Candidates, Campaigns, and Surrogates Stump in Central Florida
Thursday, August 2, 2012
By: Mark Simpson

President Barack Obama is returning to Central Florida Thursday after a visit last month was cut short by the shootings in Aurora Colorado. President Obama will speak at Rollins college this afternoon. The visit comes as a new poll by Quinnipiac University predicts that the President would sweep key swing states like Florida Ohio and Pennsylvania if the election were held today.

The Mitt Romney Campaign is also hoping for a bump today from US Senator Marco Rubio who is also stumping in Central Florida.

Speaking at Harbco before about 200 Romney supporters, Senator Rubio addressed the crowd first in Spanish and then English.

Rubio’s remarks highlighted what he called major choices in the November election as voters consider Mitt Romney and Barack Obama.  Rubio spoke broadly about what he called Obama’s belief in government as a key to economic success, and what Rubio called Mitt Romney’s belief in the “Free Enterprise” economic system.

The Quinnipiac poll also looks at Florida’s U.S. Senate race and shows democratic incumbent Bill Nelson easily beating presumptive GOP rival Congressman Connie Mack in November 47 to 40 percent.

President Obama is not the only democratic star slated for an Orlando stopover.  Former President Bill Clinton is on the ticket for a Bill Nelson fundraising event this evening at the home of local attorney and democratic donor John Morgan. 

Charlie Crist, Florida’s former governor and former republican is also slated to attend the gathering and is pledging support for Nelson whom the independent called, “a good friend.”