President Barack Obama had a clear message for his opponents and supporters in Miami on Monday: the Obama Train is leaving the station.
In front of a packed house at the Adrienne Arsht Center, Obama touted his successes over the past three years, but told supporters that he was thirsty for more.
"Our work is not complete," he said. "We're just part way up the mountain. There's more to do."
Along with the normal politicos you see at a presidential visit, Monday's affair had an NBA flare to it with former Miami Heat star Alonzo Mourning and NBA legend Bill Russell in attendance.
Mourning couldn't resist bringing up the Miami Heat's loss in the NBA Finals on Sunday, but made it clear that he has joined another team that was destined to win: Team Obama.
The Miami appearance will likely be one of many as Obama looks to secure Florida for the 2012 election.
Obama needs Florida’s 29 electoral votes. He won the Sunshine State in 2008 selling hope and better times. That hasn't completely happened.
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Florida’s unemployment rate is almost 11 percent, which is two points higher than the national average.
The real estate market is still a mess and the President’s job performance rating in Florida, according to the AP, has hovered between 44 and 47 percent, except for a slight increase to 51 percent after the announcement of the death of Osama Bin Laden.
Florida is Tea Party heavy, with republican Rick Scott in the Governor’s chair.
Allen West has a seat in Congress. Senator Marco Rubio is the poster boy for conservatives and generates TV coverage every time he has something to say. All will have plenty to say as the campaign for the White House heats up in Florida.
In short, the President has his work cut out for him.
Obama’s campaign has operatives already in the state, he has always been able to raise money here, and state Republicans can’t rally around a national candidate because there has been no one who appears to be a legitimate front runner.
Rick Scott has more dismal numbers than Obama. A new Quinnipiac poll has Scott's disapproval rating at 57 percent, the lowest of any governor in the 10 states where it polls. Scott’s approval rating is 29 percent. Obama can run right at Scott and probably pick up votes.
He can also shore up old supporters by just doing what they call in the sales business “servicing the account.” Some 2008 supporters might not be thrilled with his accomplishments but where are the going to go? That’s why you will see a lot of the President. Obama will play plenty of attention to them according to Democratic Party organizers.
Obama has a cadre of fat cat contributors in Miami. Remember his visit with Gloria and Emilio Estefan, who are both registered Independents? They hosted President Obama at their Miami Beach home for a $15,000 per person Democratic Party fundraiser. That was April of 2010 and the money haul out of that event and several others during that time grossed about $2.5 million.
Most interesting is what Obama will do after his visit to Miami. He flies to Puerto Rico. Why? None of the Puerto Ricans who live on the island can vote for the President even though they are U.S. citizens. But their friends and family who live on the mainland can vote and do turn out at the polls.
The Associated Press reports that there are almost a million more Puerto Ricans here in the U.S. than live in the Commonwealth. The second largest concentration of Puerto Ricans in the U.S. live in Florida and are concentrated in the Orlando area. About 841,000 call Florida home and Democrats see the large Hispanic group as a counterbalance to the staunch conservative Republican Cubans in Miami.
Obama’s election team hopes goodwill spread on the island will flow back to the states and impact Florida’s presidential campaign.
