Kendrick Meek: Silent Party In Florida Senate Race

Coverage of the Florida Senate race has been pretty much universally centered on the pitched battle that now-Independent candidate Charlie Crist has waged against young GOP hotshot Marco Rubio. So much dramz, those two, and the teevee cameras are always hungry! So what is the Democratic Party candidate -- ol' whosiewhatsit, Kendrick Meek -- doing to get in on the action? Basically, he's serving up a hot platter of nothin'.

Did you know he's not even put up a single ad? It's true!

Creative Loafing: When will you put an ad up?

Meek: That's up to my campaign manager and strategists. I'm just doing what I'm doing now here. Meeting with leaders, talking to people about our campaign and we're very, very excited about it.

To sum up this brilliant strategy, the folks at Rumproast offer: "Arrrggghhhh."

But look! Kendrick Meek is "very, very excited" about the whole running for office thing, and at some point, he may even get very, very, very excited. The opportunity is there: according to a recent Quinnipiac poll, "Meek is much less known than either [Rubio or Crist] with 73 percent of voters not knowing enough about him to rate him either favorably or unfavorably."

I guess Meek is just waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike, or something. Because surely, the media's interest in the sturm und drang going on between Crist and Rubio will fade any minute now.

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Comments

[Untitled]

03:49 PM on 05/18/2010

Crist will win. Just a prediction.

[LloydLesperance]

12:47 PM on 05/18/2010

Former Miami Mayor, Maurice Ferre is by-far the most qualified candidate. Read more about his campaign and his solutions for Florida at http://ferre2010.com

[Rhondayes]

02:58 PM on 05/07/2010

Kendrick Meeks does not have to advertise at this time, giving him the opportunity to save the money he has raised. The contest between Crist and Rubio brings up Meeks name. They are doing his advertising for him. Thank you Guys.

I am a New Yorker, not a Floridian so I do not have a dog in this fight. However, I did note that Kendrick Meeks raised $1.2M and Rubio raised $325,000. this in itself is very telling.

My understanding of the candidates is Kendrick Meeks will work for the office and Rubio will enjoy the title.

Time for Charlie to go away, because like Joe Lieberman, they change their affiliations, but they are not true to their affiliations.

[Blixa]

12:50 PM on 05/18/2010

We can tell you're a New Yorker, cause you're confusing the spelling of the NY guy (Meeks) with the FL guy (Meek). ;)

[Rhondayes]

02:49 PM on 05/07/2010

You are the only racist here. "Stupid" racist black people?


King Whitee I wish there were a test to exclude white racists like you.


You assume "Blacks" will vote for Meeks, simply because he is Black when the truth is they share the same ideology based on their party affiliation. Had the candidate been white they would have for him, as well.


Get past race and your own personal hate.

[Schmice]

12:32 PM on 05/07/2010

Did the Democrats put up a candidate just to be polite and make people believe that "the system works"? I understand "keeping your powder dry" and "not firing until you see the whites of their eyes", and all those cliches, but isn't this a little ridiculous? Howard Dean should be the chairman of the Democratic Party because he, at least, believed in putting money and effort into EVERY race. Even if the Democrats can't count on winning Florida, they can at least tie up the Republicans by making them put in money and resources of their own into these races. Don't give them any cake walks. Make them fight for every seat. Bankrupt them financially as the Republicans have done to the country at large.

[Blixa]

12:54 PM on 05/18/2010

No, Meek is a popular congressman who is the son of a popular congresswoman

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrie_Meek

I second your thoughts on Howard Dean.

[raleigh1997]

09:58 PM on 05/06/2010

The DNC needs to pump money into Meek's Campain.

It would also help, if individual Dems go directly to his website and contribute to his campain - I contributed.

http://www.kendrickmeek.com/

[HerbTee]

05:59 PM on 05/06/2010

Well, why don't these media @$ $wipers take the time to actually seek out Congressman Meek, interview him, see what he has to say, then televise it. Isn't that their job?? If the mountain (Meek) won't come to Muhammad (the press), then Muhammad must go to the mountain.

[AwakenYoshikawa]

05:28 PM on 05/06/2010

It is not Meek's fault, it is the media. They decide what we see and when we see it. I say Mr. Meek speak and he makes a lot of sense. Unfortunately, I also think it is his name that causes something to go off in are psychic that makes us think he is meek and soft spoken.

But it's mainly the conservative media that controls everything and decides what is important news for us.

[Ldyandrea]

05:19 PM on 05/06/2010

Unfortunately, this is why Meek doesn't have a realistic shot at winning, no matter who he's up against in the fall. I'm a Democrat and I live in South Florida....and I'd never heard of him before a few weeks ago.

[tavote08]

10:36 PM on 05/06/2010

Never heard of him, what does that say about you??? I don't live in any part of Florida but I'm familiar with Meeks, Debbie, and a few others by face if not name. Now that you have heard of him what's next???

[behindEnemyLines]

08:02 PM on 05/07/2010

watch him lose?

[Ferrante Photo]

04:53 PM on 05/12/2010

I'm from Chicago. I have never been to Florida, just flown over it and I knew about him years ago. Try watching C-SPAN

[BUTCHER111]

05:04 PM on 05/06/2010

Doing nothing sure worked for Cokely. He better get started on his campaign.

[Jacksonian]

05:01 PM on 05/06/2010

What is it about Florida that attracts the kamikaze dawdlers?

Maybe Meek should have a little chat with Rudy Giuliani and ask him how that strategy worked out.

[goodog]

04:57 PM on 05/06/2010

Theres something to be said for waiting until he knows who his opponent will be... not to mention letting them hang themselves as they fight for teaBirther relevancy.

But a Get to Know Me campaign might be worth while... on the other hand, it might be better if they don't know too much.

[behindEnemyLines]

08:03 PM on 05/07/2010

he knows who he's running against. Crist and Rubio.... I mean if he hasnt figured that out by now he shouldnt be running....

[goodog]

08:22 PM on 05/07/2010

no, he'll be running against one or the other of them.

That's just the way it works.

[sulalives]

03:35 PM on 05/06/2010

This is just the primary and the interest is usually not that strong and the republicans attack against democracy does not help in others like myself to support the primaries anymore or until the republicans get it people first (those who want to advance humanity)...