Editor’s Note – Is the governor’s race beginning to shape up as ‘out with the old, in with the new’? 

With Rick Scott entering the race, Bill McCollum cannot continue on ‘auto-pilot’, which he seems to get.  However, is his campaign simply lacking the new and innovative thinking needed to compete with Scott? 

By employing the ‘politics of old’ and simply attacking his opponent at every turn, the old guard is doing McCollum a disservice.  This style does not seem to suit McCollum, or the well respected reputation he has established for himself over the years.  It smacks of desperation.

Memo to the RPOF; The times, they are a’changing…

Bill McCollum’s Campaign Sinking

By Adam Smith
The Buzz

Attorney General Bill McCollum’s once-certain path to the Republican nomination for governor is in trouble,   with supporters for the first time voicing anxiety about his chances and questioning his strategy. Trailing newcomer Rick Scott by 13 points in a recent statewide poll and unable to match Scott’s millions of dollars in TV ads, McCollum looks vulnerable. It’s a stunning shift for a seasoned politician who seemed to have a lock on the race just two months ago.

Supporters fault McCollum’s TV message, inability to connect with an angry electorate, fundraising shortcomings and a dated campaign style, emphasizing endorsements from establishment figures such as Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney at a time when voters are alienated.

In an interview, McCollum acknowledged “angst” among supporters but predicted he would triumph as the only “battle-tested” Republican running for governor. “The person who has a record for everybody to see is going to be there,” McCollum said. “On the other hand, there’s a fellow (Scott) that people don’t know who he is, and when they find out who he is, it’s not going to be a pretty picture.”

Although the latest Quinnipiac University poll shows Rick Scott a 13-point favorite to win the Republican nomination for governor,  McCollum’s internal polling shows the race is a dead heat. Pollster John McLaughlin’s survey of 600 likely Republican voters was taken last week (June 7-8), around the same time as the Q-poll (taken June 2-8).

The McLaughlin & Associates poll shows McCollum and Scott tied at 40 percent each with 20 percent undecided and a 4 percent margin of error. The poll says Scott’s negatives have tripled in the past month, from 8 percent in May to 23 percent in June, while McCollum has a solid 49 to 24 percent favorable/unfavorable rating. 

 Read More – http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2010/06/bill-mccollums-campaign-sinking.html#more

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Tom Tillison

Senior Staff Writer
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The longest-tenured writer at BizPac Review, Tom grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills.

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