Florida’s Meek–Crist–Rubio Battle, the Texas Perry–White Standoff, and Georgia Politics with Guests Catherine & Amy Morton

 In this wide-ranging political discussion, hosts Catherine and Amy Morton (of Georgia Women Vote and Blog for Democracy) examine major 2010 races across the country before diving deeply into Georgia’s political landscape. The show opens with analysis of Florida’s three-way Senate race among Kendrick Meek, Charlie Crist, and Marco Rubio. The hosts dissect Meek’s new hard-hitting ad framing Crist as a lifelong conservative, debating whether the tactic helps Meek, hurts Crist, or inadvertently boosts Rubio. Shifting poll numbers reveal Rubio gaining sharply as Crist drops, with undecided voters creeping upward, keeping the contest fluid. The Florida governor’s race between Alex Sink and Rick Scott remains a statistical tie, intensified by the withdrawal of independent candidate Bud Chiles. The conversation then moves to Texas, where Governor Rick Perry releases a wave of negative ads against Democrat Bill White while simultaneously refusing to debate him—a move Amy and Catherine view as politically evasive. They argue a sitting governor should defend his record publicly and suggest White capitalize on Perry’s avoidance. With Amy Morton joining fully, the show turns to Georgia politics and the launch of the new Georgia Women Vote initiative. Amy explains the coordinated campaign’s focus on mobilizing women—particularly independent women—who are both under-sampled in polls and pivotal in statewide races. They highlight strong female Democratic candidates, including Carol Porter, Georganna Sinkfield, and Mary Squires, emphasizing the diversity advantage Democrats hold over a more homogeneous Republican ticket. Discussion then shifts to Nathan Deal’s emerging financial scandal, questions of transparency, the role of Casey Cagle, and implications for the governor’s race. Both guests stress that voters deserve full disclosure, noting that Deal’s financial troubles and lack of candor raise concerns about his fitness to govern.