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Brent Batten: Biden fans the flames in SW Florida
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When the political scientists write the history of the 2008 election they’ll look at the week of Oct. 7 as the point at which the heat was turned up.
And Southwest Florida, where crowds endured broiling waits to take part, will fit right into the story.
Democratic senator and vice presidential nominee Joe Biden rolled into town Wednesday hot on the high heels of Republican nominee Sarah Palin.
Like Palin, Biden took a decidedly more adversarial tone than had prevailed prior to the onset of the week that saw the nation’s economy wallow in uncertainty and the second debate of the party principals.
The crowd at 4,500-seat Alico Arena to hear Biden speak was not as large as the one that turned out to hear Palin at the 8,500-seat Germain Arena just down the road.
But what they lacked in size they made up for enthusiasm.
“Welcome to what very well may be the largest political rally ever for a Democrat in Lee County,” state Sen. Dave Aronberg said to thunderous applause as the rally began about 5:45 p.m.
In a wide-ranging, 30-minute speech covering his party’s plans for economic recovery, providing affordable health care and ending the war in Iraq, Biden managed to work in a series of digs at Palin and Republican presidential nominee John McCain. McCain, Biden said, is, “An angry man lurching from one position to another.” Palin, an unworthy opponent. “Last week I had a debate. At least I think it was a debate,” he said, eliciting laughter.
Biden couched much of his harshest criticism as a response to the attacks launched by McCain and Palin at the beginning of the week.
“You know they’re going to take the low road to the highest office in the land,” he said.
He continued the theme of linking McCain to President George W. Bush, a strategy in use since the party’s national convention in August. “When you vote with George Bush 90 percent of the time, your best hope is to attack your opponent 100 percent of the time,” Biden said, adding, “You can’t call yourself a maverick if all you’ve ever been is a sidekick.”
As recently as 2004, there was little hope that a part of the Democratic ticket would bother to make a campaign stop in Southwest Florida.
The best Chuck Mohlke, a member of the Democratic National Committee and resident of Naples could hope for was to bring a surrogate, a candidate’s wife or brother, to the region.
What a difference four years makes.
“Southwest Florida is very much in play,” Aronberg pronounced, again to a loud ovation.
Mohlke said several factors contributed to the new level of attention paid to Lee and Collier counties by Democrats. First, Florida is very much in play, he said, noting the polls put the Barack Obama-Joe Biden ticket within a few percentage points of the Republicans in the state.
Also, there’s been an explosion of Democratic voter registration in the region since 2000, Mohlke said. “Those things are noticed.”
Democrats estimate about one in five votes their ticket is likely to receive in Florida in November will come from the West Coast south of Tampa. The area is too critical to Democrats for them to write it off any longer.
Mohlke said a visit by Obama is even possible, depending on the reception Biden received.
Based on the heat generated Wednesday, you have to like the chances.
E-mail Brent Batten at bebatten@naplesnews.com.
Comments
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Good column and a good description of a great rally.
YES WE WILL!!!
#1 Posted by naplesdad on October 8, 2008 at 10:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
A 35 year Senator create 50% of the crowd that Sara Palin did. Yeah, he's really exciting people!
A Harvard education must not be what it used to be. You can't give 95% of Americans a tax break when on 60% pay taxes!
#2 Posted by vyger on October 9, 2008 at 9:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree 40% of the Stimulus checks must be sitting in a vault in a Banking House in NY
#3 Posted by Dollard on October 9, 2008 at 1:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Let me begin by stating that I am a registered Republican. I have been all my life.
I watched both local VP rallies.Quite a stark difference.The last 3 weeks have definitely turned me away from John McCain. I never was happy with the choice of Palin as running mate. Not when there were many much more qualified candidates to choose from. I found the sheriff Scott bit quite embarrassing, but consider where we are.
Joe Biden did a wonderful job of getting out the democratic message. At least he talked about the issues. He got more specific then the Rep.'s have been. But then, that is Joe Biden being Joe.
To the above poster who commented that he only got 50% of the people that Palin get. This area is 99.999% Republican. That means that 99% of Bidens crowd were Republicans!
I don't know if I can vote for Obama, but I do know that I can't vote for McCain.
#4 Posted by Optipess on October 9, 2008 at 2:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This was a good article. Joe Biden is a great American and he certainly is qualified and deserves to be Vice President a whole lot more than Palin does. I just read that her husband Todd said she had "no idea" that it was Todd himself who was pressuring the Public Safety Commissioner to fire her brother-in-law. Well, I almost believe him, cause she is definitely clueless that's for sure. All she can do is incite hatred and discontent, stir up a crowd to shout out threats to our Presidential candidate. Good job, Frau Palin. All it takes is one psycho, and you know you have plenty of those on your side, to hurt our candidates. She needs to be spoken to by the Secret Service to tone down her rhetoric. Just cause she and McCain are losing, doesn't give her the right to provoke violence.
#5 Posted by geecee827 on October 9, 2008 at 2:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Good points made Optipess. I too was a registered Republican until recently when I became an Independent because I am having trouble completely backing either party right now.
Even with that I was intending on voting for McCain as I though he was the stronger candidate over all. I like his independent streak on many issues. In fact I was a big backer of him eight years ago against Bush as I had studied up on Bush and already knew he was a lost cause and buy sure he proved me right.
