File this one under half-baked political analysis.

USA Today's Susan Page rattles off a number of reasons she thinks Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-FL) is a “weak” U.S. Senate candidate in Florida including the fact that he's... an African-American.

From the April 19, 2010 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:

He's an African-American. We know it's hard -- although not impossible -- for African-Americans to win statewide.

Nope, it's not impossible. In fact, it happened in the most recent Florida statewide election when Barack Obama carried the state in the presidential contest.

Incidently, according to a Miami Herald article from earlier this month, Meek is “the first U.S. Senate candidate in state history to qualify for the ballot by petition” submitting a few thousand more than the required 112,476 valid signatures. A sign of weakness to be sure.

We know it's hard -- although not impossible -- for reporters to offer thoughtful political analysis on cable television.