A New York Times magazine piece on President Barack Obama offered an interesting look at the thinking going on in the White House.
The story by Peter Baker revealed that, while they are concerned about the 2010 elections, Obamas advisers believe they have an excellent chance at winning a second term in 2012 as the Republicans will be forced too far to the right to win. They do not think former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will run in 2012 and that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will stumble due to his support of public health care in the past. Who do they think will be the Republican candidate taking on Obama in 2012? More than a few of Obamas staffers think it will be former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Huckabee, who moved to Florida earlier in the year, ran for the Republican nomination in 2008 ... While the buzz around Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal as a national candidate has quieted down somewhat after his Republican response to Obamas State of the Union address in 2009, he remains active in Florida politics. Jindal was in Florida last month to campaign for Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott. He was back in the Sunshine State this week to attend a rally with former House Speaker Marco Rubio, the Republican nominee in the U.S. Senate contest Jindal is not the only prominent Republican leader hitting the stump for Rubio this week. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, whose presidential bid ended after his mediocre showing in Florida in 2008, will be appearing with Rubio in Sarasota Saturday
Attorney General Bill McCollum now claims he is leaning toward backing Scott, but is yet to endorse him. Scott defeated McCollum in a heated and divisive Republican primary Democratic gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink won the backing of Florida music legend Jimmy Buffet. Buffet appeared at a Sink event Sunday More than 40 leaders in South Floridas Jewish community founded the Committee for Floridas Education to focus on school-choice issues. Rabbi Moshe Lehrfield from the group slammed Sink and the Democratic candidates for not backing school choice in an essay Former Miami Mayor Manny Diaz continues the fight to push redistricting measures backed by FairDistricts Florida. Diaz will be attending a media event on Friday with an out-of-state backer of the measures -- New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Bloomberg, who originally was elected as a Republican back in 2001, is now an independent
Finding himself ignored by Democratic U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, her Republican opponent Mike Prendergast has launched a new website trying to bring attention to the matter -- and force her to confront his candidacy Republican congressional candidate Mike Yost took to the airwaves in his underdog bid to knock off Democratic U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown. In his first commercial, Yost rapped Brown for being a Washington insider who backed expensive projects outside her district. The ad also slams Brown on unemployment -- noting the rate is 18 percent in the Third District Consumer privacy advocate Katherine Albrecht endorsed Constitution Party candidate Bernie De Castro in the U.S. Senate race
Rep. Jennifer Carroll of Jacksonville, Scotts pick for lieutenant governor, continues to play a prominent part in Republican efforts. Carroll campaigned in Port St. Lucie on Tuesday, speaking to a Republican group that night Lagging behind the rest of the field in fund-raising, City Councilman Kevin Hyde pulled out of the Jacksonville mayoral race last week. Hyde, who served a stint as president of the council, has not endorsed any of the other candidates yet While Victoria Huggins may have lost her bid to become mayor of Port St. Lucie, she has launched a complaint with the state elections commission, accusing rival candidate JoAnn Faiella of not being compliant with campaign finance laws.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com, or at (850) 727-0859 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting(850) 727-0859end_of_the_skype_highlighting.
