It is your week in review. The final one before Tuesday’s election. We’ve got the effects of Hurricane Sandy on the election, early voting has finished, and a nasty ad mailer gets to voters. Here we go!
Florida Politics with Frank Torres and here we are just 48 hours out from the election. This is your last week in review, before Tuesday night, and man it has been an exciting ride, we’ve got a lot to cover, let’s get to it, unfortunately, the week started with Hurricane Sandy slamming into the northeast, my thoughts go out to all of those effected by the storm, it certainly had an effect on the Presidential campaigns, both campaigns stopping for a couple of days out of respect for those that were effected by that terrible disaster, the hot topic seems to be, how did it effect the Presidential campaigns? Did it slow Mitt Romney’s momentum heading into this week. He was closing the polls in some of the swing states, he is actually up in Florida 1 to 5 points, depending on what polls you look at, he has to win Florida, the math does not work without us. President Obama was up north surveying the disaster, did this paint Obama, did this frame Obama, as a leader America can turn to during a disaster, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie throwing some high praise at the President over how he’s handled that disaster, so that is the big question, will this have overall effects on the outcome.
Moving into some of our other races, Florida Congressional District 10. Congressman Dan Webster against former Orlando Police Chief Val Demings, the Bloomberg money bomb, New York Mayor Mike Blooberg donated 1.1 million dollars to after Dan Webster, no doubt that is a lot of money to air ads, Webster is up in polling by a few points but withing the margin of error, over Val Demings in that district, it is going to be a very close finish, an external factor effecting Florida Congressional Dsitrict 10.
Florida Congressional district 9 Todd Long vs. Alan Grayson, you know I got no love for Alan Grayson, his thing this week is that he’s had this race locked up for weeks, a very cocky, a very confident, a very arrogant, stance at looking at the race, the layout does favor him, leans Democrat, a heavy Hispanic population, so we’ll see how that works out. Todd Long is a good candidate, I urge you to take a look at him. Especially, in a partisan gridlock environment that we have in Washington right now. I’m not certain Alan Grayson is the answer.
Moving on to some of the other state House races. Florida District 30 Scott Plakon vs. Karen Castor Dentel, a very, very ugly turn of events heading into this weekend, with a mailer hitting mailboxes, linking Castor Dentel to convicted child molester Jerry Sandusky from Penn State. Jerry Sandusky the disgraced coach from Penn State. A convicted child molester on a mailer hitting mailboxes, indefensible was the word that Scott Plakon used, everybody has disavowed this thing. A terrible, terrible, mailer, I think it’s disgusting and a very sad statement on politics in Florida when you would try to make that connection, to the voters, so close to election day. that race is going to be very close, that is a team battle, Republicans want to help Plakon secure that seat, Democrats see it as a stepping stone to perhaps bigger things in Tallahassee. We’ll see how it all plays out.
Florida State House 49. Marco Pena vs. Joe Saunders, in a race that has received the title of the most important state house race in Florida. The battle for UCF, what a great region to represent in Tallhassee. I can certainly see where that billing comes from. Events in that race, Marco Pena rolling out an endorsement from Roberto Clemente Jr. that got decent pop in the media this week, we’re going to see where that race goes on Tuesday, once again both candidates are getting support from both of the parties, everybody is getting involved.
Florida State House District 47, Linda Stewart against Dr. Bob Brooks, there have been these rumors of poll numbers, giving Stewart a double digit edge, in this race in what is suppose to be a Republican leaning district, we’ll see how this works out but I haven’t seen the polling, any formal polling, it could be a very clever tactic, it’s certainly pushing the buzz, pushing the race in the direction of Linda, Stewart, it’s all about controlling the message, and controlling the conversation as far as the race goes, we’ll keep a close eye on that one.
Also, the big radio push this week. Comes in the Orange County Tax Collector’s race, Jim Huckeba trying to notify the voters, they are not voting for the late Earl K. Wood, tragically Earl K. Wood passed away late last month, Scott Randolph will be taking his place on the ballot, Jim Huckeba trying to get that message out that a vote for Earl K. Wood, is not a vote for Earl K. Wood. Huckeba hopes to merge the Tax Collector’s office with the County Comptroller’s office, should he be elected, in a move that would save tax payers hundreds of thousands of dollars, so an interesting turn of events in that race, these substitute candidates are all over the place. The Florida state House race between Eileen Game and Mike Lerosa, who took Mike Horner’s spot, so these substitute candidates really throw the voters off, We’ll see what the effects of those are on Tuesday.
But, here we are 48 hours away, we’ve got last minute stops by both campaigns, we’ve Paul Ryan tonight in Panama City, tomorrow the man himself Mitt Romney will be in Sanford, for a last minute drop in with Central Florida voters as the rest of the voters head to the polls on Tuesday, Michelle Obama will also be in town stumping for voters, so both campaigns heading into election night, the controversy over early voting, how much time should voters have to early vote has been a big topic, regardless of the outcome on Tuesday expect this one to come up again, there was a last minute extension granted from 1 to 5, you can go to certain precincts in the county to vote. Make sure to check before you head out. So, two days are left, we’re in the air, I know everyone we’ll be glued to their tv’s on Tuesday night to see how these races are played out. I’m Frank Torres and I’ll see you next time.
