Posted on 07/16/2009 6:28:03 PM PDT by Clintonfatigued
Two Republican sources said today that even as former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio campaigns for retiring GOP Sen. Mel Martinez's Senate seat, he has been calling around to top Republican donors and activists in the state to discuss the idea of switching from the Senate primary against GOP Gov. Charlie Crist and into the open-seat race for attorney general, where a serious Republican candidate has yet to emerge.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationaljournal.com ...
The last I heard, Marco denied it, but his denial sounded less than fervent.
It would really suck to hand this seat to uber-RINO Charlie Crist.
I am sure this has everything to do with the fact he could not raise any money. I would imagine that Florida is very expensive to run in and if you can’t raise the cash it would be difficult (unless you have personal funds)...Well it was worth a shot but things didn’t work out for him...maybe next round of elections.
How nice, that means both IL & FL will have 2 rodents competing in the general election.
For the last Qtr, Crist was able to raise $4 million! Rubio couldn’t break $1 million.
I’m very disappointed, if true. I’ve sent him money a couple of times... I can NOT stand Crist !
Sigh....
The bitter irony of this is that Crist is doing what too many other GOP governors won’t do: run for a Senate seat in their own state. (Prime example: North Dakota)
It’s almost always the worst and most destructive that never hesistate to make a run for office, and almost always the best and brightest that take a pass. After seeing this today:
http://www.black-and-right.com/2009/07/16/boxer-trips-liberal-race-landmine/
I’d like to see Mr. Alford run for high office... namely against Boxer.
Sounds like someone made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.
If Rubio backs out, someone else will step forward.
There is a big difference between being practical and being absurdly short-sighted, and the support for Crist definitely falls under the second catagory.
So much for my wasted shekels.
Back in Dec 08, Jeb was heavily courted to run for the Senate. He said no. Then the NRSC courted Crist. Jeb, it seems is more interested in seeing how the political winds blow in 2016. A lot of consultants and donors for both Dubya and Bush are warm to Romney. 2012 may just practice for the Bush money people. 2016 will be the time they fight for real to put Jeb in the White House.
I know Jeb is opposed to Crist, so that’s telling. But the NRSC is a damnable menace to the Conservative agenda. If Bubba Clinton offered to run as a Republican from Arkansas, they’d pledge every cent to help him. This party’s dysfunction is reaching an epic level.
Rubio Ping
Ostrich head in the sand alert.
I would say the litmus test conservatives dysfunction is reaching an epic level.
I say that because the litums test conservatives are failing to win primaries at every level.
It does not get any more dysfunctional than that.
I just hope that Alan Keyes doesn't decide to move to Florida.
Shhh, Don't say that to EternalVigilance.
Maybe Bob Smith could move from NH to FL.
To whomever it was in another thread that said *I* was backstabbing Republicans by criticizing RINO trash like Crist AND the RNC for backing him:
I Told You So!
The RNC and the party movers have learned nothing. They are continuing to lurch leftward as the party becomes more impotent. A party of Crists, McCains, McConnells and the rest of their ilk is not going to take this country back.
For the Republican party to push Charlie Crist is like Joe Biden saying we have to spend more to get out of debt. It’s what got us where we are now. Fools.
How frickin' stupid is the RNC? Can't they see the very distinct possibility of Axelrod & Co. pulling a "Jack Ryan" on Crist...??
G*d only knows what kind of skeletons old Charlie has in his closet ( pun intended ).
Florida is not nearly as conservative it was. I hesitate to call it a “conservative” state period.
I agree. Republicans are becoming scarce in the Senate. Pretty soon it could be down to 35 or so, down from a high point of 55 after 2004.
Oh, so sorry. I guess actually expecting the Republican party to run, y'know, Republicans and not Stalinist Democrats is just too much for you anklebiters to handle. No wonder we keep losing.
Keep running liberals, and we could set a new record low. And even if the RINOs win, Conservatism and America still loses.
People, you need to get involved with your local Republican organization. You have the power to bring conservative thinking back to your County, State and Country!Your life depends on it!
All I’m saying is that if you can’t win the primary, you don’t deserve to complain and you don’t deserve the office.
Horsecrap. I know you love your liberals, especially rich liberals who can hoodwink primary voters (with a liberal assist from the media), while Conservatives who weren’t born with a silver spoon in their mouth can’t compete to fight the lies. Yeah, and remember RR lost the 1976 primary, so by your estimation, he should’ve gone away because he didn’t deserve the Presidential nomination. So again, please spare me your idiocy.
Oh Boo Friggin Hoo. You sound like those liberal whiners who say "my daddy was a slave, so I can't compete against the privilidged white boys. I need affirmative action.
