Posted on 04/29/2010 3:06:52 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
The withdrawal of Charlie Crist, Florida's moderate governor, from the Republican primary has left the way clear for conservative favourite Marco Rubio to claim the party's nomination.
Hailed as the first member of the Tea Party to have the potential to break into the Senate, Rubio has risen from political obscurity a year ago to poster boy for the Right-wing populist movement that has spread across the country in reaction to President Barack Obama's liberal agenda.
A lawyer and former speaker of the house in Florida's legislature, he has vowed to pursue low-tax, small government policies in Washington and has strongly supported keeping open the US prison on Guantánamo.
Initially trailing Mr Crist in the polls for the Republican nomination, he moved more than 20 points ahead, leaving his opponent no choice but to run as an independent in the race to represent Florida in the US Senate.
Silver-haired and smooth-talking, Mr Crist, 53, was once tipped as a potential presidential candidate and was on John McCain's shortlist of running mates in 2008. But to a majority of Republicans in Florida he is now a pariah.
He suffered hugely from images of him hugging Mr Obama when welcoming the then new president on a visit to Florida in 2009, and for supporting the $787 billion stimulus bill, saying it could help his cash-strapped state. For Tea Party activists, whose movement is named after the 1773 Boston anti-tax revolt, the bill has rivalled health care reform as a target.(continued)
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
The Tea Party, by an large, opposes amnesty.
Rubio not so much. He is Mel Martinez - the Sequel.
Crist is an egotistical ass. He thinks it’s SO important that he be in the Senate that he’s willing to risk handing it over to the Democrat.
Worse than an ass. Asses at least are useful creatures.
I don’t think he is a Tea Party candidate, he is just the Not-Crist candidate
Maybe not, frantzie.
Check him out on Hannity’s radio program today, as well as Hannity’s tv show tonight.
I think you may be pleasantly surprised. I was for sure.
Frantzie that is a mischaracterization of what Rubio has said. He doesn’t support amnesty and never has.
Crist is only 53 . . . yikes he should be the poster boy for staying away from tanning beds, he looks to easily be 63 to me.
I heard part of his chat on Hannity radio this afternoon and I think much was made of his comments on the new AZ law to be bad but he didn’t come across that way this afternoon. I don’t think it will hurt him, before I thought I might have.
Agreed. I was considering not voting for him.
I am glad I took the time to hear him out.
“
Agreed. I was considering not voting for him.
I am glad I took the time to hear him out.”
Rubio was good on Hannity today. Said the right things.
Certainly preferable to Arlen Crist
Frantzie don’t care...frantzie in on a Rubio bashing tirade, thread after thread after thread....
A true basher!
Tricky calling Republicans “the tea party movement.” Divide and conquer, baby.
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