Word: clinton
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...biggest challenges in the general election. His bond with Latino voters is tepid at best; the Jewish community was wary of Obama's commitment to Israel well before President Bush hurled last week's "appeasement" charges his way; Florida's elderly, particularly women, form a solid Clinton base, and PR problems like Reverend Jeremiah Wright and the elitist label remain a wall between Obama and many northern Floridians, especially in the state's conservative, blue-collar Panhandle...
...still hasn't visited the state since. Many Florida Democrats consider him AWOL and even indifferent to their efforts to get the DNC to reinstate their delegates and make their January votes count. Obama "has repair work to do," says Democratic state Senator Nan Rich, a South Florida Clinton backer. "Rank-and-file Democrats here are frankly distressed by the fact that he appears disconnected from the state...
...Granted, Clinton's fight on Florida's behalf is driven more by desperation than by principle. She didn't challenge the DNC's draconian sanctions early in the campaign when she was well ahead in the polls; but now she needs Florida's delegates and popular vote to have even a small chance to grab the nomination. Obama didn't question the DNC either; and now that he's the front-runner it's in his best interest to simply run out the clock. But that kind of political calculus isn't going to ease bruised feelings in the state...
...Wexler also doesn't think Obama has as much catching up to do in Florida as his critics claim. While a Quinnipiac University poll of Florida voters released this month shows that Clinton would beat the presumptive Republican candidate, Senator John McCain, 49% to 41%, Obama trails McCain by only a point in the state, 44% to 43%. The Obama camp, in fact, feels his positions compare favorably to McCain's on issues Floridians will care about most in November. Those include abortion (Obama is pro-choice while McCain has pledged to seat Supreme Court justices who would overturn...
...Still, Obama's Florida itinerary suggests he knows he has bridges to build on the peninsula. On Thursday he heads to Palm Beach and Broward Counties in South Florida, a region whose large Jewish and elderly populations voted heavily for Clinton in January. On Friday he'll lunch in Miami with Cuban-Americans and give what aides call an important foreign policy speech. He'll face the Cuba policy minefield - and will have to follow McCain, who will address Miami's Cuban community on Tuesday. But Obama could actually use the opportunity to enhance his standing with Latino voters...