Bottomline: You are whiner with too many excuses why your people can't win.
You’re on the wrong forum, troll.
It's funny you mention that, because that's precisely what happened:
http://friendsofsenatorbobsmith.com/
Now I know alot of freepers here hate Bob Smith, and even I'll admit the guy is probably damaged goods and unlikely to be elected dog catcher now... but you gonna admit that if the ballot choice was Smith vs. Crist, I know who I'd be voting for and it wouldn't be Crist.
Besides, Smith endorsed Duncan Hunter in 2008, he seems to have recovered from the temporary insanity he suffered in 2004.
I dunno if that's the case, and this thread about Marco Rubio proves my point. Rubio is a very credible candidate and this forum absolutely hates Charlie Crist with a passion (personally I don't think Crist is THAT bad but I wouldn't support him in the primary and feel as a Senator he'd simply be RINO Mel Martinez redux). But conservative dislike for Crist is not translating into conservative support for Rubio. He's not getting the kinds of funds he needs to run a viable campaign and he's not polling high enough to be competitive against Crist. I've pinged many FL freepers hoping to get more feedback on Crist, and sadly I haven't gotten many responses. Rubio has a very appealing message and a good platform but I don't know if he's doing enough to reach the base. Alot of conservatives are hesitant to back him without knowing more about his background, myself included.
"A man's word is his bond" my grandfather always told me. Trust is more important than political issues. Bush had let me down and I wanted him to know how I felt. As an "in your face" reaction I decided to send Kerry a "letter of endorsement". It was a mistake that I regretted as soon as I sent the letter. I did not then, and do not now, support Kerry on any issues. We are mortal political enemies. We fought over the right to life, the POW/MIA issue, foreign and defense policy to name just a few issues. There was no political reason to "endorse" his candidacy for President. It was a decision made in anger against Bush not for Kerry and for personal not political reasons.
Much more refreshing than Bob Barr going to the dark side in 2008 and remaining unrepentant AFTER the election for doing everything he could to bash Palin and promote the likes of Al Gore.
During the Arnold/McClintock wars on FR, someone stated the Arnold backers would be campaigning for Clinton if he tossed an "R" next to his name, and a pro-Arnold freeper confirmed that he would "wholeheartedly back Clinton", even though the Arnoldbot admitted Clinton would probably only become a Republican for "some typically sleazy reason that benefits him".
Republicans with the "win at any cost" mentality truly have no shame. They don't care how far left someone is, as long as they can "win" as a Republican candidate.
Well, it looks like I’m going to be supporting Bob Smith. I’m beginning to feel like I never left New Jersey, politically.
That probably was me.
Both Bob Smith and Mark Sanford are good examples of politicians who did really stupid things while in office and probably committed political suicide, but that doesn't change the fact their voting record and commitment to conservative values while they were on the job was outstanding. There's no defending Sanford abadoning his wife and kids to go bang some Argentinean with taxpayer funds to pay for it. Sanford is DOA for higher office. However, that doesn't make him a "RINO" or take away from the fact his agenda for governing South Carolina was outstanding. Likewise, Bob Smith throwing a hissy fit and leaving the GOP, then returning when they gave him a committeeman chairmanship, was political pandering at its worse and his endorsement of Kerry was pathetic. That doesn't change the fact his voting record on most issues was excellent.
One of the things I found most refreshing about Smith was his record on judicial nominations. Look at how freepers are tearing their hair out now over our "conservative" Senators rolling over for Sonia Sotomayor, and GOP voters have every reason to. RAT Senators will "bork" a conservative mercilessly, digging up every bit of dirt they can, and even stooped to looking up Robert Bork's video store rentals in an effort to find something "embarrassing" on him. Republican Senators not only refuse to go after a RAT nominee in committee, they won't even vote against them on the floor! Truly pathetic and while it looked promising for a week or two, I doubted all along they'd go after her, considering how they rolled over for Ruth Bader Ginsburg. You even have normally solid conservatives like Jeff Sessions and Tom Coburn now saying she'll be confirmed easily (et tu, Coburn?). We could sure use some Republican Senators with spine.
Bob Smith explains in this video why he was only one of three GOP Senators to oppose Darth Bader Ginsburg, and why. He cites the same reason for his opposition to Sotomayor now. We could use more people like that in the Senate. Too bad there doesn't seem to be anyone on the horizon who is likely to win.
Smith is just too erratic. After he lost his Senate seat in ‘02, he lost his marbles. If he had wanted to contribute in a productive way, he should’ve stayed in NH, worked behind the scenes after ‘02, and he would’ve been in a position to credibly run for office again, either the House or Governor.
