ClydeR
03-10-2010, 11:28 AM
After getting rid (http://forum.gsplayers.com/showthread.php?p=1046187) of the insufficiently conservative Florida Republican Party chairman, Florida Republicans are now rejecting the Senate candidate who, just a year ago, was thought to be the most likely opportunity in the country for a GOP Senate pick up. Not only was Charlie Crist thought to be a sure thing for the Senate, he was also frequently mentioned by the political cognoscenti as a 2012 Republican presidential candidate.
It's too late for Crist to turn the direction of this campaign, unless he does something like Joe Lieberman did in 2008 and runs as an independent.
Support for Charlie Crist from conservative voters has pretty much evaporated, and that's allowed Marco Rubio to build a 32 point lead in the Republican primary for Senate.
Rubio now leads Crist 60-28, including a staggering 71-17 lead with conservatives. Crist has a 49-36 advantage with party moderates, but they account for just 31% of likely primary voters compared to 65% who describe themselves as conservative.
Rubio is benefiting from a widely held sentiment among Florida GOP voters that Congressional Republicans are too liberal and that Crist would add to the problem. 41% of them think that the party leadership in Washington is too liberal, and with those folks Rubio holds an 83-10 lead. 50% think that Crist himself is too liberal and with those voters Rubio's advantage expands even wider to 90-5.
More... (http://publicpolicypolling.blogspot.com/2010/03/crist-down-big.html)
It's too late for Crist to turn the direction of this campaign, unless he does something like Joe Lieberman did in 2008 and runs as an independent.
Support for Charlie Crist from conservative voters has pretty much evaporated, and that's allowed Marco Rubio to build a 32 point lead in the Republican primary for Senate.
Rubio now leads Crist 60-28, including a staggering 71-17 lead with conservatives. Crist has a 49-36 advantage with party moderates, but they account for just 31% of likely primary voters compared to 65% who describe themselves as conservative.
Rubio is benefiting from a widely held sentiment among Florida GOP voters that Congressional Republicans are too liberal and that Crist would add to the problem. 41% of them think that the party leadership in Washington is too liberal, and with those folks Rubio holds an 83-10 lead. 50% think that Crist himself is too liberal and with those voters Rubio's advantage expands even wider to 90-5.
More... (http://publicpolicypolling.blogspot.com/2010/03/crist-down-big.html)