Rubio Building Right-Wing Opposition To GOP Establishment In Florida Senate Race
The 2010 Republican Senate primary in Florida is quickly emerging as a new fault line within the Republican Party, between two key groups: The party establishment that values electability as they perceive it, versus the more hard-line conservative activists.
The primary pits moderate Gov. Charlie Crist against the more conservative former state House speaker Marco Rubio. A big issue will be that Crist broke from the party line on a key issue in the last few months, when he endorsed the stimulus bill and even appeared with President Obama to promote it.
Crist has a big lead in all the polls -- both for the primary and in the general election in this big perennial swing state -- and was actively recruited and then endorsed right out of the gate by the National Republican Senatorial Committee. As NRSC chairman Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) has explained, Crist is a candidate who can not only win, but also save the party a lot of money that could now be spent elsewhere.
But while most of the GOP's elected base has come out for Rubio, some conservatives aren't following along. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), who has actively advocated for an ideologically purer GOP, has endorsed Rubio. And Rubio has boasted of straw poll victories among Republican activists in Florida, showing there does exist a base of opposition to Crist and support for a stronger conservative.
Mike Huckabee has also come out for Rubio, returning the favor from when Rubio himself endorsed Huckabee during the 2008 primaries:
"Let's show America that Republicans haven't made up their minds yet about the Florida Senate race," Huckabee said in a new Web video. "And when they do, they're gonna choose the principled, conservative Republican candidate -- and Marco Rubio will be on his way to the U.S. Senate."
In an interview with The Hill, Huckabee blasted the national party for making its endorsement in the race. "The establishment Republicans have made this endorsement for the same reason that they're in so much trouble," said Huckabee. "They go out there and support stuff like TARP bills and stimulus packages, pork-barrel spending and huge debt, and they wring their hands and act like, 'This is not good, but we don't have a choice.'"
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Brian
"But while most of the GOP's elected base has come out for Rubio..."
Think you meant to say Crist not Rubio there, and "coming out" in Crist's case is an interesting way to put it.
June 24, 2009 1:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Any chance dems can vote in the primary for Rubio?
I'd love to see him foaming at the mouth the day before election day and pushing all those republicans to vote for whoever the dem candidate is.
June 25, 2009 12:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm pretty sure Florida is a closed primary state, so I don't think you can cross over...
I marvel at the idiocy... Is Mike Huckabee honestly so delusional that he still thinks the GOP didn't win in 2008 because they weren't conservative enough? Is he so delusional that he thinks he has a shot in 2012? Don't get me wrong, 2012 will likely come down to a race between the Huckster and Mittens, thus showing the deepening fault lines between "fiscal" and social conservatives... and in the end, neither will vote for the opposite candidate. They are just that "principled".
June 25, 2009 8:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
Florida is a closed primary state.
In '04, Bush actually did much better than Mel Martinez who was running for Senate. Martinez had run an extremely dirty campaign against Bill McCollum, but still won. Not enough Republicans switched over or voted present then, so I doubt they would now.
Nelson is the only Dem to win a big statewide race since the '90s and the legendary Bob Graham and the late great Lawton Chiles. Florida Dems are unfortunately very weak.
So would you rather see the harmless Crist in the U.S. Senate or rightwing firebreather Rubio there? I think I prefer the former because there are already far too many of the latter.
June 25, 2009 9:09 AM | Reply | Permalink
Florida is a closed primary; the last day to change party affiliation is 29 days before the primary election. I'm an election worker, and worked the primaries last year, If you switch, don't forget to switch back... or at least, try not to take out your rage on the poll workers. :D
I haven't seen any polls yet, but my hunch is Rubio is more likely to be beatable than Crist.
June 25, 2009 12:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh I sure hope the pure right winger bible pounders try to spread dirt on Crist being not quite a man's man ... wink .... wink ... and make everyone look like fools. Charlie got married just in time to be McCain's prom date then Yukon Barbie stole the selection. Will Rubio's storm troopers be able to keep their long knives in their thug boots or will this get ugly ..... I hope so.
June 25, 2009 12:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
interesting to me that fl. still is viewed as a swing state.
there is no question in my mind, proved by evidence, that if there was a fair election and fair voting florida would never go republican.
dont believe that just research what bush did to win the presidency for his nit-wit bro.
water under the bridge...........but we do see why the extremist part of the party is played too by the repigs.
its the same strategy they use in congress.
keep everyone in line and try to pick off a few reasonable people.
turnout is always big in elections so starting with a base no matter how crazed is good.
but still depressing to know people like this still exist and are promoted as leaders.
they should be in caves.
June 25, 2009 9:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
i think it is odd that you use the term "water under the bridge" to describe a stolen election which has been proven would have gone to Gore in 2000, yet you can tune into any right wing radio on any given night and hear them chatting about Kennedy and Chapaquidick like it happened last week. I don't beleive the stolen election is something we can ever sweep under the carpet. Florida is much more progressive than their theives will allow.
June 28, 2009 1:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Let's hope that Rubio's momentum becomes nomentum.
June 26, 2009 7:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
Crist is a serious republican presidential candidate for 2012 and Rubio will lose the senate race. I think Dems should be pouring $ into Rubio's campaign.
June 27, 2009 6:35 PM | Reply | Permalink