Assignment #4 Class Web Site for POL 318
This Page is Part of an Undergraduate Assignment at Davidson College.
The President, The Professor, and The Patriot: The Major Components of Martinez's Campaign
Martinez served under President Bush as the Federal Housing Secretary, which gave him important appeal from the minimum wage working class voters (Crowley). Many Florida voters, however, were hesitant to vote for “a cookie-cutter McCandidate churned out by the Republican operatives in Washington”. (The Frontrunner). Therefore, it was critical that Martinez separated himself from the President on certain issues to reassure the public that they are not voting for a puppet. He made his disagreements with President Bush regarding prescription drugs from Canada and raising the minimum wage very clear. Martinez sees raising the minimum wage as leading to increased unemployment and job loss (Hearn). This was an important political move for Martinez, who maintained his strong support from the President, while also showing that his real concerns were in Florida. He was not simply a "hired gun" by the Republican Party.
Martinez was also able to effectively exploit Castor’s weak policy on terror by criticizing her decision not to fire accused terrorist Sami Al-Arian. Al-Arian was a professor at the University of South Florida during Castor's tenure as President. Castor requested that Martinez pull the ad, and in exchange, she would pull her negative ads. Martinez refused to these conditions, indicating a confidence in his issue ownership of terrorism. In fact, a televised debate opened with a question regarding Al-Arian and the ads, proving that Martinez had done an effective job in focusing the public’s attention (The Frontrunner). Ultimately, however, voters grew tired of the constant negative attacks on Castor's credibility in fighting the war on terror. Martinez's refusal to pull his attack ads most likely had a negative impact with voters and could have been interpreted as a cheap attempt to smear Castor's record.
Martinez has also emphasized his personal struggle, arriving in Florida at the age of 15, without his parents or any clear direction. Now, Martinez has stood in the Oval Office to be sworn in as a member of President Bush’s Cabinet (Martinez). This way he can connect on a personal basis with many of his minority supporters. Martinez has done an excellent job painting himself has the “embodiment of the American dream”. (Hearn) His robust enthusiasm throughout the campaign was addictive and created a likable image (Hearn). This image enhanced his appeal to the "common man" and working class immigrants of Florida. His passion for America and themes of stronger communities, families, defense, and the economy are clearly expressed in his web site. Martinez emphasized leadership and preparation in the twenty-first century (Martinez). As a self proclaimed consensus builder, Martinez is looking to "bridge the gap" during his career in the US Senate (Bousquet).