Zogby poll: US Senate Florida (October 25) : Rubio 40, Crist 33, Meek 18

[seafan]

From Mary Ellen Klas at Tampa Bay's The Buzz:


October 25, 2010

A new poll out from Zogby Interactive shows a tighter race for U.S. Senate than most previous polls with Republican Marco Rubio 39.6 percent, NPA Charlie Crist at 33.3 percent and Democrat Kendrick Meek at 18.1 percent. Undecideds remain at 8.7 percent. The poll of 802 likely voters was conducted Oct. 18 - Oct. 21 and has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.

The poll continues to show that Crist's strength remains with independent and no-party affiliated voters: 39.4 percent of Democrats aligning with Meek and 38.2 percent with Crist. Meanwhile, independents favor Crist 47.5 percent over Rubio's 30.2 percent. While Rubio owns the Republican vote with 76 percent to Crist's 19.1 percent.

Those numbers also explain the regional breakdown where Rubio leads in South Florida by 36.5 percent to Crist's 33.6 percent and Meek has 19.1 percent. In the Central Florida battleground, Rubio's lead is larger with 41.8 percent compared to Crist's 35.4 percent and Meek's 16.2 percent.

From the recent debate in Tampa:


October 22, 2010

.....

(Crist) then launched a fusillade of attacks, including an accusation that Rubio steered tax dollars to a university and a hospital to secure jobs there later.

The St. Petersburg Times reported that Rubio landed an unadvertised $69,000 job at Florida International University at a time when the school was slashing staff and also scored a consulting contract with Miami Children's and Jackson Memorial Hospitals, providing advice to contacts he made while he was state House speaker.

"He traded money to get it. Unbelievable," Crist said.

Rubio called the allegations "patently false" and said the governor wanted to distract from the substantive issues because they are more difficult terrain for him to navigate politically.

But Crist pressed on, interrupting Rubio again to call on him to release his statements from the American Express card provided to him by the state Republican Party. Rubio has been accused of using the card to pay for personal expenses, like new kitchen flooring in his home, and has admitted he double-billed taxpayers and the state party for flights.

"Why won't you release your RPOF credit card and clear this up? And why is there a federal investigation into your reporting income?" Crist asked.

The lightning-quick back and forth between Crist and Rubio left Democratic candidate Meek to only smile. Meek remains in third place, despite Democratic hopes that he would leapfrog Crist once he united his party after the primary and was able to run a consistent string of television ads.

.....

From Ben Smith at Politico:

October 23, 2010


Rubio avoids Palin picture

Marco Rubio and Sarah Palin appeared on the same stage at an RNC rally in Orlando today, but Rubio — who spoke shortly before Palin — did not appear onstage with her, Beth Reinhard notes:

"Rubio leaves stage before Palin — no pictures. Campaign says he's preparing for tmrw's debate."

If he'd wanted the picture, debate prep could have waited a few minutes.

Now, Mr. Rubio, is that any way to treat Sarah Palin, when less than a year ago you were clamoring for her endorsement?



Oooops. Who's your daddy?



Jeb Bush on Sarah Palin for president: "You betcha"

October 22, 2010

(CNN) – Former Florida Republican Governor, Jeb Bush said Friday he isn't running for president, but would support Sarah Palin if she were to run.

In an interview with CNN Chief National Correspondent John King Friday, Bush - whose brother and father are former presidents - said he'd support former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin if she were the Republican presidential nominee in 2012.

"You betcha," Bush said in an interview set to air on CNN's John King, USA at 7 p.m. ET Friday.

Confused, Rubio?



We aren't.



We absolutely cannot allow this Supreme Court-enabled army of right wing zealots to take control of Florida.

"It's abundantly clear that there's an extreme right faction in the Republican Party," Crist said. "I'm the only candidate that can both win in November and crash that tea party in Washington."

You haven't been drinking the Kool-Aid, my friend. You have been drinking too much tea. And it's just wrong. Governor Crist to Marco Rubio, October 15, 2010

[Deep13]

1. Well THAT sucks. nt

[madfloridian]

2. I noticed that Meek mocked Crist.

He laughed and said the reason Crist went indy was because he couldn't beat Rubio..

I did not like that, Meek should be going after Rubio not Crist.

The media keeps playing it over and over, and it reflects badly on Meek to have said it.

[monmouth]

4. I agree, up to now he has been pretty much a flawless candidate, no

gaffes to speak of. Crist could pull this out, long shot of course, but who knows?

[The Backlash Cometh]

7. If Crist fails, I like to see it as the good ole boys getting it smack in the teeth.

So it would be, good-bye good ole boys, hello new regime.

I'm okay with that. I believe that Rubio's teabagging will be easier to single out.

[EFerrari]

5. He's right but he shouldn't have given them the soundbite.

What a mess.

[bluestateguy]

3. Still waiting for either Crist or Meek to drop out

I no longer care who it is, but one of them needs to step up and do it in the interests of keeping You Know Who out.

I'll continue to wait.

[gulliver]

6. Crist has got to be thinking about going Dem

That would probably get him to the Senate. I doubt he is going to drop out for Meek when Meek has such low numbers.

[The Backlash Cometh]

8. Meek isn't going to drop out now.

He's bringing in the black vote and that will be a good thing for Alex Sink and other Dems in the races.

[The Backlash Cometh]

9. Meek isn't going to drop out now.

He's bringing in the black vote and that will be a good thing for Alex Sink and other Dems in the races.

[flyarm]

10. will not happen..early vote began approx 2 weeks ago..I got my vote by mail over 1 month ago

my county alone sent out 220,000 vote by mail ballots..

Do you have any idea how many voters who have already voted that would disenfranchise?

But hell we in Fla have been disenfranchised so many times now..first in 2000 then in 2008 with our primary votes..wtf is more disenfranchisement right????????

And people in the rest of the country wonder why many many Floridians don't care about voting anymore..if it is not one party stealing our votes ..it is the other one doing it.
Or people just get disenfranchised here in Fla.