# The Florida Senate election **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [June 3, 2010, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-senate-election/541721 "2010-06-03T02:07:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-senate-election/541721/81 "2010-09-29T01:51:10Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > > [@Zakalwe](#): > > > > Why? A Cat 5 wouldn’t be a Cat 5 by the time it hit Orlando. > > I know, I know . . . It’s sour grapes, really. I’ve always nursed a grudge against Disney for choosing Orange/Osceola over Hillsborough for just that reason. Not that I’d want to visit the Magic Kingdom that often, but if its mere proximity did all that for a tiny town like Orlando (was in 1965), just think what it could have done for Tampa . . . What? You mean Anheuser-Busch doesn’t have the tourism clout that Disney does?! ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-senate-election/541721/82 "2010-09-29T01:56:25Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > > [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > > > For those of you who Floridians who think Rubio would be a disaster, tell me what you think of Jeb Bush’s time as Governor? Was he a disaster? If so, how? > > > > From what I’ve read, Bush was actually a pretty good Governor, and enjoyed high popularity for much of his time in office. He was the only Republican Governor to ever win re-election in Florida, I believe, and he won re-election in a landslide. He only left because he was term-limited out. > > > > So if Bush was okay, how would Rubio be different? Is he more Conservative than Bush? Dumber? What exactly is his big flaw that would make him such a disaster? > > Senator != Governor. And he is the Tea Party candidate, and, in Florida as elsewhere, practically nobody of any party who is not already a supporter of the movement wants the Tea Party getting anyone into Congress. Most Florida Pubs will still vote for Rubio, but half of those will be holding their noses. All this based, and quite soundly and wisely, simply on his movement affiliations. As for his particular personal politics . . . well, at least he’s not an embarrassment like Christine O’Donnell, nor quite so far right, I think. Actually we haven’t heard much about his politics or policies so far this campaign, in his own ads nor Crist’s nor Meek’s. I guess we’ll have to wait for the candidates’ debate on October 24. Presumably he’s far-right enough that the Tea Party liked him, and would be part of the Congressional Tea Party Caucus Michelle Bachmann is organizing. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-senate-election/541721/83 "2010-09-29T02:24:17Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Presumably he’s far-right enough that the Tea Party liked him, and would be part of the Congressional Tea Party Caucus Michelle Bachmann is organizing. That’s a House caucus, not a Senate one. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-senate-election/541721/84 "2010-09-30T15:33:13Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > > [@BrainGlutton](#): > > > > Presumably he’s far-right enough that the Tea Party liked him, and would be part of the Congressional Tea Party Caucus Michelle Bachmann is organizing. > > That’s a House caucus, not a Senate one. Presumably it would become a two-house caucus if Rubio (or any other Tea Party candidate) gets into the Senate. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-senate-election/541721/85 "2010-09-30T15:36:11Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Hypothetical: Crist does not make an independent bid, is defeated by Rubio in the primary, bows out gracefully (with lots of cursing, but gracefully under the circumstances), and the general election is just Meek vs. Rubio. Who wins? > [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Don’t make me answer that. OK, so let’s try a different hypothetical: If Meek dropped out of the race (which a major-party nominee never does, but just suppose), and it were just Crist v. Rubio, who would win? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-senate-election/541721/86 "2010-09-30T15:40:43Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > > [@BrainGlutton](#): > > > > I know, I know . . . It’s sour grapes, really. I’ve always nursed a grudge against Disney for choosing Orange/Osceola over Hillsborough for just that reason. Not that I’d want to visit the Magic Kingdom that often, but if its mere proximity did all that for a tiny town like Orlando (was in 1965), just think what it could have done for Tampa . . . > > What? You mean Anheuser-Busch doesn’t have the tourism clout that Disney does?! You know, my late Mom remembered when [Busch Gardens](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Busch_Gardens,_Tampa_Bay) was just that, back in the 1950s – a brewery, with a tropical garden attached, with lots of tropical birds. You could go there and get beer and drink it in the garden, all for free. Now there’s no brewery any more, just a theme park. