Posted on 10/24/2010 7:17:34 AM PDT by southernnorthcarolina
In one of the most unusual and hard-fought Senate races in many years, Florida voters have a choice among three capable candidates with distinctly different views on how to fix what’s wrong with the economy and the country.
Don’t look for a "local favorite’’ in this race. U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek and former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio are native sons of South Florida. Gov. Charlie Crist is well known to local voters and now has a part-time home on Fisher Island.
Don’t look for an "outsider," either. All three have impressive records of public service. In a year when career politicians are everyone’s whipping boy, these three candidates understand how government works and what ‘‘constituent service’’ means.
What sets them apart from each other are sharp differences on issues and distinctively different claims for the allegiance of the electorate.
Mr. Meek, 44, is an unabashed Democratic standard-bearer, a dependable supporter of the Obama administration whose message is aimed squarely at everyday voters who fear the erosion of their living standards. Mr. Meek’s involvement with indicted developer Dennis Stackhouse is a stain on an otherwise good record, but it raises fair questions about his judgment and management of his staff.
Gov. Crist, 54, a lifelong Republican turned independent, says he will refuse to toe anyone’s party line. Mr. Crist’s political pragmatism is sometimes too elastic, and his loyalty to former Republican Party of Florida chief Jim Greer, who is battling fraud charges, raises questions about Mr. Crist’s judgment, even when GOP donors pleaded with him to take action.
Mr. Crist is running as an independent because he was elbowed out of the GOP primary by Mr. Rubio, who has captured many Florida voters’ attention with his straight talk about attacking the stratospheric federal budget deficit. An articulate defender of belt-tightening, Mr. Rubio’s energetic campaign and insurgent candidacy capitalized on voters’ anti-Washington mood and changed the race’s political dynamics.
His lead in the polls rests in part on a decidedly conservative agenda -- anti-choice, anti-taxes. His life story as a son of Cuban exiles strikes a sympathetic chord with many voters.
Mr. Rubio is not a flawless candidate. He has refused to release all records involving a Republican Party credit card, which he used at times for personal expenses when he was House leader.
Nevertheless, at 39, Mr. Rubio has the potential to be the kind of statesman Floridians can be proud to call a native son -- much like another conservative, former Sen. Connie Mack, who became a defender of Haitian immigrants’ rights and led bipartisan initiatives that doubled federal spending on bio-medical research.
Like a lot of voters, we’ve struggled with the choices in this race, and our pick may surprise some readers. We do not agree with many of Mr. Rubio’s positions -- certainly not the far-right stance he has taken on immigration or his position against healthcare reform.
Yet his persistence in taking on a popular governor 18 months ago to run for the U.S. Senate says something about Mr. Rubio’s passion to fix what’s wrong in Washington. At this critical juncture in the nation’s economy, Mr. Rubio offers a welcome dose of fiscal restraint. He has exhibited common sense on Social Security, where he proposes raising the retirement age as a way of keeping the program solvent. Neither Mr. Crist nor Mr. Meek has dared to make take such a clear stand.
Mr. Rubio has been the driving force in this race. His leadership skills were evident as House Speaker, but in Washington he will need to work across the aisle -- a virtue not abundant in Tallahassee. Smart and committed, Mr. Rubio can grow into a consensus-seeker in the Senate, benefiting all Floridians.
For U.S. Senate, The Miami Herald recommends MARCO RUBIO.
Crist wasn’t “elbowed out of the GOP primary by Mr. Rubio.” He was soundly rejected by GOP primary voters.
Reading between the lines, it sounds like the newspaper is feeling forced, kicking and screaming, to endorse the Republican candidate, because the other two are so horribly flawed, that endorsing any of those two would look really bad!
“Crist wasn’t “elbowed out of the GOP primary by Mr. Rubio.” He was soundly rejected by GOP primary voters.”
REJECTED LIKE HELL! He was thrown out!!!! LOL
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/250812/some-most-important-factors-election-kathryn-jean-lopez
Rubio kids...watch!
Wonder how much Rubio’s support for Illegal Alien Amnesty and Cap and Trade affected the Miami Herald’s decision?
(Yes, you read that right)
“Miami Herald recommends Marco Rubio”
Makes you nervous, doesn’t it?
Oh please. How much is Crist - or maybe DU - paying you to say this?
The Miami Herald specifically rejects Rubio’s immigration stance, which they consider too harsh, and he’s not a supporter of “amnesty.” As for cap and trade, I heard him speak and he’s sure not in favor of it and knows that it will be disastrous for Florida.
In fact, this is what he said: “Cap-and-trade would be disastrous policy at any time, but especially during this difficult economic time, and especially for Gulf Coast states reeling from the oil spill.”
You’re cherry picking little phrases here and there to make him look bad. Crist tried this and it didn’t work.
They had no choice. African Americans don’t read the paper and most of the population is Cuban American and they read El Nuevo Herald. The Herald would be done if they didn’t endorse him. Although they took pretty good shots at him despite their endorsement. It must have killed them to have to do that.
I agree. I’m sure the Herald’s writers had to grit their collective teeth, but the other two candidates are so dismal that they really didn’t have any chance. Meek is utterly lame, and Crist is such a weasel that I think he’s actually causing a lot of revulsion among even hardened voters. I hope he loses and loses badly and that his political career will be finished.
Rubio, on the other hand, is smart and focused, an excellent, convincing speaker, very hardworking, and I think that even while the Herald disagrees with some positions, they had to admit that there really wasn’t any other possible choice.
Is this a joke? The papers in Tampa and St. Pete are doing everything they can to prop up Crist.
I just looked out my window in so fl. It is not snowing so this must be from the onion
This should sink Sink too. Another commiecrat.
[Smart and committed, Mr. Rubio can grow into a consensus-seeker in the Senate]
Let’s hope not.
It cracks me up to see these liberal newspapers endorsing Republicans. Nobody wants to support the loser.
Rubio is the son of Cuban exiles. That’s the key in Miami.
Just an excuse so they can endorse the Democrat for Governor.
I should mention that the Miami Herald has become hard left since being taken over by McClatchy. Rubio is going to win anyway, so they endorsed him.
When it is a close election they go with the Democrat.
No more callers please. We have a winner!!
“Reading between the lines, it sounds like the newspaper is feeling forced, kicking and screaming, to endorse the Republican candidate, because the other two are so horribly flawed, that endorsing any of those two would look really bad!”
The reliably leftist, anti-Cuban Miami Herald is endorsing Rubio...amazing
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