Allen West Piles Up Campaign Cash, So Florida GOP Tries to Gerrymander Him Out
There is a reason why the GOP is called "the stupid party".
Local GOP machines are often circular firing squads rife with clique's and personality wars. Many of the best GOP candidates try to have nothing to do with their local machine. I cannot say for a fact that this is the case in Florida but GOP operatives are very aware that this is a nationwide problem.
Remember what I said about stupid?
And, in Florida the Republican-drawn map, which has to adhere to a new fair redistricting law, makes a tough reelection fight for Rep. Allen West (R) even tougher. His seat goes from one Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) would have won 48 percent to one in which the 2008 GOP nominee would have won just 44 percent.
While it’s just a first draft, the Republicans’ decision to weaken West doesn’t bode well for his chances under the final GOP plan.
Freshmen are generally more vulnerable in redistricting, lacking the senority [sic - Look a spelling error in the WashPo - Editor] to fight for safer seats. Outspoken tea party [Tea Party is supposed to be capitalized or can also be spelled TEA Party as TEA is an acronym - Editor] conservatives are in even more danger, because even in GOP-controlled states, establishment politicians are usually the ones drawing the maps.
This would move Florida 22 from a D+1 district to a D +5 which is almost impossible to win.
Allen West is a GOP fund-raising machine.
Good lord? Really? Crowley Political Report does not shock easily but Florida Republican Congressman Allen West raised a stunning amount of campaign cash during the three months ending Sept. 30.
$1.9 million. Yup. $1.9 million.
Consider this - Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson raised nearly $2 million. Let's call it a tie.
There are two Democrats hoping to win West's District 22 seat - former West Palm Beach Mayor Lois Frankel and Broward County businessman Patrick Murphy.
Frankel says she raised $415,000. Murphy raised $313,000. That would be a combined $728,000 for the two Democrats compared to West's $1.9 million.
Should Frankel and Murphy just go home?
Frankel has raised a total of $1.1 million since starting her campaign. Murphy has raised $1.2 million.
West has raised $3.9 million.
Fun with math - Two Democrats total - $2.3 million. West - $3.9 million.
Fun fact - Much of the money Frankel and Murphy raised will have to be spent in the Democratic primary. West does not have, and is not like to have, a serious primary opponent.
Nope, West is just going to keep raking in the dough. A few more million for West and the DCCC may take West off their target list.
No matter how much Democrats would like to get that seat back, Frankel and Murphy are going to need a whole lot more cash to pull it off.
Unless of course the Florida GOP does the work for the Democrats. Take this seriously folks, there are many "establishment" GOP types who would rather see a Democrat elected than principled conservative. We have seen it in NY special elections, we have seen it with David Brooks and David Frum, and as Rush Limbaugh and so many others have pointed out for years, there are some in the GOP who believe that we are better off as a minority party in the US House. One of the reasons for that is because there are many in the GOP who talk conservatism but whose bread is buttered by government largess.
Florida Republicans need to start demanding some new party leadership and/or start opening your wallets and start funding challengers (or at least threatening to). They will tell you that "the rules are making us gerrymander him out". Don't you buy that for a minute.