Scott and Meek’s victories signal bad things to come in November

Primary election night results have not brought good news for Democrats statewide, I believe. The stunning republican victory by former health care executive Rick Scott over Florida’s attorney general and former member of Congress Bill McCollum does not, in my opinion, favor Democrat Alex Sink, a former banking executive and currently Florida’s chief financial officer.

On another front, Kendrick Meek’s resounding victory over billionaire Jeff Greene puts Democrats in a pickle. Looking forward to November’s general election, polls are telling us Meek cannot win the race for U.S. Senate. But, as the Democratic Party candidate he will subtract votes, many believe, from recently turned Independent Charlie Crist, Florida’s current governor. Many Dems were looking at Crist as a best-case scenario in a race against upstart Tea Party favorite and republican nominee Marco Rubio. Meek’s win gives Rubio a very credible shot at winning in November.

As for Sink and Scott… A McCollum win would have made life easier for Sink going forward. McCollum is a dull campaigner – something Sink is also blamed for. And Scott is expected to spend all the money he needs to saturate the airwaves with his message. Scott, a multimillionaire, is expected to have spent more than $50 million of his own money when all is said and done.

Before tonight, polls showed that Sink would have had an easier time against McCollum. With the upstart and victorious Scott a relative unknown, but with money to burn, all bets are off in the race for Florida governor.

In both cases, and in my opinion, the worst that could have happened for Florida – did.

Alvaro F. Fernandez