A day spent at the hairdresser, at a football game and in temple brings the Senate race into voters' lives.
By ANITA KUMAR and DAVID KARP
Published August 29, 2004
U.S. Senate candidate Betty Castor spent Saturday, one of the final days before Tuesday's primary, speaking to voters in St. Petersburg's African-American community, a place where she already expects to do well.
Castor talked to people one on one at a hair salon and then stopped to eat turkey and greens at Atwater's Cafeteria, where the number of potential voters almost outnumbered the number of reporters on the campaign trail with her.
But the few who talked to her Saturday seemed pleased to get a chance to meet her.
"I liked the way you stopped here," said Valerie McGarrah, a St. Petersburg teacher who was getting her hair done at Anderson's on Ninth Street S, where a sample ballot was taped to the wall.
"You know, a lot of decisions get made here," Castor responded.
Castor has led the Democratic primary in every poll in the past year, and the latest St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald poll gives her a 2-to-1 lead over her closest rival, U.S. Rep. Peter Deutsch.
In the final few days before the primary, she returned to her critical home base of Tampa Bay.
On Saturday, she courted black voters, who make up about one in four of the 4-million registered Democrats in Florida. The Times poll found she has the backing of about one-third of black Democrats, with the rest split between her rivals or still undecided.
"I think it is important to send a message," Castor said. "I want this community to be voting."
Castor stopped by a youth football game, where she braved the heat by taking off her suit jacket and taking shade under an umbrella. But the audience seemed more interested in football than politics.
"Betty Castor is in the house," said the announcer, before incorrectly telling parents in the stands that Castor was running for state Senate, not U.S. Senate. He corrected himself.
Castor will face Deutsch of Hollywood and Miami-Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas in the Democratic primary on Tuesday. The victor Tuesday will square off against the Republican nominee in the Nov. 2 general election.
On Saturday, Deutsch's campaign continued to say people in his South Florida House district were being told Deutsch can't be trusted to protect seniors.
Last week, seniors received phone calls from the Alliance to Protect Seniors. This weekend, the same group sent mailings.
"It's just really, really ugly," said Roy Teicher, Deutsch spokesman. "There is precious little that can be done before the primary."
Deutsch does not work from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday in honor of the Jewish Sabbath. But he invited reporters to hear his sermon at Temple Anshei Shalom in Delray Beach, where he spoke before about 200 nodding seniors about Israel.
"Often in Jewish history, we have the perspective that moments of history took place years ago," Deutsch said. "I would present to you that we live in historic times."
Israel faced threats to its survival from all sides, and only the United States had stood with the Jewish state against its enemies, Deutsch said. Unwavering U.S. support could not be taken for granted, he said.
Deutsch did not mention his candidacy, but the subtext was clear: Deutsch, a Jew wearing a yarmulke and prayer scarf, was best suited to be Israel's friend.
