McCain draws small Florida crowd on race’s final day; Governor Crist bolts

[DeepModem Mom]

Source: CNN

TAMPA, Florida (CNN) – Barack Obama may lead John McCain by just 2 points in the latest CNN Florida poll of polls, but the enthusiasm gap appears a bit wider.

John McCain’s first rally of the day, in Tampa outside Raymond James Stadium, only drew about 1,100 people. Local reporters noting that at almost the same spot just before the 2004 election, President Bush drew about 15,000 people. Two weeks ago, Obama drew an estimated 8,000.

Republican Gov. Crist, who had previously agreed to do interviews with CNN and various local affiliates, bolted right after the rally with no explanation.

Read more: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/11/03/mccain-... /

[bullwinkle428]

1. Are the rats swimming away from the sinking ship or what?

[Lochloosa]

18. Not a good idea in Florida

[madmax]

24. Our guy looks great in a cowboy hat!! n/t

[WI_DEM]

2. I think most republicans if they even bother to vote will do it with decided apathy

[barbtries]

16. i'm hoping a lot of them will get into the booth

and say, fuck it! and vote for the right candidate: barack obama. it's looking so bad for mccain and a lot of people just want to be on the winning side...when i was 17 and not yet old enough to vote, i waited in the car while my friend sandy went in to vote. she had a mcgovern sticker on her bumper. when she came back to the car, she said, "i voted for nixon. i was talking to tom last night and he said mcgovern has no chance of winning."

i looked at her horrified. it was all i could do, i was only 17.

[DCKit]

36. Basic Psychology: People want to be associated with the winner...

Even if it's only to claim they voted for the "right" candidate - Exactly what Sandy (and millions of others) did in '68. Fortunately, this time it's OUR guys with the psychological edge.

Normally, I have nothing but disdain for sheeple, but if being weak-minded and subject to peer pressure is what it takes to get the President, VP and Congresscritters we need to begin fixing this mess, then let them vote for the "perceived" winner. They may choke on it, but, this time, it's in their own, best self-interest.

[barbtries]

37. that's my hope

ps - that was in 72. by then i knew beyond any doubt that nixon was a dick.

[MineralMan]

3. With Jeb Bush gone...

this election in Florida might just be fairly decided.

[DeepModem Mom]

10. An encouraging thought! Welcome to DU, MineralMan!

[sop]

25. The Republicans still rule here...

We have a banana republic voting process here...and it's a real crime. Early voting sites have been very limited (Miami-Dade county only has twenty) and the lines at the few early voting sites have been huge, as have been the delays to vote. Many of my friends told me they had to wait four, five and six hours in lines....in the rain or heat...and one hears many reports of even longer waits by voters all across South Florida. Want to guess where the most heavily Democratic counties are found in Florida?

Many working people cannot afford to remain in lines all day just to cast a vote and have effectively been discouraged from voting. Who needs rigged machines and hanging chads when you can force voters to stand in lines for hours on end till they just give up and go home? Crist was forced to increase the early voting hours, due to the public outrage over the delays, about half way through the early voting period to allow more voters to cast their ballots. Still, many people are staying away due to the horribly long lines. A number of people have told me they will try again to vote on Nov. 4th at their regular voting places, hoping the lines will be shorter. All of these delays were created by our Republican legislature, so even if Jeb Bush is gone his legacy still lingers.

[KSDiva]

29. yeah, crist doesn't seem like QUITE as big of an

asshole...lol

[DS1]

4. Yes, Bush drew people, but McCain draws friends

in the airplane bathroom

[Hawkeye-X]

12. Keep the cat poster on.

Not the Hutt! *mutter*

[Ian David]

5. I bet half those 1,100 peope were elementary school students he bussed-in. n/t

[hisownpetard]

8. Not to mention the school plumbers, too.

[Rambis]

6. You have to get far away from a sinking ship

or else it will take you down with it when it goes under.

