Gore had hoped to win significant support from Hispanic voters in Florida as Clinton did four years ago. The controversy over Elian Gonzalez, the Cuban boy who was returned home in June, hurt those efforts. Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas, once a highly visible Gore supporter, skipped the Democratic convention and no longer appears publicly with the vice president in South Florida. Democrats are trying to mitigate the damage with Lieberman, whose efforts in the Senate to combat Cuba have won him respect among many Hispanic activists. But Hispanic Republicans said that strategy won't work.
People know the vice president is one of many advisers.
People know it is a Bush-Gore race. Bush is expected to do particularly well in the areas Republicans carry with regularity, including Southwest Florida and North Florida. He already has made several appearances in Orlando and, like Gore, hopes to win over swing voters in the state's midsection. Both sides downplay their geographic maneuvering. Gore and Bush supporters each argue that their candidate's message will sell to voters anywhere in the state.