Charlie Crist's home county GOP prefers Marco Rubio for senate

[ccharles000]

CLEARWATER – Among the many indignities Charlie Crist has faced over last several rocky months, this one hit home.

Republican party activists in his own county of Pinellas, many of whom have been campaigning alongside Crist for years, on Monday overwhelmingly declared that they prefer Marco Rubio for U.S. Senate. The 106-54 “straw poll” vote is officially meaningless, but a giant symbolic blow for Crist.

After all, many of people lining up to cast secret ballots against Crist Monday night at Tucson’s restaurant were the party activists who know him best.

“I volunteered for Charlie for nine years. I love Charlie as a person. If he was here, I would give him a big hug. He actually called me about this (straw poll) yesterday,’’ said Wilna Varney of Largo, who voted for Rubio. “But I’m a more conservative person and I’m going to support the more conservative candidate.”

http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2010/01/charlie-crists-home-county-gop-prefers-marco-rubio-for-senate.html