Billy, c’mon, really. Look, I liked Bob Smith, but he went around the bend. He just needs to quietly fade away.
Bob Smith is already in FL making waves about running.
I think you are correct. Also a good number of this forum supported Crist over Gallagher for Governor. He has made some bad decisions but I think he still has conservative principles but Rubio was a better for the base.
Think Crist has been a disappointment from what I expected but he is sure not going to pull what the two Senators from Maine did all the time. We have to keep that FL Senate seat in Republican control.
If Rubio ran for Attorney General, they would be a good stepping stone as he is so young. He is tremendous speaker with a long career ahead of him.
The only good thing I can say about it is that Rubio running for Attorney General will give Republicans a strong ticket in FL. With the Presidential election in 2012, we do not want a Dem as Attorney General if any one remembers that idiot Butterworth from 2000 who was the AG that wanted to give the election to Gore.
I don’t like the possibility of Rubio pulling out to run for AG, but I understand why.
You hit one of the biggest complaints I have — people won’t like a candidate like Crist but by the same token they won’t get out and work for a candidate like Rubio. A young candidate running for Senate needs a lot of help and it isn’t always money.
One of the largest counties, Hillsborough, did the same thing as yours with the County Executive Committee sending a resolution to the State Chair.
Crist could have made this easy by running for Governor again, McCollum stays at AG, and Rubio runs for Senate, but I am not sure that Crist is comfortable as Governor. He may be someone that is more comfortable on the legislative side.
Yeah I made hay, or flung poo or something over that. He also said that he and his wife and kids would VOTE for him. I hope they didn't actually do that. I'm glad he admits it was just another hissy fit.
My remaining disgust over that is a little ironic as I've said and some have questioned my sanity for saying so that in retrospect (with SCOTUS being the main thorn) that it would have been better for us long term if that scum Kerry had beaten the RINO Bush. What William Weld did to the MA GOP Bush did to the national GOP. We could have avoided the whole decimation of GOP numbers in Congress in 2006. And with the VP Edwards love child scandal to go along with the economic collapse (with Kerry inside of Bush calling for bailouts and most Republicans probably opposing) he probably would have lost in 2008 (maybe to McLame which would screw us again but possibly to someone better, George Allen maybe who wouldn't have lost in this alternate reality).
But anyway that absolutely doesn't mean if I could go back I'd vote for Kerry or suggest anyone else do so. I'd rather be banned from voting than disgrace myself in that fashion.
Back to Smith on one issue Smith and Kerry did agree, envirowackism. Smith's is at least on par with Crist on that issue.
But otherwise yes, he's a solid and strong conservative. If the choice was him or Crist, that's no contest from an issues perspective. I'd take Smith.
I doubt he'll be able to get much support in the primary or win the GE if he somehow got the nod. Even though he's lived there for several years I'm sure the media would treat him like Alan Keyes.
Now Crist, he's a terrible RINO Governor. And yes Overlord it is ironic that Crist one of the few popular GOP Governors willing to run for the Senate. I'm not prepared to dub him an uber-RINO though maybe a Hyper-RINO or Turbo-RINO. His voting record would probably not be that bad, it's much better to have him in the Senate than in the Executive. Don Sundquist of Tennesse had a good voting record in the house. As Governor you'd have thunk he was a democrat if you didn't know he wasn't. If he Crist was running for Governor again next year and I lived in Florida I wouldn't probably wouldn't even think about voting for him if it wasn't a critical redistricting year.
Rubio hasn't quit yet, I'll hold out hope. If he does it I'd look at the other minor candidates before settling on Smith. There's some doctor named Marion Thorpe who ran for the house in 2008 against Alcee Hastings. And...a former Ohio State Senator named Tom Walsh...lol. Former Senator from another state trumps former State Senator from another state I would say. Thorpe should be looked at.
They (NRSC) begged Crist to run on bended knee. He did run for the Senate in 1998 (and got crushed by Bob Graham) so he’s not opposed to the idea of being a Senator, obviously.
I’m glad he’s not running for Governor. He’s less damaging without executive power.
From his point of view, in 2014 there would be no Senate seat up in Florida and he may not be popular anymore after another term as Governor. And certainly he wouldn’t want a tough race in 2012 against the rat incumbent Bill Nelson, parish the thought. So with the NRSC begging, this was his opportunity.
I agree 100% and he is less damaging being part of 100 then as the Florida Governor.
Here’s Marco’s denial on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/marcorubio/statuses/2656853588
And here he explained what he said for those in Palm Beach County:
http://twitter.com/marcorubio/statuses/2657240958
Kerry/Edwards would’ve done too much damage, although not as much as The One, and we still would have had McCain in 08.
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