[cobalt1999]

7. Crist has already earned the hate of the GOP

Extending voting hours, refusing to film ads for McCain, doing the absolute bare minimum to keep from being kicked out of the party.

[Virginia Dare]

14. You get the idea he doesn't have much use for McCain anymore..

it seems like he was led to believe he was a frontrunner for the V.P. nomination, he even entered into a fake engagement with some woman as a precursor to that, and McCain dropped him for Palin.

[paparush]

9. Crist flees -> McCain flees ->Bush/Cheney (repeat ad nauseum)

I FUCKING LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!

[remember2000forever]

11. Here In Fla We Don't Hate Crist,

He gave us some, at least a little, property tax relief, and he isn't a Repug zealot.

[Virginia Dare]

13. Perhaps he's trying to preserve that...

he's trying to stay ahead of the big blue tsunami coming.

[Lorien]

19. Not all of us are obsessed with tax cuts

I have very little money, am childless and I live in a home in a neighborhood which has become upscale, but property taxes are the least of my concern. We need decent school systems, we need to clean up the everglades, and we need adequate law enforcement. Those require tax dollars. Taxes CAN mean a better life for all of us:http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

That said, Crist is a vast improvement over Jeb. At least he gives the important issues a little lip service and doesn't exist solely to cut taxes for the wealthiest 1%.

[prostock69]

20. Ooooh! Love your kitties, especially the MaineCoon.

[bushmeister0]

26. He's a bit of an opportunist, isn'he?

I remember, when I lived down there, I used to hear him going on about getting the bible in schools and other right wing crap. When he became the education commisioner, I thought, all was lost.

If he keeps going this way, he'll be a Democrat before too long.

[bushmeister0]

27. Oopse, double post!

[LeftishBrit]

15. Bet McCain wishes that his brother was Governor of Florida!

[not fooled]

35. Yeah, and Joe McCrap

could get his own personal hotline to Fla 911, for those all-important traffic jam rants!

[riona]

17. The weather is absolutely beautiful - no excuse there

Isn't Joe pulling them in anymore?

[FlaGatorJD]

21. This is good news, since last week in Sarasota

just down the road, Obama drew about 13,000, with almost no notice.

[LibertyLover]

22. A good friend of mine lives in Florida

and is a Republican. Over the years (and we've known each other for 50 or so) we have tacitly agreed not to discuss partisan politics so as to preserve our friendship. It has worked fine for us, but I would love to have Florida go for Obama so that I could quietly snicker after the election, although not within her earshot.

[redirish28]

23. So will I bring us bad luck if I say: "Crist sees the writing on the wall"?

[KamaAina]

28. Even the Rays draw 12,000 for a home game!

regular season, that is -- and that's considered pathetic! Is there a word for "beyond pathetic"? "Doublepluspathetic"?!

[goforit]

30. OH NO!!!! ANOTHER election stolen by the right!!!! 3rd time would not be a charm!!

[flvegan]

31. You should've HEARD the local Fox news idiots yesterday

talking about how McCain was having a rally "at Raymond James Stadium" specifically making it sound like he was soooooo popular he'd pack in 80,000 folks. Idiots.

[Doctor_J]

32. Any chance Crist will change affiliation next week?

If he decides to be a (D), he can even come out of the closet.

[cobalt1999]

33. He's in the closet?

That's like Liberace coming out.

[DonCoquixote]

34. Crist is probably

going to run in 2012 for the GOP nom, seeing as how he would make a perfect contrast to the person he probably feels stole his VP slot, Ms. Palin. That being said, do not be fooled, yes, he is a nice GOP, and yes, some of our Democrats are odious, but you can never forget that when all is said and done, one party cracks the whip.

[picpan]

38. The Good Governer will make his name blaming the Neos and Palin

He'll say they went too far and be a leader in bringing the Repugs back to the center. He'll be the next big threat, maybe not 2012 though, 2016 for sure