The GOP primary for the Senate nomination has been nothing short of tumultuous this year, with several candidates jumping in and out of the race. For a while there, it seemed Rep. Connie Mack IV was about to cruise to victory thanks largely to the name he shares with his father, former Sen. Connie Mack. Now former Rep. Dave Weldon has made a last-minute entrance into the race. Literally, he envisions it as a race, and his first campaign video is a weird montage of people running.
He has more experience than Mack on the federal level and more conservative credentials. Can he pull of some of that Marco Rubio magic and bring down the fairly moderate and establishment-backed frontrunner in a primary?
Connie Mack IV's only real previous competition in the race was former Sen. George LeMieux. The two are now trying to claim that they're both the most conservative in the race. LeMieux's short voting record is actually more to the right than that of the pretty moderate Mack, but LeMieux can't seem to shake his ties to Charlie Crist. Mack meanwhile has had a hard time shoring up conservative support, and has lost a number of straw polls to LeMieux despite leading in money and general polls. Basically, both dudes are just a little bit whack.
Now Weldon has entered the race. He served as a representative from Florida's Space Coast from 1995 until early 2009 before stepping down as he "never wanted to be a career politician."
But apparently he's decided he wants to further his career in politics after all.
His entrance into the race comes along with this trailer for a movie about a bunch of businessmen running to the bar after work before happy hour ends. Oh wait, excuse us, we were watching it with the sound off. Apparently they're all running away from Obama. Watch as they run, run, run into some secret enclave in the woods were they will all receive warm hugs from Weldon himself, or something. Strong, conservative manly hugs that will lower taxes and fix the economy.
We're not sure how effective this ad is, though, because as we all know no real American runs anywhere anymore. We're all too fat. Running is some effete, liberal, hippie crap. You know who runs? Michelle Obama runs. She runs while she eats arugula in sleeveless designer workout gear. True patriots do not run away from Obama. They get into their pick up trucks or motor scooters and drive away from Obama.
Though, if conservatives (especially those with money) really are uneasy with both Mack and LeMieux, they may be willing to overlook this strange physical exercise business. Weldon's only real chance is if Mack truly fails to please his base.
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