Photo Courtesy of Bill Cotterell
Here's how Florida's illustrious political reporters covered the RPOF's Annual Meeting and Chairman Greer's re-election over the weekend. Highlights are below, but we'd be remiss not to note that each reported on the challenges facing the RPOF, including the importance of voter registration, especially among African Americans and Hispanics, and the need to better utilize technology.
The St. Pete Times' Adam Smith got it right, saying "Florida Republicans overwhelmingly re-elected Jim Greer to another term as state party chairman Saturday, in an election that served partly as a referendum on the GOP leadership's focus on moderation and inclusion."
Tallahassee's own Bill Cotterell, who covers both the RPOF's and FDP's inner workings with gusto, notes, "The party's annual meeting drew an unusually heavy turnout of big names — not just for Greer, but for the 2010 U.S. Senate race, as Sen. Mel Martinez of Orlando is retiring and ex-Gov. Jeb Bush has said he will not run for the seat. Despite the loss of two U.S. House seats, one state legislative post and the state's 27 presidential electoral votes, the mood was upbeat as a succession of GOP leaders said party prospects in Florida are far better than in most other states that President-elect Barack Obama carried on Nov. 4. 'Jimmy, I love ya, you're a great man,' Crist said at a reception before the big meeting. 'This is a celebration.'"
The AP's Brendan Farrington reports, "Greer said he will create a 'registration action team' to immediately begin registering voters rather than waiting for the 2010election."
The Miami Herald's Beth Reinhard, who conducted one of the Chairman's first interviews when he was elected at the annual meeting two years ago, notes, "...the party fared better in Florida than in other states in 2008, losing only one seat in Congress and another in the Legislature. Gov. Charlie Crist remains popular, despite the tanking economy," and gets an exclusive quote from The Maestro.
The Herald-Trib's Jeremy Wallace sums up the clear start of the U.S. Senate campaign: "Though GOP quarterly meetings are rarely scintillating events, the buzz from the looming U.S. Senate seat had everyone talking for the two days in Orlando."
"...Apparently Greer’s version of The Kings last No. 1 hit went over alright. On Saturday when the party faithful gathered to vote on a new chairman, Greer won 169 votes to 52 votes for Eric D. Miller, a Martin County Republican."
