Let Us Dispel With This Fiction That Marco Rubio Is Unbeatable

Schumer’s decision to pull out of the Florida Senate race is getting a lot of pushback within the party:

Many Democrats see things the other way. Reid is advocating that the party make an eleventh-hour re-entry into Florida, Democratic sources said. Barack Obama has also taken a keen interest in the race, traveling to Florida to knock Rubio last week. He’ll return Friday to visit Orlando.

Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) has been pleading with former President Bill Clinton to get Democrats more interested in the Florida contest, sources familiar with the matter said. Bill Clinton himself believes Democrats gave up on the race prematurely and is urging Florida donors to support Murphy.

These Democrats argue that someone — anyone — in the party needs to come through with a few million dollars, perhaps targeting black and Hispanic media, to tip the scales in Murphy’s favor. They believe that Rubio, already wounded from losing his home-state Republican presidential primary, is beatable. Polling on the race has varied but generally shown Rubio with a narrow lead.

The urgency among many Democrats is heightened by Rubio’s status as a rising star in the Republican Party with unquestioned national ambitions. Many Democrats believe the next few days is the best chance to finish him off.

“I understand it’s not Chuck Schumer’s job to worry about presidential politics,” said Steve Schale, who managed Obama’s 2008 campaign in Florida. But “we’re all going to look a little dumb if Rubio wins by 80,000 votes and announces for president in two years.”

If money is burning a hole in your pocket, Wang has added Florida to the Senate ActBlue page.