Rich was invoking three former Florida governors who were also considerable underdogs when they began their respective campaigns: Reuben Askew, Lawton Chiles and Bob Graham, who Rich said began his 1978 campaign for governor with just a 3 percent recognition.
"I'm up to 12 percent," she said enthusiastically, adding that the three former governors all faced better known and financed opponents, but worked hard and won. "I intend to carry on that tradition," she declared.
While rumors are still strong that Charlie Crist might officially enter the Democratic contest within the next month or so, Alex Sink told reporters that she will make her decision on whether to enter the run by September.
Rich has emphasized on the campaign trail that Democratic women in particular are energized by her campaign, prompting Tiger Bay member Gary Dolgin to ask her how she thinks she compares to Sink?
Rich said she doesn't believe that there are many issues where they differ, but emphasized, "I consider myself a very strong progressive," and said people should ask Sink how she labels herself. She then proudly boasted about the "F" rating that the National Rifle Association once gave her, but then stopped without further elaboration."I feel like we each have out own credentials and should let the voters decide," she said.
Earlier this week, tn an interview with Adam Smith at the Tampa Bay Times, Sink commented on Rick Scott's prodigious campaign war chest he's expected to mount.
But when asked about that today, Rich quoted Bill Clinton, "You don't have to have $73 million (what Scott spent in 2010 against Sink). You have to be a good candidate, have passion, know the issues, and have enough money. That's the goal." She added that "money can do so much but people can do more."
But she was much more in her element in blasting Rick Scott, and did so regarding what she called his lack of leadership for failing to persuade Legislature to follow his lead in accepting the federal government's deal for Medicaid expansion, as well as his decision in 2011 to reject more than $2 billion in federal stimulus funds to construct a high-speed rail line running from Tampa to Orlando.
"Scott said he was returning that money because we had a (federal) deficit and he did not want to take this money," she said. "But that money does not go back to reducing the deficit. Instead it goes to other states."
A self-declared "unabashed conservative" in the audience challenged Rich at one point, saying that she sounded to him like a classic liberal who believes in government imposed health care, restrictions on gun rights, and controlling the education system.
Rich fired back by slamming Republican legislators in Tallahassee who have taken away local control from cities and counties in Florida. "I thought that's what you care about," she said to audience member. "I thought that local was better."
Regarding health care she told her interlocutor that despite what he might believe, "Obamacare is the law of the land," adding that as governor, she would swear on the Bible to uphold the laws of the land.
