I don’t like Connie Mack, and I think that FL could do much better. But you know what? It hasn’t. None of the top-notch conservatives who could have run—Allen West, Adam Putnam, Jeb Bush, Jennifer Carrol—have, or will, file to run, and other than Mack the only other candidates with any chance of winning are RINO LeMioux and Unknown McCalister. Mack is a guy in whom I don’t trust, but he keeps getting 90%+ on ACU and other conservative ratings: kind of like the Johnny Isakson of FL. I’d take him over LeMioux, and McCalister would have to prove to me that he can actually run and win a statewide race before I’d turn down supporting a 90% conservative who appears to be a slam dunk in the general election (if only because of his family name). I wish that Allen West or someone like that were running against him, but he isn’t, and Mack may not be such a bad choice given the circumstances.
That being said, this is the primary where we pick the best Republican, and under NO circumstances will I support Mack for the nomination in the primary. My position isn't going to change no matter what Mack does. He can campaign to the right of Jesse Helms and he's still a wolf in sheep's clothing, IMO. I'd don't buy the "only Mack can WIN!!" stuff that we always hear on FR for the establishment candidate, regardless of how conservative the state is (they even made this ridiculous argument for Murkowski is super Republican Alaska). Florida leans Republican statewide and I'm certain both LeMieux and McCalister would be competitive candidates in the general election -- or any other GOP candidate for that matter. Barring another Katherine Harris style disaster, any GOP candidate would preferable to Mack and his creepy RINO family.
As for "Mack is a guy in whom I don’t trust, but he keeps getting 90%+ on ACU and other conservative ratings", couldn't the same be said of LeMieux? I just googled it and he got a 92% ACU rating in 2010. Despite being appointed by Crist, he had a pretty decent conservaitve record in office and has already held the job statewide. I don't trust him or Mack, but at least LeMieux hasn't made Alan Greyson style attacks on conservatives like "conservative" Connie Mack IV has. Ideally I'd take McCalister over both of 'em.