This page is part of an undergraduate assignment for Davidson College
Why did Mel Martinez win?
Stance on Terror:
A key issue in the presidential and senate elections was terrorism and homeland security. Luckily for Mel Martinez, Betty Castor’s involvement with USF professor, Sami Al-Arian, who allegedly had terrorist ties, gave Martinez a strong platform for criticising Castor’s stance on foreign policy and emphasizing his own approach to homeland security. This issue was prevalent in both candidates' campaigns and ultimately gave Martinez the upper hand.
Ties to President Bush:
Mel Martinez emphasized his close ties with President George Bush during his campaign, allowing him to rely on Bush supporters to carry him to victory in the senatorial election. Some experts speculate that these close ties helped Martinez gain significant financial contributions and support.
Conservative Republican Agenda:
Like Bush’s campaign, Martinez’s campaign focused on his conservative republicanism, both social and fiscal. This not only helped align him with President Bush, but also set him apart from his main opponent, Republican Bill McCollum in the primary election. His far right leaning helped him pick up conservative republican voters, winning him the primary and general elections.
“American Dream” Background:
Though many point to his Cuban background as gaining significant support from the Latino community, it is more his rags-to-riches story which attracted voters than his Cuban background. While Cuban Americans make up only fifty percent of the Latino vote, Hispanics (including Cubans) make up about 25% of the population. His background appealed to this entire population in addition to Cuban American voters, which gained him more voters.
Did Martinez or Castor Compromise their Principles?
Castor:
It is hard to assess to what extent Castor compromised her values in the election because she fell prey to far less post-election criticism than her successful opponent, Martinez. However, it would seem that her campaign platform was consistent with her values and her political background. She focused on education, tying in her stance on jobs and families with the overarching theme of improving education. Her background in education and her general campaign exhibited consistency of values.
Martinez:
With his victory, Martinez also received criticism from the press for his inconsistency. Although his basic principles were consistent, his far right campaign which gave him an edge over republican opponents in the primary and attracted Bush supporters in the general election seem to have been a bit overstated. Now that the election is over, he has stated his intentions to be more bipartisan and focus on unifying Floridians. While this seems a positive step, he is not fulfilling some of his more conservative promises to his far right consituency. Others have criticised his close ties with Bush and his stance on terrorism as hypocritical, due to his ties with Sami Al-Arian.
Created by Meredith Lorenz
Last updated: 12/5/2004.
Political Science 318: Strategy and Ethics in Election Campaigns