Charlie Crist (I) has a double-digit edge over former state House Speaker Marco Rubio (R)

[oberliner]

Crist led Rubio 42 percent to 31 percent, while former Rep. Kendrick Meek (D) received just 14 percent of the vote - his worst showing in a poll since Crist switched parties.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/morning-fix/1-2-weld-county-district.html

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. Be still me heart.

LOL, Rubio's clowns must be gnashing their dentures.

Yet another Sarah clone bites the floridian swampland.

[monmouth]

3. This is a big "Get out of our lives and Florida" to Jeb Bush...n/t

[Clio the Leo]

4. With the help of Obama's inner circle...

.... whatever keeps the GOP from winning the seat I guess.

http://politipage.com/2010/06/08/anita-dunn-signs-on-with-crist-campaign/

[ChairmanAgnostic]

7. crist would be far more welcome than Rubio

[Clio the Leo]

12. definately.... I'm sad for Meek though.

That's how it goes though.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

13. Heck, we got saddled with Blanche, no?

[tsuki]

37. Attila the Hun would be far more welcome than Rubio. But I am still

with Meek.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

45. Attila was far more rational,

knowing the limitations of power, and applying what he had appropriately, with a solid plan.

[DCBob]

25. Indeed.. the prospect of Crist winning will have major implications on the teabagger movement..

The GOP will lose a very big name and a very big Senate seat because of the teabaggers pushing Crist out. This has to make the GOP seriously question the benefits of the teabaggers and I suspect the leadership at this moment is having some heated discussions on what to do. It will likely tear them apart even more. This could also have implications on other races in Florida and also in the 2012 general. Thank you teabaggers!

[LeftyAndProud60]

2. THey haven't even started the dirty games yet. That race is going to get ugly. nt

[The Backlash Cometh]

9. One can only hope.

Some of that dirt needs airing.

[Dappleganger]

21. It really is.

I'll be stocking up on extra popcorn, that's for damn sure!!

:popcorn:

[WI_DEM]

5. Crist will have no choice if he's elected except to caucus with the Dems, IMO.

The GOP will consider him a turncoat and won't give him any promising committee assignments.

[DCBob]

24. Totally agree.. there is no turning back for Charlie now..

His latest actions from the Gov's office have all been against the will of the GOP and for the Democrats. I would bet a truck load of Florida oranges he caucuses with the Dems.

[nmbluesky]

6. wow.. because of

Crist still hug with Obama and clean up oil? is it help him?

[Jennicut]

8. Not surprised...Crist is a reasonable moderate. Rubio is a nut. Too bad Meek couldn't

break through but at the very least Rubio will be blocked and we might get an independent to caucus with us.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

14. more and more 2010 is turning out to be the

shit or cut bait election.

The more nutjobs and ultraconservatives they nominate, the more it will be a referendum on us vs. them. I suspect that "us" have the majority.

[Hekate]

36. That's "fish or cut bait", and

... "shit or get off the pot".

Hekate

[ChairmanAgnostic]

39. details, entrails, contrails. whatever.

But since pot remains illegal throughout most of the nation . . . . . oh, THAT pot.

[Hekate]

42. LOL

:hi:

[skipos]

10. I wouldn't vote for Crist unless he says he will caucus with Dems.

I think he will caucus with Repubs.

[Freddie Stubbs]

11. Even if he said that, would you trust him to keep his word?

[skipos]

16. Yes I would.

Has anyone ever said "I will caucus with ___ if I am elected" and then didn't do it? Not that I know of.

[Freddie Stubbs]

17. Well, he promiosed on national TV that he would run as a Republican, and

went back on it less than a month later.

[Dappleganger]

22. If he finally came out I would trust him a whole lot more...

then there would be nothing left to hide.

[ShadowLiberal]

26. Politically he has more of a chance surviving with democrats

I would trust Crist's word on who he says he'd caucus with.

Lets assume for a moment that Christ wins the senate race, in 6 years from now which side do you think is going to be more likely to accept Crist into their ranks and not primary him out of office?

If he stays a republican, he would likely either continue to be his moderate self, and anger conservatives again, or try to become ultraconservative to survive. But even that might not be enough for them, once you're branded a RINO it's hard to lose the label, if you try to shed it then you look like a spineless flip flopper (look at John McCain and all the people saying they're disappointed at his 180 on immigration to supporting Arizona's law and saying "Finish the damned fence").

