Mitt on the Stump in Florida

A young Mitt-backer in Coral Springs. Miami Herald:

Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney made a swing through South Florida on Tuesday, making stump speeches before a group of Jewish Republicans in Boca and a standing-room only crowd at a Broward eatery.

Neither of his major competitors were in the state that day, having flown back to New York for fundraisers (presumably separate ones), so Mitt got some press. IHT on his economic message. Palm Beach Post: Romney questions McCain's record on job growth. NBC2 Naples, talking about home values. Miami Herald on that stop:

A scheduled appearance at the Naples Chamber of Commerce turned into an impromptu rally in the parking lot outside the chamber gathering, with Romney addressing a throng of supporters while standing in the back of a Mustang convertible.

Retired grocer Lorraine Soderquist, 81, said she was undecided about who would get her vote, even after first meeting Romney in the flesh when he walked the annual Swamp Buggy parade last fall.

"It was his radio ads that did it," said Soderquist, climbing onto a grassy swale to get a better glimpse of her candidate. "I don't watch much television."

Mustang Mitt.

UPDATE: Jay Cost, The Horserace Blog, RCP "Is McCain Inevitable?" Read it all, but here's a part:

So when we look closely, the seemingly quirky nature of the nomination process reveals its Madisonian roots. Candidates need to build broad coalitions to win. When they fail to do that, disenchanted minorities can slow or even stop the nomination of a candidate who lacks universal appeal.

Now that he is the frontrunner, this is the problem that confronts John McCain. In every previous cycle in the modern era - the Republican who wins South Carolina wins the nomination. A big reason is that the victory in the South, the heart of the Republican's general election strength, signals who the favored candidate is. The rest of the candidates eventually recognize this, and they bow out. McCain won South Carolina, and he is better positioned now than he was a week ago - but the race is not over.

McCain is staunchly opposed by a vocal group of conservatives who view him as an unreliable maverick.

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