So, let’s sum up the White House’s thinking on how to salvage the Florida Senate race, five days before the election. They had a choice between:
- The guy who is a former state trooper, former state Democratic legislator, four-term Democratic Congressman, and the duly-chosen Democratic nominee for FL-SEN black; and
- The guy who is a long-term Republican legislator and current governor of Florida who has shamelessly switched positions on every single ideological and/or political stance that might get him more votes white.
Which one do you think that they picked?
That’s right, they went with the white dude: they sent former President Clinton to try to get Kendrick Meek to drop out of the race, and apparently almost succeeded. Sure, the White House is claiming to not know anything about any of this – but then, they would. Alas, that argument doesn’t pass the smell test. The message was sent using Bill Clinton – and Clinton’s own people are confirming, on the record, that he was actively working to get Meek to drop – and that just doesn’t happen unless it’s cleared at the top. The very top*.
It’s backfired, of course: Kendrick Meek is insisting that he’s staying in, and, well, it’s the weekend before the election. This had every hallmark of being a desperation play cobbled together from a previous desperation play; I know that it’s conventional wisdom that Crist would be sure to beat Marco Rubio if only it weren’t for that meddlesome African-American, but… well. Crist is just an awful candidate, and Rubio is not.
Moe Lane (crosspost)
*You know, Charlie Crist looks a lot like a beaten dog, here. BUT NOT ONE THAT HAS BEEN BEATEN ENOUGH.
Jeff Emanuel
So When Do Meek & Juan Williams Realize
saintgeorgegentile Friday, October 29th at 12:05AM EDT (link)that they’ll have a much brighter future playing for the other team. If Brett Favre can play for some team other than the Packers and make tons of money, so can Meeks & Williams.
Freedom is the glue of capitalism, that amoral wisdom of the markets that most efficiently allots goods and services to a citizenry.
-Victor Davis Hanson
I just don't understand how anyone can take Crist...
zipbags Friday, October 29th at 12:07AM EDT (link)seriously. The guy has done a COMPLETE 180 on almost every position. And its not like it was a change of ideals over the past few years…His positions changed within a few days.
I was watching Crist on Greta tonight…Everytime he mentioned Rubio’s name it was always attached to extremist. He had(s) the same positions as Rubio.
First, look for Crist to under perform on election day
JSobieski (Diary) Friday, October 29th at 12:11AM EDT (link)Second, 10-15% of the electorate vassilates just as much. Think of how many people who voted for Reagan in 1984 and Bush in 2004 voted for Clinton in 1992 and Obama in 2008.
The thing with Crist is that he has changed so much in a short time period, I predict that many Fl democrats will come home and Crist will finish third
Did you know that China has been losing manufacturing jobs since 1995? For the specific data, see Table 1 in the following link: http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2005/07/art2full.pdf
White House up to its ears in this ....
HadaAbeche Friday, October 29th at 12:20AM EDT (link)John Batchelor reporting tonight on WABC that the Obama White House was also involved in trying to pressure Meeks to drop out and endorse Crist.
All part of the Clinton revenge tour
JSobieski (Diary) Friday, October 29th at 12:21AM EDT (link)Make no mistake about it Clinton, didn’t want Meek to step aside, He wanted this story to get out.
Did you know that China has been losing manufacturing jobs since 1995? For the specific data, see Table 1 in the following link: http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2005/07/art2full.pdf
Clinton probably...
clintonformccain Friday, October 29th at 1:01AM EDT (link)talked Meeks out of throwing in the towel.
Bad week for Alex Sink, eh?
Adjoran (Diary) Friday, October 29th at 12:44AM EDT (link)In a statistically tied race for Governor, she gets owned in a debate, caught and outed violating the rules on air, then later caught lying about it again to CNN, now this story will depress the black vote – and probably the Democratic turnout generally, as they recoil in disgust and depression – she must have to stand a chance.
Meek gets a slight sympathy bounce from Democrats who were voting for Crist, and some Republicans come home in revulsion when they finally accept Crist would have sold them out in a heartbeat, and Rubio wins with a clear majority.
Obama continues his downward spiral into insanity and irrelevance.
I disagree
distantvoter (Diary) Friday, October 29th at 4:07AM EDT (link)This will increase black turnout in support of Meek, not decrease it.
I Don't Buy It
IJB Friday, October 29th at 9:45PM EDT (link)All it will do is switch votes from Crist to Meek. It will not motivate “new” voters…
Pensacola publisher of Independent Week confirms White House involved
katesmith (Diary) Friday, October 29th at 12:49AM EDT (link)I heard same report on John Batchelor show referenced by Hada. Publisher of Independent Week in Pensacola was JB’s phone guest, Rick Outzen. Confirmed White House pressed Meek. Meek does not want to quit, and his wife is especially urging him not to quit, they said it would also be bad for Alex Cink, and it’s just a bad idea. Re Crist Obama connection, they said it bloomed when McCain did not ask Crist to be his running mate, in a show of spite Crist extended early voting hours to more than they already were, and this is perceived to have given Obama the victory in Florida.
The Okie Doke
clintonformccain Friday, October 29th at 12:59AM EDT (link)I do believe that Øbama tried to bamboozle the brother. Hoodwink him. Give him the ol’ Okie Doke. Ya’ll know about the Okie Doke, right?
JIM CROWED
Rod_Patrick (Diary) Friday, October 29th at 2:10AM EDT (link)No Pressure, Slick Willy?
On stage:
Obama “hypocritically standing with him at the pulpit and supporting him”?
Slick Willie hypocritically did the same?
At the backstage:
WH and Slick Willie talking him to quit in favor of the Orange Man?
How would a D candidate feel if he’s being convinced by a former President to quit the race as per instruction by the WH?
Nope: The Democratic Party of KKK has just jim-crowed Kendrick Meek!
Why does the story come out?
distantvoter (Diary) Friday, October 29th at 4:06AM EDT (link)These guys aren’t stupid. Why did they leak the story?
It’s too late to stop Rubio. Too many people have already voted for Meek, even if they throw him under the bus now. Rubio will win.
This is a high stakes gamble to try and elect Sink. What is the black community going to do?
They are pressuring the black candidate to drop out — what will blacks do? Why, suddenly become very, very motivated to get out there and vote for him. This is going to motivate the black base like nothing else could.
Now, a lot of those people will be very angry at the Democrats, but they are still going to go vote. And most of them will still vote for Sink. And watch as Alex Sink and congressional candidates, one after another, will very vocally say that they stand behind Meek and want all Democrats to vote for him.
This is ALL about cranking up black turnout. And blacks will be mad at Clinton, but so what? They’ll still vote, and Obama will be the one to get them out to vote in the next election.
This WASN’T an accidental leak, and it is too late to help Crist or Meek, either one. So it has to be for other reasons. Never assume the other guy is stupid.
Will it motivate the black base?
Locke (Diary) Friday, October 29th at 8:16PM EDT (link)Maybe it will suppress turnout by making more blacks aware the Meek has no chance, or by creating anger at the Democrats.
You are surely right that this doesn't make sense as a
Locke (Diary) Friday, October 29th at 8:24PM EDT (link)move to elect Crist and wasn’t just stupidity. But maybe Clinton has motives not entirely in sync with Obama’s.