The actual gubernatorial election is more than a year and a half away, but Republicans have already dug in their heels by attacking Rick Scott's presumptive Democratic challenger. Mostly that's involved throwing barbs at former Republican Charlie Crist, who may or may not actually run, and who may or may not actually survive a Democratic primary.
But they've finally realized they should expand their attack range, and today sent out a press release targeting the only Democrat whose actually announced she's running.
As the Buzz cheekily points out, "Rich presumably would love to forward [this] to every Democratic primary voter," because, hey, the former Minority Leader of the state Senate is finally getting some attention from somebody.
The release jumps on recent comments Rich made that because centrist Democrats from Central Florida have failed time-and-time again in recent years to win state-wide elections, maybe it's time to nominate a more traditional left-leaning Democrat from South Florida:
Former State Senate Minority Leader Nan Rich Says Democrats Should Have Liberal South Floridian Like Her As Gubernatorial Nominee. "For 10 years, political pros have taken it almost as gospel that the strongest statewide Democratic candidates are centrists from Florida's top battleground region of Tampa Bay. But 2014 gubernatorial hopeful Nan Rich says that's bunk. 'We tried that three times, and we had three good candidates - we had Jim Davis, Alex Sink and Bill McBride,' Rich said Monday, referring to the last three Democratic nominees for governor. 'And you know what? We didn't win. So let's try something new. Let's try someone from South Florida.'"
The release then goes on to describe all the ways that admitted liberal Rich is a liberal by being strongly pro-choice and in favor of things like gay rights. They point out how Rich also got the endorsement of the Florida chapter of the National Organization for Women.
Of course, if Rich's campaign strategy seems to be choosing to run as an unabashed liberal (something that worked nationally for President Obama, a guy who won Florida twice), we're not really sure if it hurts her campaign to point out that she's a liberal.
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