McCain to Miamians: “We're going to win here” (McCain Rally (+ Videos)

Gov. Charlie Crist, his predecessor Jeb Bush and other Florida Republicans introduced John McCain to a crowd in the parking lot of a West Miami lumber yard Wednesday. The Republican presidential nominee came onto the stage outside Everglades Lumber to the theme song from Rocky and began his remarks just after 10:30 a.m. ''On Nov. 4, we've got to win the state of Florida, my friends, and we're going to win here,'' McCain said. He talked about the need to reduce America's oil dependency, cut government spending and lower taxes. ''I'm going to make government live on a budget just like you do. We'll freeze government spending on all but the most important programs,'' McCain said, mentioning defense, healthcare, Social Security and NASA as essential expenditures. He also said the United States would stop buying oil from countries that ''don't like us very much,'' including Venezuela, eliciting boos from the crowd at the mention of Hugo Chávez. They booed again when he mentioned Fidel Castro. As McCain spoke, about 30 miles to the north at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, workers finished setting the stage for Democrat Barack Obama's late-afternoon arena appearance.

McCain, who landed Tuesday night at Miami International Airport and spent the night at the Biltmore Hotel, started his day with interviews on Spanish-language radio and a stop at a diner. McCain's core backers in Miami-Dade, the Cuban-American community, were out in full force well before the presidential candidate's appearance at the lumber yard. One held a sign that read, ``Cuban Political Prisoners 4 McCain.'' The capacity crowd erupted into applause as a crane raised an enormous American flag. Some said they think McCain should continue attacking Obama for wanting to ''share the wealth.''' ''We got where we got by working extremely hard,'' said recent University of Miami graduate Michael Garcia, a 30-year-old accountant whose family is Cuban. ``We don't believe in redistributing wealth. That's something Castro would do.'' McCain told the Miami crowd not to count him out. ''We're a few points down. The pundits have written us off, just like they've done before,'' McCain said. ``I guess I'm old fashioned about these things -- I prefer to let the voters weigh in before presuming the outcome.''

SHARPENING DEBATE - - The McCain camp said it is seeking debate on the pressing issues of the election, not adoring crowds. ''McCain is showing what he's going to look like when he's president,'' said Alberto Martinez, a Republican strategist in Tallahassee. ``There's a sharpening of the debate on the economy and taxes that will sway voters in the final days.'' McCain is rapidly expanding his presence on television -- but so is Obama, putting his image on the air more than twice as often. That's why McCain's appearance Wednesday in the expensive and populous media market covering Miami-Dade and Broward counties is so crucial.

CRIST'S ROLE - - As Florida Republicans have started assigning blame for McCain's troubles, Gov. Charlie Crist has calibrated his role in a campaign that rejected him as a running mate. He planned to shoot his first commercial for McCain, and he will travel with him through Florida on Wednesday. But the governor has kept his distance from negative attacks, and the state party declined to pay for a mailing that would link Obama to terrorists. On Tuesday, Crist attended a fundraiser for legislative candidates at the home of Miami lobbyist Rodney Barreto, infuriating some McCain supporters who say he should be raising money for the presidential campaign. Some Republicans were also fuming over Crist's decision to extend early voting hours, since most of the people in line have been Democrats. (All this is liberal MSM bias poppycock – FlA)

The latest statewide polls show Obama with a narrow advantage, but House Speaker Marco Rubio said McCain is running strong against the backdrop of the sour economy, an unpopular Republican administration and a surge in Democratic voter registration. ''Obama should be up 15 points in Florida and the nation,'' Rubio said. ``And he's not.''

After McCain leaves Miami, McCain will visit a Riviera Beach manufacturer before going to Tampa to discuss national security.

10.17.08 Video: McCain-Palin New Ad "Red State Rampage" (Funny)
10.22.08 Video: Gov. Crist Predicts McCain Win in Florida
10.23.08 Videos: McCain's Florida Rally Speeches - Ormond Beach | Sarasota
10.26.08 Video: Palin's Kissimmee (Orlando) Speech Direct link - Windows Media Player | FR Photos
10.27.08 Video: McCain Miami-Fort Lauderdale TV Interview
10.29.08 Video: McCain Tampa TV Interview
10.29.08 Videos: McCain Miami Rally Speech: (1) | (2)
10.29.08 Videos: Excellent Obama Attack Ads, National Republican Trust PAC

Counties Early Voting Info: Florida Elections Division | Miami-Dade | Broward | Palm Beach |
10.29.08: Florida Early Votes: 1,404,897 | FEV Reports <> '08 Early Voting Stats by State
10.28.08: Gov. Crist extends Florida's early voting hours (FEV is Oct 20-Nov 2)
Florida has 10.7 million registered voters, 41% Dem; 37% Rep; Other 3%; No Party 19%.

