Posted on 09/28/2011 1:00:33 PM PDT by cc2k
Mike McCalister, who got 10% of the vote in the Republican primary for Governor last year, continues to lead the GOP Senate field in Florida. He's at 17% to 13% for George LeMieux, 9% for Adam Hasner, and 3% for Craig Miller with 58% of voters undecided.
That has to be seen as very good news for Bill Nelson. McCalister's chances of winning the nomination in the end are close to nothing. But the fact that he's leading is reflective of a pretty weak pool of Republican candidates and also a lack of enthusiasm for any of those folks from the GOP base. It's quite a contrast from, for instance, Massachusetts where the previously unknown (to the broader electorate) Elizabeth Warren announced her Senate bid and instantaneously shot out to greater than 50% support with primary voters.
Continue reading at Public Policy Polling website.
The full poll data, with internals is also available.
Press Release and Poll internals, "Romney, McCalister lead Florida GOP primary races." (PDF version, 19 pages)
This was a survey of 472 Republican primary voters conducted between September 22 and September 25. It also shows Romney winning over Perry. Since the big debate in Orlando was in the middle of the sampling period, I'd take some of the presidential results with a grain of salt. I would suspect there will be a lot of movement on that by next month.
Interesting. I like your scenario (the proposed Bachmann-Carcieri ticket was a good one too), and I agree it would make more sense and probably give your candidates the ideal office to run for. I'd prefer West over anyone currently in the field and he'd probably be a stronger general election candidate as well, since he already holds federal office. Unfortunately, I can't see it happening. But from your lips to God's ears! ;-)
>> You copied and pasted Haridopolos’s name, and I think that you still misspelled his name.
Heh. Don't be so hard on Impy, that guy's name makes Blagojevich (or even Giannoulias to use a similar Greek-American) easy to remember. Besides, my post was riddled with typos and grammar mistakes, I should really check these things before I post. On a side note, I also googled Mike Haridopolos' (did I spell it right?) name for the heck of it, and the dude doesn't look Greek at all despite the very ethnic name. Might be like me, my last name is super-German sounding and difficult to pronounce, but I'm only 1/8th german.
>> "[LeMieux] immediately endorsed Rubio and denounced Crist when he jumped the GOP ship during the 2010 primary". <<
If what JulieRNR21 says is true (I haven't verified it), it certainly increases my respect for LeMieux that he dumped his old pal Crist the instant he became turncoat. Compare that to the GOP establishment making excuses for guys like Colin Powell AFTER they endorse Obama, and welcoming turncoats who refuse to support the GOP and help elect RATs back with open arms. I'm not sold on LeMieux in the primary but I think might be comfortable with him if he's the general election nominee. Sorry, I'm not buying the whole "Hasner ideal tea-party conservative hero, LeMieux eeeeeeeeevil RINO and Crist puppet" theme some conservatives are pushing.
I think Carcieri as VP was Gopsterinma’s idea.
Giannoulias is murder to spell, best thing about Kirk winning is we don’t have to type (or copy/paste) Giannoulias. In fact I just referred to the SOB as “Alexi” all the time.
I also referred to the former California Governor as “Ah-nold” I don’t think I’ve ever typed out his surname. ;D
It’s Greek to me.
Carcieri-for-VP certainly wasn’t my idea—I was the guy throwing cold water on it.
I completely made it up - wasn't worth spelling correctly. For all we know, I'm right and he's wrong.
Good point. : )
Yes it was....:)
Agreed. All I am saying is that Crist burned his bridge but good.
What I said is true....look at the date:
LeMieux Abandons Crist
April 30, 2010 10:38 A.M.
By Robert Costa
Sen. George LeMieux (R., Fla.) will support Marco Rubio:
“I am saddened that my friend, Governor Crist, has decided to leave the Republican Party. Our friendship runs deep, but my commitment to the principles of the Republican Party runs deeper. I cannot walk down the path he has chosen.
“Now more than ever, our nation’s future depends on our ability to uphold the core Republican ideals of fiscal restraint, peace through strength, individual liberty, personal responsibility and smaller government.
“I will support our Republican nominee and will continue to do everything I can both in Florida and across the country to increase the number of Republicans in the United States Senate.”
