WILLIAM MARCH, Tampa Tribune
- For Charlie Crist, a pitch to black voters was one of the biggest successes of his 2006 campaign for governor of Florida, drawing a record number of black votes for a Republican.
Now, Republican presidential candidate Arizona Sen. John McCain, whom Crist backs, and Jim Greer, whom Crist chose to be chairman of the state Republican Party, are trying to follow the same path.
McCain plans a series of town hall meetings this month in Democratic strongholds, including inner-city neighborhoods. Greer is continuing what he says will be a sustained pitch to black and Hispanic Floridians.
