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Five things to watch with Rick Scott smacking the Fla. GOP establishment
Rick Scott just kicked the GOP establishment in the teeth. The national GOP attacked him. The state GOP declared war on him. He won anyway.
Today, the once-mighty Florida GOP establishment is reeling, looking utterly irrelevant and out of touch with its own voters. Scott, an optimistic and plainspoken businessman with a checkered past, is the new leader of the state party. Even by Florida standards, we're in the midst of a stunningly unpredictable campaign season.
Here are five things to watch:
1. Can the Florida Republican Party unify after a bitter primary barely won by Scott?
"It's all up to Rick Scott — how he handles this victory, how magnanimous he is for those he defeated,'' said former state GOP chairman Al Cardenas. "If he reaches out with an olive branch, my sense is the party establishment will stand behind him."
The real question is why Scott would want the establishment to stand anywhere near him.
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For Florida political news today, the Buzz is your can't-miss-it source. Tampa Bay Times writers offer the latest in Florida politics, the Florida Legislature and the Rick Scott administration. Keep in mind: This is a public forum sponsored and maintained by the Tampa Bay Times. When you post comments here, what you say becomes public and could appear in the newspaper. You are not engaging in private communication with candidates or Times staffers.
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