Some Dems fear Janet Reno may lead them to defeat

MIAMI -- Janet Reno is the clear favorite among rank-and-file Democrats in her run for governor of Florida, but some party strategists fear she will only lead them to defeat in November.

Some Democrats worry that her high negative ratings and her weak fund raising may foil their grand plan: ousting Republican Gov. Jeb Bush and getting revenge against his brother in the state where the 2000 race for the White House was decided.

"The problem is we have a candidate who is not going to lose the primary and will not win the general election," warned Christopher Korge, a leading Democratic fund raiser from Miami.

Less than two months before the primary, Democrats face a dilemma: Should they choose Reno, who is the darling of South Florida's condos and Democratic clubs but is disliked in more conservative parts of the state because of her liberal politics and, perhaps, because she is woman? Or should they go with Bill McBride, a first-time candidate with war hero credentials but little name recognition?

State Sen. Daryl Jones of Miami is the third major candidate but registers only single-digit support in polls.

McBride, a Tampa lawyer, has won endorsements from unions and teachers while impressing party elders with his story of dropping out of law school to fight in Vietnam. He later managed the state's largest law firm.

A former fund raiser and party stalwart, McBride has wooed teachers with promises to add $1.1 billion in education funding. He also picked up the backing of Pete Peterson, the former ambassador to Vietnam who was recruited by party leaders to run for governor but later dropped out.

"He's garnered the support of a lot of elected officials and a lot of party leaders. That goes to the fact that people want to win," said McBride campaign manager Robin Rorapaugh. "They view Bill as the best candidate to take on Jeb Bush and win in the fall."

Trailing in polls

Recent polls show McBride narrowing the gap but still trailing Reno by more than 20 points for the nomination. Still, Reno's unfavorable ratings top 40 percent in some polls, in part because of some of the decisions that marked her eight years as President Clinton's attorney general -- namely, the move to seize Elian Gonzalez and send him back to Cuba.

Bush leads both Reno and McBride by double digits in head-to-head comparisons.

The fund-raising numbers are also making Democrats gloomy. Bush, helped by several trips by his brother, has raked in more than $5.6 million and millions more for GOP party coffers. Figures released Wednesday show Reno has raised $1.4 million but has only $220,000 cash on hand. McBride has raised about $2 million and has more than $1 million in cash.

A populist tone

Reno seems unfazed by the money chase. She has struck a populist tone and stressed her ability to reach ordinary voters. At a recent address to gay Democrats in Miami, Reno said: "You don't have to have $30 million to be governor of Florida. You can do it by going to the people."

Her campaign mixes folksy talk about camping in the Everglades with the support of Hollywood, where she counts Martin Sheen and Rosie O'Donnell among her backers.

Organizers are typically forced to break out extra folding chairs when she visits a community center. And staff members have to factor in extra time for the crowds of people wanting to shake her hand or snap a photo.