Kendrick Meek Zombie Watch: Why Al Lawson Endorsed Crist

Joy-Ann Reid interviewed Lawson. Reid asked why Lawson endorsed Crist. I answer is telling.

He was the only person that asked me to consider endorsing him, and I had worked with him on a number of issues that affect state employees that he responded to, as well as issues facing our school teachers [Crist vetoed the teacher tenure bill SB6] and many of the projects that are very important for small counties, which he did not veto. So when he asked me to consider it, it was an easy choice for me, really.

Lawson goes on to say that the Meek campaign never even made an attempt of contacting him.

I hadn’t heard from him or his campaign in nearly two-and-a-half years. I know he’s been in town a number of times, and had even been in my district, but had never really heard anything at all from the campaign. The only time I heard anthing form the Meek campaign was Friday night. That was the first time I’ve heard from them in two years. I figured they didn’t really need my support.

It never occurred to Meek and his campaign staff that it would be a good idea to ask for the endorsement of the Democratic leader of the Florida Senate and most powerful African American in state government. If anyone wanted proof that the Meek campaign was incompetence then this it.

Team Meek didn't contact Lawson until after his endorsement of Crist. The Meek campaign went into panic mode and I am betting they asked Lawson to pull his endorsement. The campaign had two and a half years to seal up an endorsement and wasted the opportunity. A smart campaign would reach out to every elected Democrat in the state and ask for an endorsement. This campaign is amateur hour.