A few months ago, I pointed out to a Floridian that a primary between Hasner and Haridopolos would defy all stereotypes, with a Jewish Republican from the Gold Coast running as the underfunded grass-roots conservative against a blond-haired, blue-eyed Greek who is *not* from Tarpon Springs.
My recollection is that LeMieux endorsed Rubio immediately upon Crist deckaring his independent bid for the Senate. Of course, Hasner endorsed Rubio right from the get-go, while LeMieux was sucking up to Crist.
Hasner may not be perfect, but he is far better than LeMieux, or than Congressman Connie Mack, who may enter the race now that Haridopolos is dropping out. Mack will bring money, endorsements and name-ID to the table, and we may need Congressman West to run in order to defeat him. While I could live with Connie Mack as Senator, I think that FL can do better.
Well he’s working for a huge lib Trial Lawyer John Morgan so that makes sense.
Pinellas County loves Young, though. But he’s getting old.
Someone needs to knock off that tool Castor. I hope the redistricting helps.
That may be true, but right now what I have to go by is LeMieux presenting a solidly conservative message and detailed vision for Florida (and his voting record during his brief time in the Senate being pretty darn good), vs. a bunch of self-proclaimed conservative "leaders" saying "You MUST support Hasner!", with Hasner website simply proclaiming "I'm the best conservative ever! Sign up for my campaign TODAY to learn more!".
I like to look before I leap. Hasner and his fans might consider giving us something of substance to look at before telling everyone to get aboard.
>> Congressman Connie Mack, who may enter the race now that Haridopolos is dropping out. Mack will bring money, endorsements and name-ID to the table, and we may need Congressman West to run in order to defeat him. While I could live with Connie Mack as Senator, I think that FL can do better. <<
I briefly considered Mack IV for Senate because of the name ID he'd bring his dad Mack III as the former Senator, but Mack IV referring to Arizona legislators as NAZIs or whatever because of their immigration law quickly threw cold water on that idea. Now he's dead to me. He's gone RINO along his his new wife, Sonny Bono's widow Mary Bono. Both of them have overstayed their welcome in Congress.
That is our most “historic” FL GOP district, having been the first to elect a Republican to Congress since Reconstruction in 1954 and has been GOP ever since (Young succeeded that 1st Republican in 1970). The district, unfortunately has trended Democrat in recent years (without Young, it would be in potential jeopardy). It would make more sense to pack the Tampa Bay Area Democrats into Castor’s seat to keep Young and the surrounding GOP seats safer.
Indeed, Mack 4 needs to go. I hope he loses renomination.
who?
All the black parts of St. Pete are already in Castor’s FL-11; I guess that theu could somehow append Democrat parts of Clearwater to the FL-11 as well, but it wouldn’t make that much of a difference for Young’s FL-10 (particularly since Clearwater is in Bilirakis’s CD IIRC). The problem is that the areas surrounding St. Pete are not all that Republican. So maybe Young’s CD can be shored up a bit, but don’t expect any miracles.
Hubby and wife better wise up or they'll both be in the unemployment line next November.
I don’t trust LeMieux but I’d take him over Connie 4. What a disappointment.
I can think of examples where wives draw the husband to the left. Like Ted Olson’s new wife getting him to be pro-gay.
Maybe Connie and Mary have been spending too much time with Mary’s step..um stepchild.
IMO he was displaying the "People like my dad, I bet I can waltz into Congress and suck on the taxpayers' teats for a good long while before they figure me out" gene early on in his career.
Hasner may make a very good candidate, but he's just running hard to the right for the primary.
I'm afraid I must call naivety.
Every single thing LeMieux has done since being named Senator by his pal Charlie has been to further his (LeMieux's) political prospects. He's a political operative by trade - he lies for a living.
If he had not gone with Rubio over Crist his career would have been over before it began.
At the time he was named Senator, insiders & pundits said:
"LeMieux's plan is to vote conservative for his partial term, hope that the stench of his association with Crist dies down a bit, then try to Bill Nelson seat in 2012."
At the time, FReepers said, "He must think voters are idiots to fall for that?"
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