McCain's choice of Palin for a running mate turned my off and I believe will come back to haunt him in the long run. There were many much better qualified candidates that he could have taken. She will not do anything for the ticket in the end.
His choosing her was nothing but pandering to the woman's vote hoping to get some of the Clinton vote out of it. I don't think it will work (I have on problem with a woman on the ticket but she needs to be qualified).
I too was totally turned off by Sheriff's Scot's speech. It was not so much what he said but he stood there in full uniform at a political rally and campaigned for another candidate. If he wants to back McCain that's fine by me but he has no business doing so in uniform. Anyone who has ever served in a uniformed public safety position knows that is one of the cardinal rules. You never use your uniform for political purposes or for personal gain.
Now on the other side I do have concerns on Obama's associations with certain individuals and groups. I truly wish I knew just how deep those relationships are and will they become a problem down the road. It is these relationships that is keeping me from coming right out and supporting him totally.
So I will remain undecided for the time being as I continue to watch and read up on these two guys. These next three weeks should prove to be interesting.
#6 Posted by swfl_ff on October 9, 2008 at 3:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
swfl_ff, don't let the turkeys get you down man. If you like Obama's policies then the rest is all garbage. The keating five is real and was an abuse of power, documented etc. Just because they were exonerated doesn't mean squat. Those politicos tend to watch out for themselves. The sixtie-seventies were a time of bizzare happenings people did lots of acid and went beyond the range of reality. From what I gather Ayers was crazy but then became sane. So what. How many sinners become saints? I find it funny that such a good Christian girl like palin misses the most important part of Christ's teaching, forgiveness. The guy has turned his life around and become a major altruist let it be.
#7 Posted by Caliban on October 9, 2008 at 4:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Thanks for the post Caliban. I try to fancy myself an informed voter as I will always educate myself on the candidates and not just vote for however has a R or a D behind their name on the ballot.
I intend to continue to learn more about both these guys so I can give my vote the the right guy.
#8 Posted by swfl_ff on October 9, 2008 at 4:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I went to the rally with my teen-aged sons, it was good. Weirdly enough, there were no signs allowed and definitely no HANDWRITTEN signs allowed. It would be nice to have a place in SW Fla. were groups could meet in public. The FGCU campus is NOT a public meeting place when the people cannot have signs at their political rallies!
#9 Posted by naples4kids on October 10, 2008 at 5:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
optipess, just why are you not sure you can vote for Obama? Just because he is a Democrat?
I'm a Democrat who supported McCain in 2000, but he's not the same man now.
There has never been a more important election. The candidates show us every day who they are and what they stand for.
I can't wait to vote for Obama!
#10 Posted by krockit on October 11, 2008 at 8:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Absolutely, Caliban. The 60s were a mess, both sides did awful things - the police, activists, extremists...I was a child then but when I look back the whole time seems unsettled and chaotic. Obama has said he does not support Ayres' behavior in the 60s, and I am sure we all agree with him there. What everyone seems to be overlooking is that if the government still considered Ayres a threat, I don't think he would be out walking around. He's not hiding, you know. He is a university professor and was voted Chicago citizen of the year several years ago. He is apparently active in many charitable boards and organizations in the area, and in light of that, I am sure has had associations with many other Chicago area politicians and citizens of note. I don't agree with his past, either, but let's be realistic here.
Other things people fail to consider, and I really don't see why they continually overlook this stuff, is (for instance) do you really think Warren Buffett would be acting as a financial advisor to Sen. Obama if he was a left-wing terrorist? Come on, people. WARREN BUFFETT?? Do you think Joe Biden would have agreed to be VP? Are they ones as well, then? Step back and consider, use your God-given common sense here. Forget party, forget all the negativity, and use some logic, please!
Finally, what type of personality does the country most need now? Someone with an even, consistent temper, who is intelligent and thoughtful about situations and has attempted to put issues first...or someone who acts impulsively, veers from viewpoint to viewpoint, and has sunk to attacking his opponent to the point where crowds are yelling "kill him"? Is this actually happening in 21st century America?
This is serious stuff. This election could very well make or break our country. Choose wisely.
#11 Posted by edysmom on October 11, 2008 at 9:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I wasn't gonna post any more political threads but come on, that last post was just too funny. Obama is "thoughtful about situations" only because he doesn't have a clue what to do... it's not thoughtfulness, it's bewilderness. Obama's inaction will get us all killed.
I don't see why most people are freaking out about losing their retirement, when we'll all be nuked or be a slave nation in 5 years anyway. Nobody's money will buy them out of the mess that a socialist regime will put us in. Goodbye, U.S. superpower.
Obama's willingness to party with the devil will end this nation as we know it and cause us a great descent globally. He is still the same person who chose cocaine as an after-school activity, just an older body now. Same smooth talk, same bad judgements, definitely nowhere near as intelligent as Clinton. He does NOT have a clue how to handle this mess, nor do his advisors. And just you wait to see how he also doesn't know how to handle foreign policy situations. I can't believe 50% of the nation is so fooled.
By the way, it's Oprah's money that is buying the primetime 30-minute commercials, and Oprah's money that is funding Acorn and voter fraud. Oprah knows how to fund anonymously.
#12 Posted by naplesnewby on October 11, 2008 at 3:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
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