliant Dr. Marion Thorpe, is not someone who should be written off easily.

A "brilliant" doctor against Alcee Hastings. In a rational world this wouldn't even be a contest.

10 posted on 05/31/2008 12:07:28 PM PDT by hinckley buzzard
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To: Ooh-Ah

An interesting article, but it doesn’t mention Republican Ric Keller’s seat in FL-8. He won last time by only 53%-46%, and Democrats are seriously challenging him now.

I do like West and hope he beats Klein.


11 posted on 05/31/2008 4:01:57 PM PDT by Galactic Overlord-In-Chief (Groundchuck Hagel and Lindsey Grahamcracker are undesirable menu items in 2008. Make new choices!)
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To: Yomin Postelnik

Very interesting analysis. Thank you.


12 posted on 05/31/2008 7:24:47 PM PDT by Ooh-Ah
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To: VeniVidiVici; Ooh-Ah

My thoughts exactly. The “Dem blowout” stuff is nonsense, unless they keep fielding good candidates and we don’t. The sad thing that West in FL-22 and Thorpe in FL-23 are just what the party, and the country needs. West even has 50-50 odds by almost any analysis and the NRCC is still more interested in playing a game of defense. Play offense and there’s less need to play defense!

But yes, after Barry O, the Dems might lose big and may well lose the House.

Ooh-Ah - Glad you liked it. Thanks for posting.


13 posted on 05/31/2008 7:31:55 PM PDT by Yomin Postelnik (Vote the War Hero, Not the Incompetent Noob - Don't Sit Out - Our Security's At Stake)
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To: Galactic Overlord-In-Chief

I think Dems gave up on that one. He’s a Rino in many ways (which may hurt him, because he is facing a primary challenge) and he has McCollum’s old seat. I don’t think they have a plan over there. Unless something happens, if they couldn’t knock him off in 06, they won’t in 08.


14 posted on 05/31/2008 7:37:10 PM PDT by Yomin Postelnik (Vote the War Hero, Not the Incompetent Noob - Don't Sit Out - Our Security's At Stake)
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To: Yomin Postelnik

Keller used to be a Club for Growth favorite...I suspect he “grew” into the job like so many others have.


15 posted on 05/31/2008 11:16:35 PM PDT by Galactic Overlord-In-Chief (Groundchuck Hagel and Lindsey Grahamcracker are undesirable menu items in 2008. Make new choices!)
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To: All

Bump


16 posted on 06/01/2008 5:55:19 PM PDT by Ooh-Ah
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To: Galactic Overlord-In-Chief

Ya, He may still be a good fiscal conservative. I know Keller sided with Dems on the war. Either he or his Republican opponent (an all around conservative, good guy) should keep the seat though.


17 posted on 06/03/2008 4:15:23 PM PDT by Yomin Postelnik (Vote the War Hero, Not the Incompetent Noob - Don't Sit Out - Our Security's At Stake)
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