by F. Grey Parker
An open letter to Kendrick Meek,
All you have to do is bow out. Throw your support to Charlie Crist as the next senator from the great state of Florida. There is every reason to do so. The only arguments against it are partisan, petty and perhaps personal.
With you in the race, Marco Rubio will almost certainly win. If Crist were to drop out, you still can't win. Consider the impact of Rubio representing your core constituents. Really, think about it. The supporters that are doggedly behind you and your philosophies are the ones who will be least listened to and most threatened by this slick and smarmy star of the new Know-Nothings; The Tea Party.
Picture a U.S. Senate with Marco Rubio. Make an objective analysis of Rubio's judgement, his affiliations and his rhetoric.
Now consider the grim truth; Only by ending your bid to defeat him, might he be defeated.
There will be short term blow-back within the establishment of the Florida democratic party. There will be some grass-roots disenchantment. This is where you can demonstrate true magnanimity. Make a simple announcement that you do it for the people. It is a declaration you would be making truthfully . Eventually, even the very disappointed will come to see the move as smart and pragmatic. It would be.
Taking such an action would grant you a level of political capital that you can't possibly achieve as a junior senator. Think what you can accomplish with that capital.
Or you can do the obvious. The expected. The ordinary. You can choose not to exit the race for a greater good. And, if you choose not to do so, you can start shopping for Mr. Rubio's greeting card. You know, the one you can send on November 3rd that says, "You're Welcome."
As a Tampa Bay Democrat,
ReplyDeleteI wholehearted agree with your letter to Meek.
He never stood a chance with winning over the crucial Independents in our state which are necessary for any statewide win. Meek just never had the resume, the charisma and never put much effort into getting known around the state.
Meek needs to step aside now and to fully endorse Crist as it's our only method to keep the Jeb Bush's puppet Rubio away from D.C.
I hope he and his close supporters are smart enough to look at what's best for Floridians and for our nation instead of continuing his vanity run in a badly trailing 3rd place position.
Meek has also, been infuriating many Democrats and Independents with his trashing Crist instead of the dangerous Rubio over the last 6 weeks.
He hasn't seemed to understand the reality of the fact that he can't win and that many Democrats and Independents like what Crist has done with the corrupt GOP legislature in Tallahassee.