Seems to me like this while split the conservative vote and hand Crist the nomination (which he's likely to get anyway), but I can't see this as helpful to conservatism, especially when Smith's opposition to Rubio seems ostensibly to be based on Rubio’s ‘wheeling and dealing’ style rather than ideological grounds, which means his real motivation is not ideological at all, he just wants to be a Senator again. I don't see personal ambition (Smith) as trumping complaints about political style (Rubio) in a fight for the ‘soul’ of the party; conversely it's a rather pathetic basis for a campaign.
"Seems to me like this while split the conservative vote and hand Crist the nomination Or, do you think it will split the old, white guy vote. I'm not completely familiar with FL GOP politics, but it seems likely that the Latino/Cuban GOP block will vote for Rubio, no matter what.
Smith can call himself whatever he likes, but he's got a record he'll have to defend eventually. I just think he's more likely to draw voters from Crist, especially for people that give high priority to experience and age. These are not people who may have voted for Rubio in the first place, JMHO.