Polls help set Democrats' focus

[Freddie Stubbs]

Democrats running for the U.S. Senate have started taking different tacks in speeches, a function of how they're doing in opinion polls.

BY BETH REINHARD

[e-mail]


ST. PETERSBURG - Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas called himself a liberal. Congressman Peter Deutsch said he's a feminist. And former state education commissioner Betty Castor talked about working with Republicans, strengthening the military and being fiscally conservative.

The Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate speaking at Friday's gathering of the politically active Tiger Bay clubs of Tampa and St. Petersburg seem to be running in two different elections.

Deutsch and Penelas, trailing in the polls, are trying to appeal to the hard-core Democrats expected to dominate the Aug. 31 primary.

Castor, who is leading in the polls, is looking ahead to the moderate voters who will decide the Nov. 2 general election.

more: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/state/9285860.htm