Former State House Speaker Marco Rubio has squeaked past Gov. Charlie Crist in the race for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination, leading 47 - 44 percent and topping Gov. Crist on trust, values and conservative credentials, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.Charlie Crist is in trouble, but that's not as depressing as the numbers that point to Democrat Kendrick Meek basically losing to either Republican by double digits.
Rubio beats the leading Democrat, South Florida Congressman Kendrick Meek, 44 - 35 percent in a general election matchup, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll finds. Crist leads Meek 48 - 36 percent.
President Barack Obama is under water in Florida as voters disapprove 49 - 45 percent of his job performance, down from a 48 - 46 percent approval rating October 21.
Rubio's lead over Crist in the horse race represents a major reversal from October when the Governor led 50 - 35 percent; from August's 55 - 26 percent Crist lead and from June's lead of 54 - 23 percent.
"Who would have thunk it? A former state lawmaker virtually unknown outside of his South Florida home whose challenge to an exceedingly popular sitting governor for a U.S. Senate nomination had many insiders scratching their heads. He enters the race 31 points behind and seven months later sneaks into the lead," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "And, the horse race numbers are not a fluke. Rubio also tops Crist on a number of other measurements from registered Republicans, who are the only folks who can vote in the primary. Rubio's grassroots campaigning among Republican activists around the state clearly has paid off.
Meek has been in Haiti recently as he represents the Little Haiti section of Miami currently in the House, but Floridians seem to be more worried about the housing disaster in, well, Florida rather than the one in Haiti.
We'll see how this plays out. Meek does have better numbers against Rubio so far.
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I live in Florida, and from all I've read about Meek, I think he's a fine person. But I can't believe the local Dem party can't convince someone with statewide stature to run against the GOP candidate, whomever it turns out to be (my money's on Rubio).
What a missed opportunity! The GOPers are at each others' throats, and a well-known, well-liked Dem could capitalize on that. Meek will get crushed, I'm afraid.
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