Republicans Ignore McCain in Favor of a Democrat (And No, it's Not Obama)
MIAMI-- "Why watch it? McCain's already lost the election."
So spoke a "nominally" Republican woman last night as she was taking a smoke break outside of The Lakes Cafe here in suburban Miami Lakes, the town built by the (Governor Bob) Graham family.
The relatively affluent neighborhood of famed former Dolphins head coach Don Shula and K.C. (of Sunshine Band infamy) skews Democrat, and has a healthy Republican presence on its voter rolls, but it seems inordinately independent.
In fact the debate watch party was held on behalf of former Hialeah Mayor Raul Martinez, the Democratic challenger to incumbent Republican Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart, while the hosts were the owners of The Lakes Cafe itself: Florida State Representative Eddie Gonzalez and Hialeah Councilman Luis Gonzalez (no relation), both Republican.
Also in attendance was Hialeah Councilman Carlos Hernandez, another Republican who, like the two Gonzalez's, has officially endorsed Raul Martinez for Congress. And while neither councilmen are in the tank for Obama, their hosting an election eve event for a Democratic challenger to a congressman who's on McCain's Hispanic Advisory Board surely doesn't bode well for the Arizona senator.
Then again, according to the few who actually tore themselves away from their conversations to watch the debate, McCain didn't really bode well for McCain either.
"He looks ugly," said one who dared a gander. "Angry," said another. "What's wrong with the man?" asked a third. "He seems like he's gonna implode."
There was one occasion during the 90-minute prime-time spar for the presidency where everyone did pay attention, and that was when Raul Martinez finally walked into the room. Martinez, a scrappy, old school politico with yet another new lease on political life, was fresh from a contentious televised debate of his own, but seemed not at all any worse for the wear.
Perhaps that's because the former mayor, who beat corruption charges leveled against him by the husband (former U.S. Attorney for South Florida General Dexter Lehtinen) of another congressional incumbent (Ileana Ros-Lehtinen), also happened to be celebrating the endorsement of The Miami Herald, the only non incumbent endorsed by South Florida's largest newspaper.
See, in this town, especially these days, party is a lot less important than the person. And if the latter happens to be someone who came back from the brink to again run Miami-Dade County's second largest city, well, that person is going to be pretty popular.
"I believe that with the state of the country right now, people look more at what a candidate has done - and what he's going to do," said Councilman Hernandez during the debate, reaffirming his support the man everybody seems to call "Raul."
And in Martinez's case it includes a combined 24 years in the mayor's seat, which is a whole lot of done and do.
Was it a great debate watch party? No. But it was a pretty good party all the same. Just don't ask anyone to say which party it belonged to.
Follow John Hood on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jhood
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"See, in this town, especially these days, party is a lot less important than the person"
I sure wish more people would think this way!
At a rally in New Hampshire today, Obama told the crowd to make sure you vote. VOTE, VOTE, VOTE, if you want him to be president
Landslide November 4th. Watch for it!!!
I sure hope so, but let's not count our chickens before they hatch.
McCain is working on a big October surprise, no doubt. Let's hope Obama isn't be blind-sided. It's not over yet.
Here's McCain's problem: it's too late for an October Surprise. People are ALREADY VOTING.
Lets consider the contributions which have come from Florida:
2000 elections,
2002 gov. elections, Jeb Bush reelected despite the events of 2000
2004 again Bush gets the vote
2006 another gov. election with an African American on the ticket who was a Lt. Col in the Air Guard but just cd. not get it together and throw out the guy and party that elected his brother.
This year, we have thestate change its primary, along with Michigan, telling the rest of the country that Florida sd. have a greater impact upon the nomnating process. As a result, there is no primary campaigns in the state. The states receives half delegates and rightly so.
Add to this, it comes out that Wexler lives in Maryland and claims residence as his in-laws who live in a facility which is designated for 55 and older. Tim Mahoney is found out to have paid a mistress over a hundred grand to be quiet about the affair, sounds as if he may have had two-he replaced Fowley. Wasserman-Shultz says she does not want to campaign against Rs around her district.
Considering the role the state of Florida played in enabling the current adminstration to take office and the events since, it would seem a whole lot of humility would have been in order. Florida has already had an influence, impact upon the American, World events and have been reminded every day for the close to eight years.
I think this explains McCain's comment: "we have them exactly where we want them to be".
They want Obama supporters to stop looking, stop working, stop campaigning and sit back and enjoy the lead...we CANNOT do this. This is not the time for complacency!
Great article.
Great coverage, John! Welcome aboard the bus!
As a Miami native, now elevated to SJC, CA aka Paradise residency, you scripted the players - and locale - well! I lived across the street from the cafe of note.
I thought I was in a 'safe' neighborhood for my teenage son, who - while working at said establishment - learned to smoke pot, which (apparently) in the long-run triggered his propensity for schizophrenia, but I digress down memory lane.
My wishes are extended for your long writing life - including vivid and correct character bios -on HuffPo!
Dear John,
I'm kind of new to HP but wanted to thank you for your input and say I really wish your opening line were true. For sure, for sure, I mean.
But I am worried.
Many of "US" were shocked when pResident Bush got in, you know?
And I'm sooooo afraid it may happen again.
Sincerely,
Marsha
PS
Obama could use more money to cover the lagging states needing to wake up.
McCain's going to fight dirtier from now on. If we can imagine that?
How about contributing and investing in our children's future?
We can't afford not to, you know?
https://do
Marsha,
I plan to fight for my daughters' future for voting for a candidate that is NOT anti-American, pro-national health care, socialist and arrogant.
I have lived in Europe. I am not so enamored to become what Europe is...nothi
I still believe in the American Dream...th
Obama wants to add a Trillion dollars in new programs. How does he plan to pay for it by taxing only the wealthy? Who do you think is going to pay for the increase in taxes to corporations? You are. Everyone is. This is economics 101!
So in your small Business you make over $250k a year profit? If you do then you can and should pay some more in taxes. If not, you won’t pay any more so sit down and listen.
Like the Great Works projects of the 1930’s many of the projects that Obama has suggested would put people to work, they would then pay the current rate of taxes, not to mention injecting the wages into our economy. Currently we have cooked unemployment figures around 6 percent or so but the real numbers may be as high as 10 percent, that is a lot of people that are not paying taxes and not spending money.
I don’t expect the Rich to pay for everything but why is my tax rate around 25 to 30 percent but a Millionaire or Billionaire only pay 15%? And many find ways around that. That is BS it is time for everyone to pay their fair share.
So you don’t think people of all walks of life deserve adequate health care? Or that they should be able to go to college or a trade school at a minimal cost? Do you like driving on roads without potholes or crumbling shoulders? Do you fear driving across bridges and on elevated roadways? Does it bother you that our electrical grid is antiquated and that we have no high speed rail in this country?
Politics aside, John Hood's got some style to his writing. A fine addition to the site.
agreed
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