Will Meek capitalize on Crist’s new status?
OPINION - Being black and Baptist in a state that is largely elderly, white and Jewish or middle-aged, Cuban and Catholic makes his attempts to be 'representative' futile...
Florida Governor Charlie Crist has announced his intention to leave the Republican senate primary and run the remainder of his campaign as an Independent. This move reflects the suffocating effects of partisan politics in the age of Obama.
The loud voices of the Tea Partiers – the fringe, yet powerfully conservative base of the Republican party – are leaving their mark by forcing moderates either to move further to the right-of-center, or leave the party altogether. Crist’s fate will teach invaluable lessons and set the stage for a political fight in the November 2010 elections. Will other moderate republicans make similar choices? And what ultimately does this mean for the Democratic candidates like Rep. Kendrick Meek of Florida? It seems Meek has an opportunity to use these developments to his advantage by solidifying the democratic vote in Florida.
However, political pundits claim that his ethnicity will hurt him. Being black and Baptist in a state that is largely elderly, white and Jewish or middle-aged, Cuban and Catholic makes his attempts to be “representative” futile. Either way, the final lesson here may be that there is very little room for independent thinking in the Republican Party.
WATCH CHRIS MATTHEWS INTERVIEW REP. MEEK ON MSNBC’S ‘HARDBALL’ HERE
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Charlie Crist has been fighting for his political life ever since the “hug” seen ‘round the world. At a rally with President Obama the governor introduced the President of the United States, shaking his hand and placing his arm around his back. The “man-hug” normally seen in sports bars across the country, became a symbol of bipartisanship which in the age of the “Tea Party” is no longer acceptable. Charlie Crist supported President Obama’s economic stimulus package and is now paying the price. Crist also vetoed a republican-supported education bill in his home state, which has put him at odds with the conservative agenda, and made him seem, literally, too independent minded.
The party of “no” and “hell no” has become a place where being in fervent opposition to all things Obama, is the only acceptable option. And it’s not only in Florida that this trend is evident. Senator John McCain is facing an equally distressing campaign in his home state of Arizona. He is being challenged by the extremely conservative radio personality JD Hayworth, who has fuelled the base with his leaning toward the birther movement: people who literally challenge President Obama’s legitimacy by questioning whether he was in fact born in the United States. McCain has responded by trying to appeal to the Tea-Partiers, bringing their favorite celebutante Sarah Palin to the pitch to convince voters that he is one of them. This reflects the desperation that many moderate republicans are feeling. Can they win without the far-right and Fox News endorsements?
Marco Rubio, the young conservative candidate of Cuban descent, is quintessentially appealing because he totes the party line. He mirrors the traditional, white-Latino, Catholic contingent who have held a powerful voice in Florida politics since their exile by Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. Though he may be of Latin descent, he remains culturally aligned to white, republican values and ideology, which is evidenced by the support he receives from the Tea Partiers. This is further conveyed by the stunning endorsement he received from former Vice President Dick Cheney.
But what does this all mean for the Democratic agenda? Based on Florida statistics, after the 2008 Presidential election, there were 4.7 million registered Democrats in the state of Florida, 4.0 million Republicans and 2.1 million Independents. This means that Kendrick Meek, the young African-American Florida congressmen, has a chance of winning the US Senate seat if he can simply solidify the democratic base and get them to the polls. Why his ethnicity should be a negative factor in the election seems to be a talking point by conservative pundits to create sentiment which is not there. Meek has strong Floridian heritage and roots, which should make him equally appealing to voters as Marco Rubio.
The politics of race have become subtle in the Tea Party climate: always suggesting an “us” versus “them” mentality that seeks to undermine our democratic values, and appeals to the least common denominator in the republican party. Meek has a challenge, as does Crist, to rise above the rhetoric and chart a course which is reflective of the citizenry – who actually want politicians to get something done in Washington; representing the voice of hard-working Americans. Meek and Crist have a challenge to silence the fringe who with their signs, accusations and constant media coverage, have yet to offer any real policy initiative worthy of our attention.
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