Crist fades in Florida
Washington Times:
Rubio is an attractive candidate who is destined to be a bigger star than Crist at this point. He has a compelling life story and the ability to attract a broad cross section of voters. I don't know what his ambitions are beyond the Senate, but I would not discount any of them at this point.
BTW, Crist has come off as flaky and inconsistent in trying to reposition himself as an independent. That accounts for as much of his problems as Rubio's charisma does.
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, a rising "rock star" in the Republican Party only two years ago, may now be singing his political swan song, thanks to a young upstart who dared challenge the career politician's once-solid Senate run.There is more.
Republican Marco Rubio's support in the polls has jumped since the Florida primary elections last month, breaking open a once-tight race against the Republican turned independent Mr. Crist and the Democratic nominee, Rep. Kendrick B. Meek.
"Barring some unforeseen big anvil that hits Rubio and Meek ... it's looking like the race is starting to get out of reach" for Mr. Crist, said Aubrey Jewett, a University of Central Florida political science professor.
Mr. Rubio "is kind of cruising along right now, just trying not to screw up and basically just trying to surf the Republican/conservative/tea party tide. If he can do that, that's probably enough."
A poll released Saturday showed Mr. Rubio with 40 percent of voter support, comfortably leading Mr. Crist, with 28 percent, and Mr. Meek, with 23 percent. The Mason-Dixon Polling and Research survey of 625 registered voters shows 9 percent of voters are undecided. Other polls taken this month have shown Mr. Rubio breaking out to a double-digit lead.
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Mr. Rubio - the dapper 39-year-old former Florida House speaker and son of Cuban immigrants - has been pushing all the right campaign buttons. Unlike other "outsider" candidates this year, he has built a solid coalition that includes socially conservative "tea party" supporters, mainstream Republicans and party leaders.
"If you're a Republican voter in the state who may have liked Charlie Crist and still likes some of his policies, the question is, 'Is Charlie Crist leaning too far to the left?' " said University of Florida political science professor Daniel A. Smith. "And Marco Rubio wisely has moved more toward the center on some of these issues, leaving hard-right Republicans nowhere else to go" but for him.
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Rubio is an attractive candidate who is destined to be a bigger star than Crist at this point. He has a compelling life story and the ability to attract a broad cross section of voters. I don't know what his ambitions are beyond the Senate, but I would not discount any of them at this point.
BTW, Crist has come off as flaky and inconsistent in trying to reposition himself as an independent. That accounts for as much of his problems as Rubio's charisma does.
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