Apparently the question of whether Hillary's Florida supporters will end up voting for Obama or McCain is still a concern. Anecdotally, most Hillary hold-outs I know have come around (many after the announcement of Sarah Palin and her pro-choice stances). Maybe the powers that be want to keep the narrative alive. Republicans, so they can lure any remaining stragglers. Democrats, so they have someone to point fingers at in case of a loss, but with his recent poll numbers it seems enough hold-outs and undecideds have come on board (at least for now), and it's up to Obama's camp alone to keep or loose the lead.
PBS's Judy Woodruff filed a report on the matter yesterday for PBS's News Hour. Judy visited Sarah Palin's recent Florida campaign stop, and couldn't find any former Clinton supporters in the crowd, but she did find lots of Republican officials ready to claim they're out there ...somewhere.
JIM GREER, Chair, Republican Party of Florida: Democrat women from the Democrat side, the independent side, they're coming out to support Sarah Palin. I met some today that said, "I just want to tell you, Chairman, I'm a Democrat."
UM President Donna Shalala, close Clinton friend and Bill's Secretary of Health and Human Service, doesn't think there's enough Democrats casually addressing Greer as Chairmen while holding Palin signs to make a difference.
DONNA SHALALA, President, University of Miami: Remember, her core of voters are the core of the Democratic Party. I do not see them going to John McCain, and I don't think that Sarah Palin pulls them in.
There are too many differences in terms of public policy between the two candidates at the end of the day. And she has sent the clearest message to her supporters and is campaigning wherever Sen. Obama has asked her to campaign.
Yesterday, Bill Clinton was in Orlando for his first public campaign appearance on behalf of Obama, and Hillary has made the bulk of her Pro-bama appearances in the state.
I'm more inclined to think the recent shift in polling is more a reflection of the nationwide bump for Obama after the financial crises than their support alone, but it doesn't hurt having the Democratic Party's two other certified superstars speaking up his strengths on economic issues around the peninsula. But at this point if Obama loses the state it won't be because of disgruntled Hillary voters. He has the support now, all he has to do is keep it.