10.29.08: Latest Florida Polls, RCP Average, Obama +3.4 down from +4.2 recent peak
10.28.08: SFARI PAC UM F25 Counties Poll, Obama +3.1 (25 of 67 FL Counties, 85% of State Pop.)
10.29.08: Florida Newspapers Endorsements (Circulation): Obama: St. Petersburg Times(316,007); Miami Herald(240,223); Orlando Sentinel(227,593); South Florida Sun-Sentinel(Ft. Lauderdale)(218,286); Palm Beach Post(164,474); Sarasota Herald Tribune(114,904); Daytona Beach News Journal(99,627); Florida Today(79,499); Pensacola News-Journal(57,069); Naples Daily News(66,272); Lakeland Ledger(65,948); The Gainesville Sun(44,658) || McCain: The Tampa Tribune(220,522); Bradenton Herald(48,618); Palatka Daily News(11,000); Cape Coral Daily Breeze(2,015)
Total National Newspapers Endorsements: Obama 231; McCain 102
<> Endorsed '04 Bush, now Obama: 43: '04 Kerry now McCain: 4
10.28.08 Nielsen: Between Oct. 6-26, Obama's advertising continues to be heaviest in Florida. He ran 18,909 Florida ads outpacing McCain's 5,702 ads by 232%. | Nielsen Political Ads News
Democrat Winning Presidents that won Florida since 1950:
1996: Clinton 48% / 42%(Dole) EC 379/159 (Clinton +6)
1976: Carter 52% / 47%(Ford) EC 297/240 (Carter +5)
1964: Johnson 51% / 49%(Goldwater) EC 486/52 (Johnson +2)
Recent Florida Presidential Margins
2004 Bush 5%
2000 Bush <1%
1996 Clinton 5%
1992 Bush 1% (Clinton Won Election)

TAB

McCain is finally making the case against Obama in an effective way. Calling him out on socialism (spreading the wealth and suddenly lowering the income level for those who will receive a tax cut from 250k to 200k to 150k, new tapes of Obama surfacing etc.) and his lack of a coherent foreign policy (thanks to Joe Biden). Finally, the independent PACs are hitting Obama with Rev. Wright as more tapes surface of Obama praising him.

No doubt about it, McCain has the more compelling argument.
The question, are voters just too damn angry over the Wall Street meltdown to give a crap about anything else than being angry? Are the voters in effect saying, “We are as mad as hell and we are going to shoot ourselves in the head rather than take it anymore.”

McCain - Florida Latest

10.29.08-0130, TBO: John McCain arrived at Tampa International Airport at 12:45 p.m. today for his national security roundtable. He got off the plane with his wife, Cindy, Gov. Charlie Crist and Sen. Mel Martinez. Also on the plane were Sen. Joe Lieberman and former Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge. A motorcade of Tampa police officers, Hillsborough deputies and Secret Service agents sped McCain and his group from the airport to the University of Tampa, where McCain is participating in a discussion today with national security advisers. Traffic along the route, including traffic on I-275, was stopped as the motorcade passed. After arriving at UT, McCain went into a closed-door session with Ridge, Lieberman and Crist along with several ranking members of the U.S. military. We’re are told there will be a briefing for the media at the conclusion of their sit down discussion.

MORE >> Sen. John McCain is holding a national security roundtable at the University of Tampa with Gov. Charlie Crist, Sen. Joe Lieberman, former Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge and a smattering of generals and admirals. A crowd of Republican notables is waiting for him in another room. Once done with the roundtable, he’ll make a statement on the same subject. No questions from reporters, we’re told. The crowd waiting for McCain, all invitees and GOP insiders and high-level state and local campaign officials, are solidly pro-McCain. One thing some of them can’t figure out is why, just six days before the election, McCain is holding an event in Tampa that’s closed to most of the media and the public. “I don’t know. I’ve been asking the same question,” said Pinellas County Republican Party Chairman Tony DiMatteo. Hillsborough County Commissioner Mark Sharpe, McCain’s county co-chairman, emphasized that national security concerns could affect voter decisions. “It’s a very important issue at a time when people are beginning to focus” on the election, he said. As to why McCain would hold a closed event, he said, “McCain doesn’t always do things that appear on their face to be purely political—he just does what seems right.” McCain held a similar event at UT during his primary campaign, but it was open to local media.

TAB

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