John McCain and Mitt Romney made final-hour appeals to vote for them — and not the other guy — as Florida Republicans cast ballots Tuesday in a pivotal primary.
"I'm feeling good. Endorsements matter," McCain said, standing alongside his chief supporter in the state, Gov. Charlie Crist, at a waterside St. Petersburg polling station.
As voting began, the four-term Arizona senator kept up his weeklong criticism of Romney's economic record as a one-term Massachusetts governor. But, he said: "The real key, I think, here in Florida is who can keep America safe. Who is it that has got the experience and background and knowledge to take on the challenge of radical Islamic extremism? Governor Romney has no experience there."
Romney was greeting voters elsewhere.
"If you want somebody who understands how Washington works, you can elect the other guy. But if you want somebody who understands how America works, elect me and our team," Romney said in a direct appeal to Floridians at an airport hanger in Jacksonville on Monday night.
"This thing is this close," he said, holding two fingers an inch or so apart. "It's very, very close. And the difference tomorrow is going to be that we have people across Florida who are working to get their friends to go vote."
Florida's primary could solidify one of the two as the GOP front-runner; each hopes a Florida win will provide a burst of energy heading into the virtual national primary next week. The Tuesday contest offers the winner the state's 57 delegates to GOP nominating convention and serves as a gateway to the 20-plus states with nominating contests on Feb. 5.
Voting began at 7 a.m. EST, but more than a million ballots had already been cast, either through the early voting that began Jan. 14 or in absentee ballots returned by mail. A proposed state constitutional amendment on property taxes on the ballot could boost turnout.
McCain and Romney hammered each other on the economy and national security all week; critical phone calls, negative radio ads, and bitter, personal exchanges marked the final days before the primary.
Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor who has lost six straight contests, is seeking a win to remain a viable candidate. But he is far behind in the polls, and a poor showing could force him to abandon his bid. Also lagging is Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor who hasn't won since the Iowa caucuses nearly a month ago and hardly competed in Florida.
The contest is so tight between McCain and Romney that just about any factor could tip the balance.
More so than his rival, Romney has a get-out-the-vote effort as well as early and absentee voting programs. He's spent considerable time and money in the state in the past year. The recent focus on the economy works in his favor; he's been pushing his private-sector credentials and arguing that he's the most capable to turn the country away from the brink of recession.
Conversely, McCain is backed by Florida's top two Republican elected officials, Sen. Mel Martinez and Crist, and has endorsements from a slew of Florida newspapers. The former Vietnam prisoner of war also has universal name recognition, as well as ownership of an issue important to the large number of veterans and active military in the state — national security.
Terri Rose, 50, a Republican voting in Neptune Beach, said she cast her ballot for McCain.
"I think he would be the best on the security issues," Rose said.
McCain is expected to do well in areas with a strong military presence — Pensacola, Jacksonville, Tampa. He's also hoping for a strong turnout in Miami, with its heavy Cuban-American population, and Orlando, a melting pot. Romney is fighting for the southwest part of the state around Fort Myers and Sarasota; it's much like the Midwest, where he was raised. Another likely stronghold, Palm Beach and Broward County, home to many Northeastern transplants.
Up for grabs is the corridor along Interstate 4 between Tampa and Daytona Beach, a swing area that has seen much growth and is home to roughly two-thirds of the Republican primary vote.
Romney, McCain: Tight race As Fla. votes
Florida governor endorses McCain
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist endorsed a beaming Sen. John McCain on Saturday night, delivering a boost three days before the state's pivotal primary.
Crist praised McCain as a "true American hero." At a county GOP dinner in St. Petersburg, Crist added, "After thinking about it as much as I have, I don't think anybody would do better than the man who stands next to me, Sen. John McCain."
It was the second high-profile endorsement in as many days for McCain, who is locked in a tight primary race with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Crist stepped to the podium a little more than 24 hours after Sen. Mel Martinez announced he was backing his colleague in the Senate. Officials said Martinez, who campaigned Saturday with McCain, had prodded the governor to follow his lead.
Crist said he would campaign for McCain in the coming days. "I just feel in my heart he's the right man for the job at the right time," he told reporters afterward.
The winner of next week's primary will capture all 57 delegates at stake, a large prize that will set the stage for a virtual nationwide primary on Feb. 5.
Crist's endorsement was sought by all the GOP presidential rivals, including Romney, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
McCain said the nod "means a lot in this race."
"I'm honored and privileged," McCain told reporters. "And I intend to work very closely with him on the issues. We've got to provide home insurance for every person who lives in the path of a hurricane. We are going to have to work together to save the Everglades and other great environmental treasures of this state."
He quipped: "We will continue to compete for both baseball spring training and for tourism."
McCain does not support a national catastrophic insurance fund for Florida and other hurricane-prone states, instead saying he could bring industry and government together to protect homeowners. Crist does support a national fund.
It's unclear what effect the two endorsements will have on McCain's candidacy.
At the very least, the nods of Florida's two top Republican elected officials could serve to validate McCain's candidacy with the GOP establishment and counteract the fears among some that he would not be a loyal Republican while in the Oval Office.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, in an e-mail to the Associated Press, said: "I respect the governor's decision but Republican voters will determine who they want among very fine candidates. I look forward to working for our party's nominee in the general election."
Bush has not endorsed a candidate but many of his allies and aides have backed Romney.
Crist, a popular first-term governor, had suggested he would stay out of the multi-candidate GOP primary, and played coy about his preferences for a year. He met with all the serious contenders, and appeared with some at events.
McCain campaigned for Crist during his 2006 campaign for governor, endorsing him before the primary and appearing with him the day before the election, when Crist opted not to appear with President Bush at a Pensacola rally.
Giuliani also campaigned with Crist, and Romney delivered a $1 million check as chairman of the Republican Governors Association.
While Crist has met with other Republican candidates in his office, he took an extra step last spring by introducing McCain at a fundraiser held a few blocks from the Capitol. During a debate last fall, when Crist introduced the Republican candidates, he warmly embraced McCain while shaking the hands of his rivals.
Crist has been seen as a moderate Republican. He has championed efforts to curb climate change, and was praised by former President Clinton for his efforts to restore voting rights of felons who have completed their sentences.
He also pushed for a law that requires a paper trail in state elections, a measure that bans the electronic voting machines his predecessor, Gov. Jeb Bush, sought after the 2000 presidential election. That election ended in a hotly contested recount, which President Bush won by 537 votes.
