My strongest impression after meeting Kendrick Meek in person is "This guy really is FEARLESS."
The feeling was driven home by his response to a question I asked him as he was walking out of the Meet and Greet we (along with scores of other people) had been at for the last hour. For some reason he was alone as he left so I jumped at the opportunity to have his attention for 15 seconds.
"Do you think other people will get into the race?" I asked. I was wondering about the Democratic side and hoping for some names he might mention. But Rep. Meek is a seasoned politician and isn’t inclined to just chat with folks he doesn’t know (at least not at low end events like this). His response was more expansive and less explicit then I had hoped.
"Oh yes, when the prize is an open US Senate seat you can be sure that everyone will be coming in, from the lowest local dignitary up to the most powerful people in the state." He said this with a smile, seemingly relishing that last phrase.
As he walked out the door, ever the polished pro, he looked back at me and pointed, "Hey, let’s stay in touch."
Okay.
As his aide, Alexander Lewy, (pronounced "Levy", that’s the German portion of this multi-ethnic heritage), quickly packed up his bag and followed out the door on the way to a $250 minimum per guest fundraiser at the Mayor’s house, I thought about Rep. Meek’s comment.
I couldn’t help but think his remark referred to a couple of very specific names. The recently announced former Mayor of North Miami Beach, would probably qualify as a lowly local dignitary and, of course, Gov. Charlie Crist would be the other end of the spectrum.
Jeremy Wallace of HeraldTribune.com, posted a piece Sunday claiming that signs were pointing to Crist announcing that he would run for the US Senate seat after the legislative session is over:
On Friday, when the Manatee County Republican Party holds its annual Lincoln Day Dinner, neither Crist nor state party chairman Jim Greer, a key Crist ally, will attend. Both will be in Washington for a fundraiser -- Crist's fourth visit to Washington this year.
"His actions speak louder than his words," said Chris Ingram, a Republican political consultant.
To me, it still seems like it would be political suicide for Gov. Crist to want to run for the US Senate. It’s one thing to embrace President Obama when you’re a governor of a large state that just voted for him and quite another to do so as a US Senator from that state. But maybe I’m missing something here. So, like everyone else, I’m waiting to see what Crist does.
But Kendrick? Hey, he could care less who he’s running against.
The man has the fire in the belly that you need to sustain a near two year campaign. Like his mentor and friend, former President Bill Clinton, he seems to thrive on the contact with supporters. For him, the Meet and Greet was an opportunity to see old friends from school and work and to get a feel for what the future might hold in his bid for the US Senate.
During the short speech he gave, the most effective sound bite was a Democratic talking point about the stimulus package. It went something like this:
During the Iraq War, when the Republicans were in power, they voted for deficit spending over and above what was needed just to support the troops. That tax payer money went to lobbyist contractor friends who were building roads, schools, power plants, you name it, IN IRAQ.
Yet when the time comes to spend money for rebuilding AMERICA’S infrastructure and creating jobs for AMERICANS, and not just making money for their lobbyist buddies, what do the Republicans do? All of a sudden they turn into fiscal conservatives and worry about mortgaging our grandkids future.
This is why their "just say no" nonsense is being rejected by the people of this country.
Hey, it sounded good to me. But this is the type of rhetoric needed in the general election. The first step to the US Senate for anyone in 2010 is winning their party’s primary. Now, for Charlie Crist, it’s a gimme if he decides to go for it.
But, can Rep. Meek win the Democratic primary? In the past I’ve brazenly asserted that he already had it wrapped up. But that hyperbole was just me having fun until the grownups arrived. Now it’s time to get serious.
In my next piece I’ll take a more reasoned look at what would have to happen for Rep. Meek to win.
That's me on the left. On the right is Dave Simison. He was our Obama neighborhood canvassing captain.
My Facebook album on the Meet and Greet.