FL: Senate GOP primary seems to be moving to right

[goobergunch]

By John Kennedy | Tallahassee Bureau Chief
Posted August 20, 2003

TALLAHASSEE -- State Sen. Daniel Webster's entry into the U.S. Senate race may push the Republican field looking to replace Democrat Bob Graham even further to the right and into some risky political territory.

Some experts say the rhetoric likely to emerge in the upcoming GOP primary could leave the party's eventual nominee badly bloodied and unable to court middle-of-the-road Floridians needed to win next year's general election.

"The Republican primary will be a campaign about guns, abortion and taxes," said David Niven, a Florida Atlantic University political scientist. "The candidates are going to be tripping over each other to see who can be furthest to the right to win the primary."

<snip>

U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, R-Palm Beach Gardens, and former U.S. Rep. Bill McCollum, R-Longwood, have been campaigning for months. U.S. Rep. Dave Weldon, R-Palm Bay, has said he is in the race, too.

more...http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-locsenate20082003aug20,0,4438179.story

Let them eat themselves. :evilgrin:

[TSIAS]

1. I think Foley's the frontrunner

He's raised the most out of any candidate yet. The WH tried to get Martinez to run, but he declined. I think he has gubernatorial ambitions in '06.

McCollum is falling behind in fundraising. Not coming close to Foley.

I live close to Foley's district, and he's an absolute joke. He was basically a restaurant owner in Lake Worth before running for Congress. He's seen as a moderate, if for no other reason because he's rumored to be gay. But when it comes time to vote, he was for the Defense of Marriage Act.

I suspect Penelas will win the Democratic primary. Although, I'd like to see Deutch take it.

[NewJerseyDem]

2. What is Foley's view on abortion?

[goobergunch]

5. He voted for the partial-birth abortion ban...

however, he has a moderate record on social issues, so I don't really know.

[TSIAS]

9. Here's a link I found

http://www.wevoteprolife.com/florida.htm

Seems middle of the road on abortion.

16 Mark Foley (R)* Mixed 56% Pro-Life
Voting Record

[NewJerseyDem]

10. He's probably pro-choice

He probably thinks that abortion should be legal but there can be restrictions like in the case of partial-birth and in other different legal cases. I guess he does support the basics of Roe v. Wade though.

[CMT]

3. Good

let em destroy each other. By the way, is Graham officially out of it or is he waiting? What Democrats are looking to run?

[NewJerseyDem]

4. Graham is waiting

According to dcpoliticalreport.com these are possible candidates.

U.S. Rep. F. Allen Boyd Jr (D),
ex-Education Commr Betty Castor (D),
U.S. Rep. Peter Deutsch (D),
U.S. Rep. Alcee L. Hastings (D),
Mayor Alex Penelas (D),
St. Sen. Walter "Skip" Campbell Jr. (D)?,

[mndemocrat_29]

6. I hope that Boyd will not run

He'd be coming in late and his district is very marginal. Additionally, Alcee Hastings (though very liberal) cannot win a statewide election. I don't know anyting about Campbell.

The three frontrunners are Castor, Penelas, and Deutsch. Of the three, only Castor can boast statewide electibility, but she hasn't run in a few years. Penelas would receive the Hispanic vote, but he's considered shady by a lot of Democrats. I believe that he even campaigned for one of the Diaz-Balarts.

Therefore, the nominee should be (and probably will be) Rep. Peter Deutsch. He nearly ran in 2000 (Bill Nelson won instead) and he has the money-raising skills needed. I believe that he's fairly liberal (he comes from a highly Democratic district) and I think he could beat Foley, McCollum, or Weldon.

[NewJerseyDem]

11. I generally agree

Boyd is also too moderate for my likings. I think that this seat can have a more liberal senator, no Ted Kennedy, but someone like Graham. I don't want a Ben Nelson from Florida. Bill Nelson is the worst that I would want. Castor hasn't run in something like 10 years so nobody probably remebembers who she is. Education Commissioner isn't the most high profile job. Hastings is way too liberal and I too have never heard of Campbel.

That leaves Deutsch and Penelas. Penelas seems okay but every group of people seems to hate him. I don't have specifics but I think that jewish and black groups in Florida don't like him. Those two groups are necessary for any victory in Florida so that leaves Deutsch. He seems like a good reasonably liberal congressman that would be the best candidate.

[Hippo_Tron]

7. Please Replace Grahm

For the love of God, we desperately need to get our Senate majority back.

[mndemocrat_29]

8. I could not agree more

We need to hold our seat in Florida (and South Carolina and Georgia and North Carolina). Whomever is the nominee, we need to get behind. Any of the candidates running are better than Mark Foley or Bill McCollum or Dave Weldon and I cannot stand another Senate session headed by Orrin Hatch, Bill Frist, Ted Stevens, Mitch McConnell, and Trent Lott. We must win back the Senate!