While McCain Looked Away, Florida Shifted

While McCain Looked Away, Florida Shifted

By ADAM NAGOURNEY
Published: October 24, 2008


MIAMI — For Senator John McCain, it was not supposed to be this way. From a commanding lead last spring, in a state where Senator Barack Obama did not campaign in the primaries and only hired a state director in June, Mr. McCain is now locked in a neck-and-neck race for a trove of electoral votes that is vital to his hopes of victory.

His once-close relationship with Gov. Charlie Crist is reportedly strained. And Mr. Obama has blanketed the state with advertising and built a huge get-out-the-vote operation — on vivid display this week in the long lines for early voting. The sight dispirited Republican leaders here.

Even as state Republicans sent up flares over the summer, warning that the Florida of 2008 is not what it was in 2004, Mr. McCain yielded the airwaves to Mr. Obama, focusing his attention, money and energy on other states. Mr. McCain’s campaign waited until Sept. 1 to begin a serious round of advertising.

Mr. McCain clearly could still win the state’s 27 electoral votes. But the battle in Florida is offering — on the widest stage of any of the contested primary states — an object lesson in the disparities in the resources, aggressiveness and political cunning that Mr. McCain and Mr. Obama are taking to contests across the country.

It is a case study of the troubles of the McCain campaign, the problems of its own making as well as those caused by forces beyond the campaign’s control, including a deeply troubled economy that is sharply driving up home foreclosures in many areas of the state. And it provides vivid evidence of the Obama campaign’s success in using its money and organizational skills to put Republicans on the defensive in once-safe states.

“He has the best political organization for a presidential campaign that I have ever seen here,” Tom Slade, a former state Republican chairman, said of Mr. Obama. “Bar none. He has run a phenomenally good campaign.”

more...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/25/us/politics/25florida.html?em

Obama sort of snubbed Florida in the primaries but he wasn't well known. He is making up for it now.

:hi:

The reality is, he grew it. He gave people responsibility of their community... He put the weight of this election on the shoulders of those who vollunteer. AND it really helps that he is just an awesome individual... Smart, good-hearted, hard worker, and a look for the modern America.. a man who embodies the the ancestory of Africans and Europeans.. who only rose because of America. He has a lot more faith in this country than I ever have... I CAN say that this is the first time I feel proud of this country and realize that it still does have good people.. that the fundie MORANS aren't taking over this country... that it can actually rise from complacency. I'm really excited at people paying attention and getting involved.. I'm assuming Obama is going to try and keep people engaged and encourage people from going back to sleep... I think that's the reason he speaks of making programs that exchange education for community service.. If you are involved when you are young, then you will most likely continue being engaged in your community as you age.

Here in FL I've notice, in the past week or so, a lot more McSHAME/RNC ads running on TV, all extremely nasty in nature (so what else is new?). Until now, I haven't seen barely any McSHAME ads. Whether it will effect the race I don't know, but I doubt it, as Obama has been advertising in FL on a steady basis for months now.

dad yesterday. He went to vote (Ft. Meyers) and was annoyed that the doors wouldn't open until 10am when the office was opened at 8:30am. Then, when he went back, the line curled around the building, and the weather was wet and crappy. He was impressed at the crowds; hopefully they're mostly voting for Obama.

Hmmmm

I live on the SW coast, where old people go to die and the obscenely rich to hide (just north of Boca Grande, where the Bush family and other lame-arsed celebrities like to escape), so we've always been subjected to massively Repuglican signage and sentiment. Now, Sarasota (45 min. north) is more of a college town, home of a big gay film festival and fine farts supporters, so tends to skew more half and half--still very wealthy, but also more liberal thinkers and new-age-y wannabes. Over the past couple years, I've noticed my son's peers there undergoing a kind of awakening with a very '60s feel--lots of community activism. . . organic coop farming, a new petition every week (more bike lanes, expanded recycling, youth programs), volunteering for all kinds of interesting things, and especially, a realization that they are really in a position to make their generation's mark on the world politically.

Today, I think we witnessed an evolutionary shift that kind of gave me goosebumps, much different from even a week ago. In some parts of town (I suppose Whole Foods was no surprise), it appeared that as many as a fourth of the cars were sporting Obama stickers. Remarkably, though, we were able to count the McSame stickers on one hand ALL DAY. Even more strange, heading home down the key from Venice south, past the multimillion dollar homes where there had been M/P signs on just about every other lot for weeks (we're talking dozens), today there were only six. Total. Is it possible that these people chose to renege on their public support? There were more Obama signs (not enough), but the abrupt and overall lack of signage seems noteworthy. A week ago, we were disgusted with the number of GOP endorsements.

Best part of the day was the great turnout on the Tamiami Trail through town--one sad bunch of middle-aged guys in relaxed-fit Dockers and button-down shirts waving McSame signs (my daughter shrieked "YOU SUCK!" as we went by--and I was a bad mother and merely giggled. . .) and a block later, another group with Obama signs--all ages, all smiles, and probably half the drivers honking, waving, smiling, and giving them the thumbs up. It was like an hysterical take-off on a Mac commercial--the dumpy, flawed, and painfully dull dudes and the sleek, sharp, hip, and young/young-at-heart for contrast--and very clear which brand was preferred. The optimism was palpable.

I still puke a little in the back of my throat when I think of Katherine Harris, hanging chads, and thousands of disenfranchised voters that cost us the election before, but damn, I'm starting to feel like karma is finally going to make it right! :kick: