Rick Scott is an underdog to win a second term next year, but this week he was given a big political gift as the likes of Jesse Jackson have come out of the woodwork to trash Florida.
Polls show most Floridians want to keep the Stand Your Ground law. More Floridians support a jurys decision to find George Zimmerman not guilty in the death of Trayvon Martin. They certainly dont think Florida is like the segregated South or South Africa when it was an apartheid state. But thats exactly what Jackson compared Florida to on Tuesday when he was in Tallahassee visiting protesters who remain in the Capitol.
Floridians simply arent buying the Sunshine State as a modern Selma, or that Scott is the second coming of George Wallace. They may not like Scott, but they dont think he is an arch-segregationist.
Based on their actions Wednesday, Scott and the Republicans know this. Scott demanded Jackson apologize to Florida for his comments. Lenny Curry of the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) went even further, reminding voters that Jackson called New York Hymietown when he ran for president and made other anti-Jewish remarks.
Scott and the RPOF want a fight against Jackson. The governor can score points with independents, moderate Democrats and Jewish voters who are uncomfortable with the many controversies Jackson has engaged in during his many years in politics. Getting into a public spat with Jackson could pay dividends for Scott in the long run.
Scott is also taking advantage of Democrats, including those who could be his main rivals in 2014, being nowhere to be seen on the issue. Bill Nelson said this was a state issue and not a federal one and he didnt want to tell Tallahassee what to do. Charlie Crist and Alex Sink are seeing which way the wind blows. Nan Rich is the only candidate running against Scott so far and is calling for Stand Your Grounds repeal. But Rich voted for it when she was in the Florida Senate and is going nowhere in the race.
Since Democrats are avoiding the issue, Scott can fill the vacuum. As long as Jesse Jackson is the face of opposition to Stand Your Ground, Scott and Republicans can win applause and possibly votes by firing back and defending Florida.
Still, Democrats could profit from this if they play their cards right and follow the example of the most skillful politician their party has produced in recent decades. Bill Clinton did exactly that when he slammed rapper Sister Souljah, who had asked why black people don't spend a week killing white people -- but went on to speak to Jackson's Rainbow Coalition. It helped reassure moderates that Clinton was one of them and helped him win the 1992 presidential election.
Tallahassee political writer Jeff Henderson wrote this analysis exclusively for Sunshine State News.