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-senate-election/541721/87 "2010-09-30T15:44:20Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > > [@jayjay](#): > > > > What? You mean Anheuser-Busch doesn’t have the tourism clout that Disney does?! > > You know, my late Mom remembered when [Busch Gardens](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Busch_Gardens,_Tampa_Bay) was just that, back in the 1950s – a brewery, with a tropical garden attached, with lots of tropical birds. You could go there and get beer and drink it in the garden, all for free. > > Now there’s no brewery any more, just a theme park. Heh…when our family went to Florida for vacation when I was a kid, I remember we stopped at Busch Gardens in Virginia (the Old Country) on the way, but we never took the side trip from Orlando to Tampa to go to the Dark Continent. I’ve kind of felt sorry for that Busch Gardens for being the out-of-the-way, outshone, red-headed cousin of the Disney juggernaut ever since. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-senate-election/541721/88 "2010-09-30T15:48:59Z")
BTW, [Al Gore will be speaking at a Kendrick Meek rally today,](http://saintpetersblog.com/2010/09/22/al-gore-to-campaign-for-kendrick-meek-in-tampa-heres-how-you-can-get-tickets/) Thursday 09/30/10, at the Letter Carriers Hall, 3003 W. Cypress Street, Tampa; doors open at 4:45 p.m. I’ll try to make it, and if I do I’ll try to gauge the mood of the crowd. Excited? Discouraged? Conflicted? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-senate-election/541721/89 "2010-09-30T15:50:48Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > > [@BrainGlutton](#): > > > > Hypothetical: Crist does not make an independent bid, is defeated by Rubio in the primary, bows out gracefully (with lots of cursing, but gracefully under the circumstances), and the general election is just Meek vs. Rubio. Who wins? > > > [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > > > Don’t make me answer that. > > OK, so let’s try a different hypothetical: If Meek dropped out of the race (which a major-party nominee never does, but just suppose), and it were just Crist v. Rubio, who would win? Crist, by a mile. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-senate-election/541721/90 "2010-09-30T23:20:37Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > BTW, [Al Gore will be speaking at a Kendrick Meek rally today,](http://saintpetersblog.com/2010/09/22/al-gore-to-campaign-for-kendrick-meek-in-tampa-heres-how-you-can-get-tickets/) Thursday 09/30/10, at the Letter Carriers Hall, 3003 W. Cypress Street, Tampa; doors open at 4:45 p.m. > > I’ll try to make it, and if I do I’ll try to gauge the mood of the crowd. Excited? Discouraged? Conflicted? Got there late and everyone was leaving, so, no assessment. :o ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-senate-election/541721/91 "2010-10-01T05:18:07Z")
Were they rushing out to beat the traffic, or walking out with expressions of wonderment? ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-senate-election/541721/92 "2010-10-01T11:51:40Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > So if Bush was okay, how would Rubio be different? Is he more Conservative than Bush? Dumber? What exactly is his big flaw that would make him such a disaster? Bush was never a Senator. Rubio is not running for Governor. Rubio seems to be a hard Christian right guy. Probably won’t be the end of the world if he gets elected, but I’d prefer either of the other two. I’m not wild about hard line conservative Cubans. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-senate-election/541721/93 "2010-10-04T16:41:44Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > > [@BrainGlutton](#): > > > > Errr, pardon me, but wouldn’t Orlando be a better choice? Or, just a few miles west of Orlando? > > Why? A Cat 5 wouldn’t be a Cat 5 by the time it hit Orlando. The point is to hit at the point to cause maximum property damage. Property damage that will have to be covered by our “insurance” company, Citizens. We are essentially self-insured and thanks to people like Rubio have nowhere near the reserves or income to cover it. I have to agree with BG, no Cat 5 for Tampa Bay just to prove how much Republicans screwed up the state, thank you. Couldnt we just get a satellite to hit the stage on the night of the debate so we can start over again? