Posted on 02/01/2010 1:03:13 PM PST by MissesBush
Former state House Speaker Marco Rubio has now jumped to a 12-point lead over Governor Charlie Crist in Florida’s Republican Primary race for the U.S. Senate.
A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely GOP Primary voters in the state finds Rubio leading Crist 49% to 37%. Three percent (3%) prefer another candidate, and 11% are undecided.
The new numbers mark a stunning turnaround. Crist was the strong favorite when he first announced for the Senate seat, and Rubio was viewed as a long-shot challenger.
But Crist’s support fell from 53% in August to 49% in October. By December, the two men were tied at 43% apiece.
Rubio leads Crist by 17 points among men and by seven among women. He also carries 52% of the conservative GOP vote, while moderates prefer Crist.
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Crist’s fortunes appear to be tied in part to national unhappiness over President Obama and his policies. Many conservatives began rebelling against Crist when he became one of the few Republican governors to embrace Obama’s $787-billion economic stimulus plan last year. The national Republican party establishment endorsed Crist early on, but a number of prominent national party conservatives have since announced their support for Rubio. Nationally, the GOP’s Florida Senate race is being watched as a test of the new “Tea Party” mood among many conservative and traditionally Republican voters.
In Florida's Senate general election contest, Crist and Rubio both hold a double-digit lead over their likely Democratic opponent, Congressman Kendrick Meek, in the latest Rasmussen Reports polling of likely voters in the state.
Sixty-two percent (62%) of GOP Primary voters have a favorable view of Crist while 37% regard the governor unfavorably. Those figures include 19% with a very favorable opinion and 11% who have a very unfavorable view of him.
Rubio is viewed favorably by 67% of primary voters and unfavorably by only14%. These numbers include 35% with a very favorable opinion of the Cuban-American candidate versus four percent (4%) with a very unfavorable view.
Perhaps more telling for Crist is that just 56% of Republican Primary voters approve of the job he is now doing as governor. Forty-three percent (43%) disapprove of his job performance.
Both men are vying to be the Republican nominee in next year’s race to fill the seat vacated by retiring GOP Senator Mel Martinez. In August, Crist as governor named his chief of staff, George LeMiuex, to serve the remainder of Martinez’s term, but LeMieux is not running for a full term next year. Florida’s Republican Primary is scheduled for August 24.
Democratic Senate incumbents who currently trail their challengers include Harry Reid in Nevada, Michael Bennet in Colorado, Blanche Lincoln in Arkansas and Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania. Barbara Boxer from California, Evan Bayh of Indiana and Russ Feingold of Wisconsin find themselves in more competitive races than usual.
Republicans lead open-seat Senate races in Delaware, Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Dakota and Ohio. Democrats lead in Connecticut, and the race is close in Illinois. North Carolina incumbent Republican Senator Richard Burr is ahead but potentially vulnerable. Following last month's upset GOP Senate win in Massachusetts, political analyst Larry Sabato wrote that if the election were held today, “The (59-seat) Democratic majority in the Senate would be reduced to just 52 seats.”
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:)
Don’t let up. Crist gave us McCain. May he lose by 40 points and never resurface again outside of a Key West bathhouse.
Let it be soooooo!
Our Republican “leaders” need a “ARE YOU LISTENING” moment of their own!
Good idea he can run for Dogcatcher in Key West.
Just wait until Jeb Bush endorses Rubio in the final days before the primary.
You’ll need cadaver dogs to find Charlie Crist’s support.
WOW!!! That’s GREAT!!!
Best Wishes to the Florida Chapter.
I miss you guys.
PWK
Wish the primary were tomorrow.
Yeah that’s the only problem—it’s so far off. But I can’t imagine Republicans somehow falling in love with Stimulus Charlie in the next 7 months.
The picture of Obama bowing to the mayor, with Crist in the picture isn’t going to help...
Earlier today Rassmussen was bashed with the Obama numbers. Are we back to liking this polling company again? Just want to keep up.
>>Just wait until Jeb Bush endorses Rubio in the final days before the primary.
You’ll need cadaver dogs to find Charlie Crist’s support.
I hope so and still remember when Crist ignored/snubbed Dubya in his final days during the campaign. Jeb would just be the perfect finishing touch to this RINO.
I wasn’t the one bashing Rasmussen and I never stopped liking them. I can’t be held accountable for inconsistency with someone else’s post.
Don’t be surprised if you hear ole’ Jeb’s name as a potential pres candidate or VP candidate. He is more conservative then his brother, and the talk is that he and Sarah Palin have a real good relationship.
John Cornyn, what say you?
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