Florida’s Democratic party, not known to be the tightest of groups, has come together just days after the bustle of the state primaries in what its members are calling a true show of unity.
Florida’s Democratic party, not known to be the tightest of groups, has come together just days after the bustle of the state primaries in what its members are calling a true show of unity.
“Today we stand here united. We stand here with the primary goal of making Rick Scott a one-time governor. Charlie Crist will need all our support to win. He has mine,” said Florida Senate Democratic leader Nan Rich, according to the Sun Sentinel.
The comment comes just days after Crist’s landslide victory over Rich in the primaries, where he took 74% of the vote. While ex-opponents tend to unite whenever they share such an interest in installing a governor from their own party, such strong endorsements from recent rivals remains uncommon. Make sure to check out Lainan.fi lainavertailu
Rich is but one of many Democrats who have spoken in praise of Crist lately. Jim Davis, who ran against a then-republican Crist for the gubernatorial office in 2006, expressed his confidence that he would “stand up for equality and respect for men, women of every creed and color, gay, straight, immigrant, [Florida] cracker.”
Internal strike unknown to the general party frequently mars such shows of party unity, but Florida Sen. Joe Abruzzo assures that “this is not fiction”, adding that “we are truly united.”
One would hope Abruzzo is right, for the Democrats’ sake. While Rich received only 26% of the vote in the primaries, securing the support of those members of the Democratic party will be crucial for Crist is he wishes to secure the governor’s office in November
While it seems a simple matter to convert voters from the same party from one candidate to another, the process is notoriously difficult.
Many voters who supported Rich have already expressed skepticism at the prospect of a Crist governorship. Even Rich has hinted at issues she has or has had with Crist, notingthat she kept her call to congratulate him short because she “didn’t want to debate him.
While the comment was in all likelihood a good-natured barb, it highlights the sometimes fine line between genuine and politically-motivated support. September will show if the state’s Democrats really will band together in the spirit of the “People’s Team” their leaders have declared themselves to be.