Poll: Biden retakes lead in Florida (Biden 35%, Bloomberg 25%, Sanders 13%)

The Hill ^ | February 27, 2020 | Max Greenwood

[karpov]

Former Vice President Joe Biden is reclaiming his frontrunner status in Florida, according to a survey released on Thursday by St. Pete Polls.

The poll shows Biden pulling ahead of the pack in the Sunshine State with 35 percent support. Meanwhile, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg fell into second place with 25 percent support.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who has taken the lead in polls nationally after back-to-back wins in the New Hampshire primary and Nevada caucuses, is running in a distant third in Florida. The St. Pete Poll pegged his support in the state at 13 percent, a sign that the recent traction he has enjoyed in other states isn’t translating in Florida, where voters will cast ballots on March 17.

No other candidate registered double-digit support in the survey. Former South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg finished with about 8 percent support, while Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) registered 5 percent and 4 percent, respectively.

The St. Pete poll, conducted from Feb. 25-26, suggests that Bloomberg’s political stock has taken a hit in the wake of the Democratic presidential debate in Las Vegas last week, when he came under frequent attack from his rivals and struggled to fend off criticism of his mayoral record, treatment of women and controversial past comments.

A St. Pete Poll released just before the Las Vegas debate showed the former New York City mayor in first place in Florida, with 32 percent support. Within a matter of days, that support slipped 7 points, the new poll shows.

[karpov]

Sanders' support of Castro hurts him in Florida and should hurt him nationwide. Even if you want Sanders to win the nomination (I don't -- any nominee has a real chance of winning the general), it should only be after a long fight.

[Zathras]

It would be funny to see Bloomberg spend all this money and not win a single primary State.
FL is really his only shot.

[central_va]

Operation Chaos II. Vote for Bernie on Super Tuesday!!! Feel the Bern!!!!

[mewzilla]

Very large poll sample of likely voters, but I think the rest of the methodology was jiggered to get a good result for Biden.

Someone whose brain is firing on all cylinders this AM might want to give the methodology a perusal to see if there is a prob with the poll.

[samtheman]

I want Sanders to win the nomination for two reasons:

1. He would be the weakest candidate in the general election of all the possibilities

2. He is honest about what the democrap party actually stands for and what the nation’s democraps actually believe in. The rest of the democrap politicians are a pack of howling liars and I’m so sick of the howls and so sick of the lies I could vomit right here right now on my screen and keyboard. Just tell the damn truth, you pack of liars, you love communism, you want communism, you believe in communism. If you can’t do that, I’m cross-over voting for Bernie.

[central_va]

You couldn’t be more wrong. THEY ( current Dem field ) ARE ALL SOCIALISTS.

[New Jersey Realist]

I guess there are a lot of doddering old fools down their suffering from dementia just like Biden.

[donozark]

Hard to determine who gets the old codger vote in Florida as three of the Demwit candidates are well, old codgers.

[richardtavor]

Another stupid, useless poll. Only useful for the people that paid for it, who are trying to save the ancient one, Joe Biden....

[JonPreston]

Has anyone bothered to research St Pete Poll, the company who conducted this survey? They aren't using a complete list of registered voters, whatever that means, and they don't call cellphones. They are only calling landlines (does anyone still have one?) and the person contacted might or might not be a registered voter. I wonder if the Bernie Bros know this is nothing but a push poll for Biden?

[samtheman]

I don’t see a difference between communism and socialism. A turd by any other name.

[mewzilla]

Likely more anybody-but-Bernie since Bernie comes in so far back in the pack.

[HighSierra5]

The only problem is that Joek’s brain is still in Iowa.

[rollo tomasi]

Anybody but Sanders will be the weakest candidate in my opinion because he galvanizes the dems' base. An easy 65+ million votes as well as a solid 240 EV by default and strong in the Rust Belt battleground States.

Bloomberg has been exposed as well as provides a sharp contrast in policies between a two billionaire national race. Biden will be considered too senile. Also, a lot of Sanders' supporters will cry conspiracy if not nominated and punish the DNC, including the down vote political races.

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

they are working so hard to steer the narrative away from Bernie. lol

[central_va]

Socialism is a melding of government and business ( fascism). Communism is the complete take over of all productivity and ownership. Big difference.

[nathanbedford]

This poll seems too good to be true.

But I note a high number, 2788 likely primary voters, with a minimal margin of error of 1.9%.

So let's play along and assume the poll is valid, can you imagine Joe Biden actually copping the nomination? He would be thoroughly emasculated before he even got to a debate by the words coming out of his own mouth. The man is trespassing on his dotage and the world knows it.

Imagine the defection of all those Bernie supporters! The Democratic Party would go into election day at war with itself.

In all probability Biden will not get the nomination, Sanders will but it is instructive to know that Sanders will have a great deal of difficulty carrying Florida probably because of his ill considered remarks in support of the Castro regime. Cubans ain't Mexicans or Central Americans. Cubans have a real life understanding of communism/socialism no matter what label it wears.

I don't believe Bloomberg will necessarily call off his air war against Sanders if Sanders gets the nomination because I think Bloomberg is running to stop Sanders in order to protect his own rice bowl, his relationship with China and his grand estate in the elitist establishment. If that is Bloomberg's motivation, he might either overtly or covertly continue to make war against Sanders.

[treetopsandroofs]

“1. He would be the weakest candidate in the general election of all the possibilities”

Hahaha, most of us could prbabaly talk all day about which Rat candidate is the weakest.

I think Sanders is the stronger/st candidate because I often am around the 18-25 crowd, and they all seem to like what he’s selling.

I find it hard to believe they know anything about Quid Pro besides mean ol’ Trump doesn’t like him, but will vote for him if he’s actually the candidate.

I would be surprised if QP’s handlers are still really keeping him in the race to stay out of jail, as none of all the other Hussein Head criminals seem to have anything to worry about from Johnny Law.

[samtheman]

Socialism is a way of easing the populace into communism. Small distinction.

[wiseprince]

Ahhh the Florida strategy. Remember when people were supposed to vote for Rubio in Florida, Kasich in Ohio to split the vote to stop Trump? That was Romney’s brain child. If Bernie swept Super Tuesday Florida won’t matter. Likewise, if Bloomcube did well in Super Tuesday Those numbers would swing towards him.