Florida Representative Kendrick Meek, seeking a win in today's Democratic primary in Florida for the Senate seat vacated by Mel Martinez. If successful against billionaire Jeff Greene, he will face Charlie Crist and Marco Rubio in a three-way race in November. (AP photo/Brendan Farrington)
Depending on whose poll you consult in recent days, Florida congressman Kendrick Meek has either been up or down ten points against Palm Beach billionaire Jeff Greene in the Democratic race for Florida senate.
With thousands of Floridians going to the polls in the Democratic primary race today, those ten points can turn out to be crucial, not only to Meek, but to Charlie Crist.
The formerly Republican Florida governor filed to run as an Independent in the race for the open Senate seat, creating a three-way challenge between Crist, presumptive Republican candidate Marco Rubio and the successful Democrat from today's primary. Pundits argue that a Meek win today bodes better for the Democrats and worse for Crist in the upcoming general election.
Crist has been essentially campaigning as a Democrat and has hinted he will caucus with the Democrats if he successfully wins the Senate seat. Recently he clarified that to say he'll caucus with the party that has majority. A Meek win would signal that Crist has not successfully taken enough needed votes away from the Democratic Meek base to be victorious in a three-way in the fall.
President Obama, criticized for not campaigning more actively for Meek in Florida, dropped into the Sunshine State earlier this week to share a sandwich with the candidate on South Beach.
The latest Quinnipiac poll August 21-22 had Meek up 39 to 29 points against Greene (3.6 point margin of error), with 28 per cent undecided. Quinnipiac has Crist on top in the general with 39 points to Rubio's 32 and Meek's 19 if Meek is successful; if Greene wins the primary, those numbers adjust to 40 for Crist and 15 for Greene. Rasmussen has Rubio up 38 to 33 for Crist and 21 for Meek if Meek is successful today; if Greene is successful, those numbers flip to 38 for Crist, 37 for Rubio and 20 for Greene.
With both polls showing Meek and Greene losing in a three-way race against Crist and Rubio, the person who has the most to gain by the outcome of the Democratic primary today appears to be Charlie Crist, who would like Meek's black and Hispanic voter base in order to topple Rubio in November.
Meek publicly declared in the past he would rather go up against Rubio than Crist in a primary election. Now, if he's successful today, he'll have an uphill challenge against both.
After Meek was declared the presumptive winner of the Democratic primary tonight, he tweeted the following:
KendrickMeek
- about 1 hour ago via ÜberTwitter
- We did it! Thank you Florida!about 1 hour ago via HootSuiteRetweeted by you and 60 others
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Comments
Lois from Key West
Lea, I like how it was expressed on CNN. Maybe Jeff Greene fits a demographic, but it's a pretty small one.
As to the Gubanatorial race, I considered McCullum the lesser of two evils ... but less by a mile. I am not a big Alex Sink fan either ... lacks the depth ... but she now has my vote. To me, electign Scott would br like electing the love child of Hitler and Al Capone.
Good assessments, Kathy, and good reporting for the
non-FL-ridean who can't see this live and in color. {{{R}}}
In other words, our(REAL Americans) guys don't win against the ones "they" own.