Politics
Election 2012: Obama, Romney tussle it out in Florida
“In a race like this, that is so close and so hard-fought, door-to-door, mail and telephones could make the difference,” said Republican Sally Bradshaw, a top Florida aide to Romney during his failed 2008 presidential bid.
Of paramount importance for both candidates right now: energizing and mobilizing core supporters.
For Obama, that means working to tap the burgeoning Puerto Rican community, an outlier in Florida’s sluggish population growth, around Orlando. Puerto Ricans tend to support Democrats.
Romney’s campaign, in turn, sees a chance to shave Obama’s advantage among Jewish voters, for whom support for Israel is a top issue. Aides say Romney has tapped into some Jews’ irritation over the president’s seemingly sympathetic statements toward the Palestinians. Aides said Monday that Romney also planned to visit Israel this summer.
But both candidates stressed central Florida early on.
Obama was in Tampa in April, announcing a measure to promote trade with Latin America. Romney was in neighboring St. Petersburg in May, promoting plans to cut federal spending. Both stopped in Orlando last month to visit businesses and appeal for support from Latino voters.
“The reality is it’s the most up-for-grabs part of the most up-for-grabs state,” B.J. Neidhardt, manager of Orlando Democrat Val Demings’ congressional campaign, said of Florida’s midsection.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press
