Clinton Stumps for Meek in Tampa Bay

Strategic Insights -

Former President Bill Clinton made a high-profile campaign stop on Tuesday on behalf of U.S. Senate candidate Kendrick Meek, arguing that Democrats need more time in Washington to fix the problems created by Republicans. Clinton's speech was quintessential Clinton: long, detailed, and replete with statistics and humor. Meek is struggling to gain traction in the three-way Senate race, with Republican Marco Rubio and independent Gov. Charlie Crist drawing support from different quarters.

Key Takeaways:

  • Meek, a congressman from Miami, is stuck in third place in polls behind Rubio and Crist, a former Republican who left the GOP in the middle of a difficult primary fight.
  • Clinton argued that Democrats need more time to fix the problems created by Republicans, listing healthcare and student loan reforms as examples of successful policies.
  • Clinton also criticized Republican leaders, describing them as old college football coaches who were fired but now want to be rehired to call the same plays "on steroids this time."
  • Meek brought former President Clinton, former Vice President Al Gore, and current Vice President Joe Biden to Florida in recent weeks to aid his cause, but so far the effort has been ineffective.
  • Meek has a 0.6 percent chance of winning the Senate seat, according to poll cruncher Nate Silver, and has been forced to field questions about whether he should drop out and support Crist.

Statistics:

  • Meek has 22 percent support, according to a poll released this week by Suffolk University in Boston.
  • Rubio has 39 percent support, while Crist has 31 percent, according to the same poll.
  • Meek has a 0.6 percent chance of winning the Senate seat, according to poll cruncher Nate Silver.
  • Crist has a 6.7 percent chance of winning the Senate seat, according to Silver.
  • 85 percent of Republicans are behind Rubio,according to Meek.

Sources:

  • S. Aaron Sharockman, Times Staff Writer
  • Nate Silver, poll cruncher with the New York Times and FiveThirtyEight.com
  • David Paleologos, director of the Political Research Center at Suffolk University