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http://www.nwfdailynews.com/article/20160302/NEWS/160309745
Donald Trump has made a name for himself by offending people across the political spectrum, but it was fellow Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio who ruffled Northwest Florida feathers on Super Tuesday.
In comments made to Fox News reporter Bret Baier as the results of primary voting in 11 GOP races were being finalized on another disappointing night for Florida’s junior senator, Rubio appeared to attempt to diminish “North Florida” as a voting force.
Baier noted that “Florida shares media markets with 19 counties in Alabama and Georgia and in those counties Trump beat you 50 percent to 16 percent.”
“I wouldn’t analyze it that way,” Rubio countered.
“Obviously these are important counties and great people that live in those counties, but you’re talking about North Florida, not heavily populated areas,” he said.
“They’re important, very conservative areas, and we’re going to do well there as well, but again, that is not an accurate analysis of Florida, where the bulk of the vote comes from the I-4 corridor, Southwest Florida and, of course, my home area of Miami and even up into Jacksonville,” Rubio told Baier.
Shane Moody, the president and CEO of the Destin Chamber of Commerce, was among those watching Fox when Rubio spoke.
It’s discouraging that a Republican senator from Florida who is seeking a nomination for president of the United States would make comments about a portion of his state not being as important as other more populated areas,” Moody said in an email.
“Northwest Florida is a part of his state and should not be ignored nor overlooked,” he added. “Especially by one of our own state’s senators.”
Even Henry Kelley, Rubio’s volunteer county campaign chairman, was surprised by what Rubio had said.
“Well that’s not helpful,” Kelley said. “Northwest Florida has long been called ‘victory lane’ for Republicans, because we turn out in high numbers in primaries.”
Moody wanted to remind the Rubio campaign that in 2000 the national media declared Al Gore as the winner of the Florida general election vote without apparently realizing that a portion of the state resides in the Central Time Zone.
“Northwest Florida was not yet counted by the national media in the state’s voting totals,” Moody said. “Once those votes were counted, Bush won the election and many national media had to eat their words.”
The Gore-Bush battle of 2000 also came to mind for Chris Cartenuto, the owner of Joey’s Italian Grill and Bar in Niceville, after listening to Rubio.
Page 2 of 2 - “It was kind of a surprise when I heard him say Northwest Florida didn’t really count in the scheme of things in Florida,” Cartenuto said. “That seems to be a common trend, everybody seems to forget about us.”
Cartenuto said he remains undecided about who he’ll vote for on March 15 when the Republican presidential primary is held in Florida.
“I thought he (Rubio) looked and seemed the most presidential,” Cartenuto said.
But after Tuesday, Cartenuto might be feeling a little differently.
“I don’t think he realizes he’s a senator for all of Florida, not just South Florida and the I-4 corridor,” he said.
Donald Trump has made a name for himself by offending people across the political spectrum, but it was fellow Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio who ruffled Northwest Florida feathers on Super Tuesday.
In comments made to Fox News reporter Bret Baier as the results of primary voting in 11 GOP races were being finalized on another disappointing night for Florida’s junior senator, Rubio appeared to attempt to diminish “North Florida” as a voting force.
Baier noted that “Florida shares media markets with 19 counties in Alabama and Georgia and in those counties Trump beat you 50 percent to 16 percent.”
“I wouldn’t analyze it that way,” Rubio countered.
“Obviously these are important counties and great people that live in those counties, but you’re talking about North Florida, not heavily populated areas,” he said.
“They’re important, very conservative areas, and we’re going to do well there as well, but again, that is not an accurate analysis of Florida, where the bulk of the vote comes from the I-4 corridor, Southwest Florida and, of course, my home area of Miami and even up into Jacksonville,” Rubio told Baier.
Shane Moody, the president and CEO of the Destin Chamber of Commerce, was among those watching Fox when Rubio spoke.
It’s discouraging that a Republican senator from Florida who is seeking a nomination for president of the United States would make comments about a portion of his state not being as important as other more populated areas,” Moody said in an email.
“Northwest Florida is a part of his state and should not be ignored nor overlooked,” he added. “Especially by one of our own state’s senators.”
Even Henry Kelley, Rubio’s volunteer county campaign chairman, was surprised by what Rubio had said.
“Well that’s not helpful,” Kelley said. “Northwest Florida has long been called ‘victory lane’ for Republicans, because we turn out in high numbers in primaries.”
Moody wanted to remind the Rubio campaign that in 2000 the national media declared Al Gore as the winner of the Florida general election vote without apparently realizing that a portion of the state resides in the Central Time Zone.
“Northwest Florida was not yet counted by the national media in the state’s voting totals,” Moody said. “Once those votes were counted, Bush won the election and many national media had to eat their words.”
The Gore-Bush battle of 2000 also came to mind for Chris Cartenuto, the owner of Joey’s Italian Grill and Bar in Niceville, after listening to Rubio.
Page 2 of 2 - “It was kind of a surprise when I heard him say Northwest Florida didn’t really count in the scheme of things in Florida,” Cartenuto said. “That seems to be a common trend, everybody seems to forget about us.”
Cartenuto said he remains undecided about who he’ll vote for on March 15 when the Republican presidential primary is held in Florida.
“I thought he (Rubio) looked and seemed the most presidential,” Cartenuto said.
But after Tuesday, Cartenuto might be feeling a little differently.
“I don’t think he realizes he’s a senator for all of Florida, not just South Florida and the I-4 corridor,” he said.
