Why did John McCan make such a point of Barack Obama’s opposition to a free
trade treaty with Colombia?
Charged McCain, “Sen. Obama, who has
never traveled south of our border, opposes the Colombia Free Trade Agreement.
The same country that's helping us try to stop the flow of drugs into our
country that's killing young Americans.”
To be sure, McCain is a free trader, but in bringing up the Colombia treaty, he was appealing to Colombian-Americans,
who are one of the fastest growing voting blocs in south Florida. Indeed, visited Colombia this summer in the midst of the campaign to denounce Obama.
But, as Elizabeth Mendez Berry
and Don Duncan report, many of these Colombians are turning out
to be Democrats. Indeed, they have helped to put a scare into the Republican
Diaz-Balart brothers – Lincoln in Miami
and Mario in Southern Dade County – both of whom are involved in tight races
with Democratic challengers. McCain, who needs every vote he can get in Florida, may come up empty.
--John B. Judis