Posted on 09/09/2002 4:23:46 PM PDT by PJ-Comix
MIAMI - Former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno ( news - web sites) made a last-minute pitch to voters Monday as she tried to stop political novice Bill McBride from pulling off a major upset in the race for the Democratic nomination for governor of Florida.
The winner of Tuesday's primary will face first-term Republican Gov. Jeb Bush in November.
In all, 12 states will select candidates for governor, House and Senate on the busiest day of the election season yet.
McBride, a Tampa lawyer, went from obscurity back in January to a dead heat in the polls against Reno, attorney general during the Clinton administration.
McBride has been more successful raising money and bought more television time than his opponent. He also gained a reputation of being the candidate Bush least wants to face; Republicans have spent millions of dollars on ads attacking McBride.
While Reno has high name recognition, many Democrats fear she cannot beat Bush, who is unopposed in the primary.
Reno spent Monday wrapping up her second pickup-truck tour of the state and trying to push aside doubts about her ability to win on Tuesday and in the final election in November.
"The real question on people's mind is, can I beat Jeb Bush?" Reno told supporters in West Palm Beach after arriving in her trademark red pickup. "You better believe I can beat Jeb Bush."
As for the primary, she said: "Not only am I not worried about losing, I'm not going to lose. I'm going to win because I feel I've got more experience at making the hard decisions in public service."
McBride, a former Marine who won a Bronze Star in Vietnam, addressed a veterans lodge and union workers helping his campaign during a swing through Orlando.
"What we need is a big turnout," McBride said. "That will be a good indication that we need a change in government."
If McBride wins, it could make it a more interesting race in November, said Matthew Corrigan, a University of North Florida political science professor.
"The Bush campaign already has the book on how to deal with ex-Clinton appointees: You make it a values campaign and try to emphasis education," Corrigan said. "McBride forces the Bush campaign to basically change the playbook because he is a different type of candidate."
Besides the Florida contest, there are races in New Hampshire, Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.
Yes, Janet. We already know you can beat Bush but you can't beat Jeb Bush.
LOL Despite the pundents, I think she's the only candidate that can lick Bush.
Sure you can, if he moves to Georgia.
That would be the old Shake-and-Bake I remember.
Her beating Bush is a th-th-th-horny issue if I ever heard one.
Yeah...all she needs to do is the following:
1. Make sure that all FL voters are using the butterfly ballot
2. Have enough of the mantally infirm, convicted felons and illegal aliens on hand to cancel legitimate votes cast for her opponent
3. Make sure that no military votes get counted
4. Make sure that every dead person is registered to vote absentee
5. Make sure all of those left-wing political hacks are available to recount the votes
Hell, it almost worked for Gore!!!
There are strange things done in the Florida sun
By the men who moil for votes;
The campaign trails have their secret tales
That would gag most billy goats;
The southern nights have known queer sites
But the queerest they ever did know
Was that time from the muck in a pick up truck
Came the campaign of Janet Reno.
LMAO, hopefully Janet will go the way of Sam McGee.
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