I’m sure when the GOP party bosses were setting the rules for Florida’s presidential primary, they thought that since Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush were running, one of them would get the most votes.
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There’s fresh evidence here of the unthinkable: Florida’s biggest Republican stars, former governor Jeb Bush and Sen. “And Florida being a winner-take-all state probably meant that most of the candidates wouldn’t feel even a need to invest a lot and campaign in Florida … if they couldn’t poll well and couldn’t beat the native sons”. Campaigning here requires millions of dollars and an ability to woo a broad cross-section of the Republican Party – seniors in large retirement communities, active and retired military service members in the northeast, suburban families in Central Florida and Cuban Americans in Miami.
The famously on-message Rubio mixed a few state-specific notes into his speech to the Republicans at the event.
“Florida is definitely in play, and the winner-take-all aspect of it makes it that much more attractive”, said Brian Ballard, a longtime state GOP operative who recently switched allegiances from Bush to Rubio.
“It reminds us that there are those out there who have a thirst for innocent blood”, said Carson, the last of seven presidential candidates to speak Friday at a two-day presidential summit. “If someone who’s not a Floridian wins Florida, it’ll be a big delegate boost and a very big statement”.
Florida Republican strategist Brian Hughes, a contributor to Bush but not affiliated with any presidential campaign, said he understands the outsider appeal of Trump and Carson, but doesn’t believe either can win the nomination.
Cruz noted the similarities between Texas and Florida, noting they’re Southern states where many immigrants live and they’re low-tax states where the economy is growing. The way Carson has responded to questions about his biography and Trump’s recent Iowa rant about Carson’s past show “the fatigue of somebody that’s not ready for what it takes to get the job done”, Hughes said. “I believe that’s the kind of record to take on Hillary Clinton”.
And despite the current state of the race, Bush and Rubio could still prove to be formidable opponents here.
Chris Temple, a 46-year-old Florida truck driver and lifelong Republican, said he’s narrowed the choice to Trump or Bush. That continues to be my hope. You have to inspire people to be better, not to be mad or angry. Activists on both sides hammered him for adopting positions they felt were too close to the other, a situation that shows signs of getting even worse. “And if our party’s unable to do that through our eventual leadership, then our party’s going to face a few long-term consequences”, Cardenas said.
“I think it’s very fluid”, said former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee Friday at the state party’s Sunshine Summit.
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Well, guess what! Donald Trump is leading in Florida by a wide margin.
