Democrats eye fight in Florida

>>> here, he was in orlando last week spending his 14th day in the state since taking office and with an unemployment rate of nearly 10% and one in 360 houses in foreclosure, it going to be a tough state for him. this is a state that hillary clinton won over obama. it's not a natural state. there are cuban americans and jewish americans and some that have problems with the president's foreign policy , how does he reestablish his base here?

>> i think the president will do well here, florida , i have concerned considered it a center state. it's right down the middle. the republican primary has moved them, particularly with romney moving as far to the right as he has, it will be difficult for them to recenter themselves in an election. the economy is improving and i think the republicans are saddled with an unpopular governor. he is the least popular governor in the country. and part of their economic problem is placed squarely by the voters at his feet. so i think the president on the issues will do well. i think that people like him. i think his numbers are improving. it's been a tough haul for everyone, but we have seen 22 months in a row of private sector gain and growth in the job market. it's going to be a slow recovery, but people remember how we got here and where we were when he took office. i look for him to do well in florida , this year shows that we have had major wins in municipal mayor's races and first african american to win duval county , we won back in tampa, so we have won special elections . i think that democrats are excited about the chances for re-election. right now we are being compared to the almighty. but in the end we will be compared to the alternative. and when that selection happens, i think this president will do well in florida .

>> who is going to be tougher to run against, newt gingrich or mitt romney or none of the above ?

>> i think the president will run the race on his merits and we will do well in 2012 . i would say that right now romney will struggle in florida . he may have the resource advantage going into this, in terms of funding, but florida is funny. you go north to go south and south to go north. in my neck of the woods, which is north florida , i do not think that people relate well to romney . there's a distance. he does not connect. he is in south part of the state, on the immigration issue, his opposition to the " dream act ," they are different than in on the part states on immigration.

>> and newt gingrich has a more compatible immigration stance.

>> it seems to me that if gingrich has the ability to connect with voters financially, if he can get on the ground, he has boots on the ground , the focus for me is whoever he come out with, we are more energized than i've seen in a long time. we are move democratic presence in more counties we have more boots on the ground , we have hispanic outreach working already and early voter focus working already. as i have talked to people, i have seen more energy in the last six months than i've seen in a long time, i don't care who they bring, the president will run his own race and i had think t -- when people see what we have done in terms of returning the troops and turning the committee around, we will win.

>> thank you very much. an energyic democratic party . and the