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-senate-election/541721/94 "2010-10-04T19:19:13Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > > [@Zakalwe](#): > > > > Why? A Cat 5 wouldn’t be a Cat 5 by the time it hit Orlando. The point is to hit at the point to cause maximum property damage. Property damage that will have to be covered by our “insurance” company, Citizens. We are essentially self-insured and thanks to people like Rubio have nowhere near the reserves or income to cover it. > > I have to agree with BG, no Cat 5 for Tampa Bay just to prove how much Republicans screwed up the state, thank you. Couldnt we just get a satellite to hit the stage on the night of the debate so we can start over again? Hmmm . . . Well, I’m sure we have some talented hackers on the Dope, and [REMAINDER OF POST DELETED BY ORDER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY] ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-senate-election/541721/95 "2010-10-08T17:30:05Z")
From the Wall Street Journal: > [@](#): > > TAMPA – Republican leaders in the Sunshine State are fretting that a deal may be in the works to get Democratic nominee Kendrick Meek out of the Florida Senate race in order to boost Charlie Crist’s flagging chances of beating Republican Marco Rubio. > […] > Mr. Crist has also refused to say which party he would caucus with if he wins. His latest nonanswer: “I will caucus with the people.” But Mr. Crist has met privately with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, adding to GOP paranoia that Democrats may be getting ready to throw the sure loser Mr. Meek over the side. One Republican Party leader tells me he wouldn’t be surprised to hear suddenly that “Meek was offered an ambassadorship from Barack Obama.” In late September, under pressure from black leaders in Florida, Vice President Biden was sent to stump for the four-term House member, but local Democrats have long doubted the depth of the White House’s commitment to the party’s candidate. Well, no real question of who he’d caucus with under those circumstances. Wonder if there’s any validity to the rumors and speculation. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-senate-election/541721/96 "2010-10-08T17:41:12Z")
Crist has to be realizing that there’s no room for him in the new-look Republican Party. Hell, the primary should have told him all he needed to know. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-senate-election/541721/97 "2010-10-08T18:02:15Z")
Has any Senate candidate ever been elected without first declaring which party they’d caucus with? All the independent candidates I can remember (Liebermann, Sanders, etc) made it pretty clear (in Liebermann’s case, a specific promise) which side of the aisle they’d be on. I can think of candidates that changed their minds once elected (Jeffords), but has anyone run a successful campaign while saying they’d figure out which party they’d be aligned with once they got there? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-senate-election/541721/98 "2010-10-08T18:15:41Z")
Harry Byrd, Jr. left the Democratic Party in 1970, and was reelected as an independent. I cannot find any record of him announcing which side he would caucus with. In any event, he remained a Democrat in all but name. ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2010, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-senate-election/541721/99 "2010-10-09T19:17:44Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Wonder if there’s any validity to the rumors and speculation. Meek has, of course, [denied it.](http://www.wpbf.com/news/25335771/detail.html) We’ll see how the numbers look in another two weeks, though. ---
**Author:** ![NetTrekker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nettrekker/32/2909_2.png) [@NetTrekker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NetTrekker)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2010, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-senate-election/541721/100 "2010-10-10T01:19:41Z")
> [@NetTrekker](#): > > I wouldn’t vote for any of them due to ideological differences, but I have to admit that Rubio is an impressive person, to be head of the Fla. legislature in his 30’s and now leading the senate race. Now Rubio, 39, leads the race for U.S. Senate and is the face of a national conservative revival. Admirers once predicted — and Rubio planned — he would be governor. Now, they gush, he could be president. Rubio is a political jock: popular, good-looking, charismatic. His campaign speech about fulfilling the American dream for his Cuban exile parents is so steeped with emotion and pride, it brings audiences to tears. [http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/elections/article1127114.ece](http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/elections/article1127114.ece) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-senate-election/541721.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-florida-senate-election/541721.md?page=6)