National parties test their pitches in Florida's 13th District special election

CNN Politics ^ | Mon March 10, 2014 | Deirdre Walsh,

[Kenny]

Clearwater, Florida (CNN) -- It's for just one congressional seat for about eight months, but Tuesday's special election in Florida has taken on huge political significance.

National Republicans are framing Tuesday's special election as a referendum on Obamacare. But their message -- plus a flood of outside spending by Democrats focused on the issue of Social Security -- is drowning out other issues in the race, Republican candidate David Jolly says.

His Democratic opponent, Alex Sink, isn't shying away from the health care debate, touting the law's benefits and saying she's open to improvements.

Both parties are looking at this race as a testing ground for their messages going into the midterm elections. Florida's 13th District is one of a small number of competitive ones, and Republicans and Democrats say the tight race here will come down to which campaign gets its supporters out.

Both sides have spent more than $11 million on media and direct mail, according to data from the Sunlight Foundation. The bulk of that spending comes from outside groups hoping to shape two very different narratives.

Republican groups and Jolly's campaign have concentrated on tying Sink to Obamacare and its rocky rollout and to President Barack Obama and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, who have low approval ratings among independent voters.

Jolly thinks the health care law is a top issue for voters, but the message he was trying to deliver last week at a senior center focused heavily on local issues. "There is a lot more going on here that just Obamacare," he said.

<snip>

A Democratic victory could have other candidates across the country adopting Sink's approach to discussing health care with a "fix-it" attitude.

[Kenny]

I know this is CNN but msm pushing that this election is a referendum on Obamacare so they're pretty sure they're going to win (Bandwagon propaganda technique). They do this all the time by the way with polls, etc.

Bandwagon propaganda is, essentially, trying to convince the subject that one side is the winning side, because more people have joined it. The subject is meant to believe that since so many people have joined, that victory is inevitable and defeat impossible.

Propaganda Techniques

[clintonh8r]

At some point Alex Sink decided she would tun until finally winning something. Sadly it looks like this will be it.

[Din Maker]

This IS a referendum on Obamacare. Sink has got to be defeated. (Not to mention the fact that she is a radical, liberal witch.) If she wins, it will strengthen the Dems resolve to batten down the hatches and pull out the stops to win the Midterms. Mitch McConnell was popping off and exuding confidence after John Cornyn won his Primary w/o a run-off. We’ve got to put the brakes on this. Come on FL FReepers.... Sink Ms. Sink.

[Din Maker]

Alex Sink did have a serious misstep in her campaign that has hurt her. Re: Immigration, she said (and this is not an exact quote) we need immigrants for FL Tourism; “Who will clean our hotel rooms and do our landscaping?”

That did not go over well with a lot of minorities. I just don’t know if there are enough voting minorities in that district to make a difference.

[Kenny]

At some point Alex Sink decided she would tun until finally winning something.

That should have been Jolly's campaign - "Ms. Sink's not really interested in representing you, she's job hunting."

[RIghtwardHo]

No such thing as a referendum in a special election, I don’t care which side wins.

[Hojczyk]

Who ever wins has to run again in November….Jolly is not that good of a candidate.. special elections mean nothing the the rats won three of four in 2010

[JLAGRAYFOX]

Folks....this CNN piece is ancient news. It is six days old and was posted before the Texas primary last Tuesday where CNN was ranting how good Wendy Davis was going to do against Greg Abbott in the Governor’s race. Bottom line: Wendy Davis received 424,000 votes to Greg Abbott’s 1,200,000. That’s an 800,000 margin. End of game for Wendy Davis and the Texas Democrat Party, come November, 2014!!! Texas remains Red....”Ruby Red”!!!

As for Sink/Jolly....David Jolly leads by about 5,000 vote margin after the early voting has ended. Any senior living in the FL-13CD has to be either drunk, drugged or simply insane to vote for Alex Sink. Obama, her icon, wants to destroy Medicare & kill all us old folks off!!!

Bottom line.....folks in Fl-13CD get out and vote tomorrow for David Jolly, and send Ms. Sink into the sinking sewer cesspool that she & POTUS Obama rightfully belong in!!! Do it!!!!

[Joe Brower]

Florida Freeper

I'm compiling a list of FReepers interested in Florida-related topics.
If you want to be added, please FReepMail me.

[A'elian' nation]

Florida’s 13th District has been in republican hands for the last 30 years. If the pubs lose this race it would be outrageous whether it is a referendum on Obamacare or not.

[small business owner]

Unfortunately this district went for Obama in the last election We really need to get out the vote tomorrow for Jolly

[Liz]

(Cackle)....wasn’t it nice that “sure-fire” vote-getters -——Obama and Michele——campaigned for Dumbocrat Alex Sink while the two were lounging in Florida this past week?

ROTFLOL.

[Liz]

Fla Dumbocrat Alex Sink, isn't shying away from the O/Care debate.....she's touting the law's benefits, and parroting the "fix-it" party-line, while saluting smartly to der leader.....

Oh year, Americans are v-e-r-y interested in knowing how they're gonna undo the fathomless collateral damage lock-stepping Democrats created w/ their historic straight party-line vote for O/Care:

(1) throwing Americans off affordable health plans,

(2) burdening Americans w/ ruinous deductibles,

(3) nationalizing 1/6 of the US economy,

(4) abandoning the elderly and the chronically ill,

(5) empowering IPAB's (Death Panels),

(6) decimating intergenerational transfers of wealth,

(7) pulling $750 MILLION out of Medicare,

(8) drug rationing for seniors,

(9) trillions in new taxes,

BTW, to date, Obama E/O'ed some 35 unilateral fixes that have done nothing to stem the tide of the colossal O/Care debacle.

[Liz]

LISTEN UP AMERICA: The O/Care bomb exploded our healthcare system into smithereens.....thanks to lock-stepping Dems historic straight party-line vote.

Now blitzed-out Dem party operatives have crafted a mind-numbing strategy to try blunting the GOP’s advantage. Dems plan plan to tell voters that electing Republicans would only make the O/Care problems worse--- O/Care under a (gasp) Republican majority, would:

<><> fuel racism, and anti-Semitism,

<><> cause life-saving taco sauce prices to rise,

<><> empower greedy insurance companies that covered Americans w/ affordable plans (decimated by O/Care),

<><> engender domestic violence, chronic depression, impotency, and acne,

<><> increase union dues,

<><> exacerbate US foreign policy w/ threats of nuclear war, Mideast violence and a two-state solution,

<><> reinvigorate USSR unification and dump cheap vodka on world markets.

[ken5050]

The district has changed over the years...but not that much. Jolly wins by 2-3%..and that's with the libertarian getting about 5%.

When the Dems start beating the old Social Security scare..that means they have nothing else left..

[Liz]

When Dems start beating the old Social Security scare......that means they have nothing else left......

Give her a break......Sink was desperate---after Obama gave her the finger---she HAD to drag out something.

ROTFLOL.

[Liz]

If Jolly has any money left---he should run ads or start robocalling.......asking voters:

"Why didn't Obama drop by and campaign for Sink when he was in the neighborhood all last week?"