Storm track scare or blessing?

Right now, the headline at Drudge is "Storm Track Scare." The track, which can be seen here for now, takes the storm into the southwest Florida coast. Now I wouldn't wish a hurricane on anyone, but as battered as the Gulf Coast is right now, isn't a track that takes the storm quickly in and out of the Gulf over southern Florida a bit of a blessing? One would think this path would minimize the strength of the storm and spare the already battered areas.