Heard about this progressive running for the senate

[angee_is_mad]

He is running against a tea bagger and a moderate (really conservative). Kinda like Halter is in Arkansas.
Introducing Congressman Meeks!
http://kendrickmeek.house.gov/

How can progressives and liberals support halter and not support Meeks? What is the difference between blanche and charlie (other than gender)? Both will be undependable votes for the POTUS.

When Congressman Meeks announced his candidacy the progressive blogosphere hasn't been out there like they should have. Months ago, I've even heard one prominent progressive blogger on TV, basically beg for crist to leave the gop.

There will be some that will say, "Well Meeks doesn't have a chance to win." I ask you, Did you really think that Dennis K could be POTUS? Hell there will some that said Obama should try to run for POTUS in 2050 and not 2008. Thank God he didn't give up and thank God his supporters didn't either!

[Ken Burch]

1. Thanks for mentioning Kendrick Meek(not Meeks).

There are going to be a lot of Dems quietly pushing to throw him under the bus in exchange for the "independent" Charlie Crist(a man who's going to be just another right-wing 'Pug in his voting record if he does con his way into the Senate).

Kendrick Meek is being set up to be this year's Ned Lamont. REAL Democrats have an obligation to make sure that doesn't happen.

The truth is, Senator Crist would be just like Senator Rubio.

[angee_is_mad]

2. I hear nothing but "crickets"

out here and people wonder why Obama's base don't come out when he isn't on the ballot.

[Ken Burch]

3. A lot has been done to tell that base "we took the White House, your vote doesn't matter anymore"

That has to be overcome, and a lot of apologies have to be made to the base for all that triangulation. It was never the case that "the independents" insisted on the base being thrown under the bus. The independents just wanted leadership, and when they see that, they can be very open-minded. "Independent" does not have to mean "I hate the left and all those tacky poor people".

[angee_is_mad]

5. Independent tend to be more center right

who were/are pissed off that the gop left them and went batshit crazy. But for some reason most people have an image of an independent as being a naderite. That seems to not be the case anymore. Particularly in the south.

As far as Obama's base, especially in Florida, what would energize them more than going out and campaigning and voting for Meeks like they did for Obama? Remember Obama won Florida and he didn't in Arkansas.

There just seems to be a double standard when I look at the support for Meek versus halter.

[Dr Morbius]

4. What is the consensus about Crist's independent run?

Is he going to take votes away from the GOP candidate or from Meek, or both?

My guess is, or maybe my hope is, Crist takes some moderates and some traditional Republicans, but not a lot of Democrats. Is Florida law like that of other states, where if no one receives a majority they have a run-off election? Does Crist's run bode worse for Meek or his GOP counterpart?

[Ken Burch]

6. The earliest poll I saw(on tonight's CBS news)had it hurting Meek more

The media is clearly going to pitch Crist as "the NEXT McCain". Watch for it.

(And you'll see a lot of white Florida Dems secretly backing Crist because Meek is an "uppity...er, liberal". They may not literally SAY that, but you can assume it's the subtext.)

At some point soon, you might see Bob Menendez pushing for an "electable"(which will be code for "white centrist bazillionaire" candidate to jump in and "save" the Florida Dems chances in the Senate race.

There needs to be a lot of support for Meek, and soon.

[angee_is_mad]

8. Hell you have progressives

saying the same thing. You don't have to look far to find it.

[angee_is_mad]

7. The winner only need 34% of the vote to win

there are more that 650,000 democrats in Florida. NYT has more. Good information.
link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/29/us/politics/29cristcaucus.html?hp
“If we had told anyone we are looking seriously at Florida this time last year, they would have said, ‘what’s wrong with you?’ ” said Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. “And look at how the dynamics of that race has changed.”]

remember blanche has bill clinton and carville campaigning for her and stating the perils of voting for halter. Meeks isn't running against a democratic incumbent and will not have to worry about. There will not be one elected (VIP)democrat that would be bold (stupid) enough to campaign for crist over Meeks. It will be a hard fight, but it will not be impossible.