If he caucuses with the democrats after winning, he could morph over time into more of a solid democrat (though probably a more moderate one compared to most in the senate, yes), seeing as senators have 6 years he'd have more time to do it in a believable way then Specter to. Plus, if Christ plays things right, he could a properly timed switch to an official democrat to bash the GOP for it's hypocrisy and how radical they've become and how much they've moved away from the older style republican that Christ was. Getting something like that in the news for a few days would help make Florida democrats welcome him.

And besides that, if Christ was over 25 points down against someone like Rubio according to primary polls before his switch to an independent, even with his TV advertising, do you really think he could win a GOP primary in 2016? While that past might make good ammo for a democrat to primary challenge him, take a look at how well Specter did, he only lost in single digits, he didn't get a complete wipe out. A well run campaign can turn a margin like that around and win, 25 points down however, means you're basically screwed no matter what, barring a huge scandal that makes your opponent suddenly toxic for everyone, in which case someone else will take their place if it's not past the filing deadline.

[HooptieWagon]

40. If Crist is an Ind caucusing with the Dems

Then he wouldn't even be in the Dem primary. And any registered Dem can enter the Dem primary, the Party may not support them but they can't stop them. So caucusing with the Dems only guarantees Crist a couple of nice committee assignments.

[CLANG]

15. Be still my palpitating heart. WOOOWOOO!!

[geek tragedy]

18. Crist is being rewarded for running to the left.

This strikes me as good news.

[zulchzulu]

19. Politics has a strange way to making assumptions go out the window n/t

[eridani]

20. Looks like he'll be our Joe Liebermann

I like him better than Liebermann too.

[DCBob]

23. Barring some major scandal Crist is going to win this.. the question is whom will he caucus with..

I have been predicting he would caucus with the Dems from the very beginning. I think so even more now. All his latest actions point to it. He would be nuts to caucus with the GOP who hate him with a passion and will be in the minority again after this election.

[jonnyblitz]

27. you best hope that if Crist wins he doesn't continue to support

anti-gay legislation because it's a known fact that he is a closeted gay man. Crist, along with Larry Craig, were featured on an HBO Documentary called "Outrage" which is about closeted gay republicans who support anti-gay legislation. Trust me, this won't bode well down the road. there are people on the sidelines ready to pounce on closeted gay politicians pushing anti-gay legislation. just hope that if Crist wins he changes his tune on gay issues.

[DCBob]

30. And what is Rubio's position on anti-gay legislation?

I assume a bit more extreme than Charlie.

[jenmito]

33. I saw that documentary! FWIW, Crist now supports repealing DADT. n/t

[JI7]

35. Crist has already changed his position since turning Independent

on some issues. i think gays in the military was one.

and who doesn't know Crist is gay ?

[depakid]

28. The concern should be who will VOTE with on the issues

there are several purported Democrats who cross over and vote with the Republicans (and have been enabled by the "leadership" in their efforts).

Thankfully, at least one of those is going down this fall.

[DCBob]

29. The biggest vote will be the caucus vote..

Even though we appear to have enough to maintain majority and few spare votes never hurts. On general Senate voting, I suspect Charlie will vote a bit left of a typical a blue dog on most issues. Is that a problem for you? Of course, the alternative, Rubio, would without a doubt, vote against everything Dems want. BTW, its becoming clear that Meek cant win, so its down to Crist and Rubio.

[depakid]

31. Only if the Dems lose really BIG which given the Senate's performance is a distinct possibility

Not sure whether you're asking me if I have a problem with corrupt and complicit blue dogs- or with Crist.

Since Crist is probably inevitable it makes no difference what I think. The former on the other hand is a serious problem- and is the foremost reason why Democrats are staring down the barrel at a repeat of 1994.

At the hands of the most pathetic crowd to walk the halls of the Capital in modern history. Wow.

Given that's the case- policy matters quite aside- one would think that EVERYONE would have a problem with them.

[DCBob]

32. To me its a strategic vote that will ultimately benefit Democrats and the nation..

Crist, of course, is not the ideal candidate for promoting specific Democratic principles but his election will help us get to that point.. especially when faced with the alternative.

[depakid]

34. That would be my thought as well

[HooptieWagon]

41. agreed.

That Senate seat is currently solid R. Flipping it to a moderate I (Crist) is far better than having it held by a RW extremist (Rubio). Also, Rubio is the teabagger's little darling; keeping him out of the US senate would be a serious setback to the teabaggers and may cause further dissention between the GOP and teabaggers.

My take on Crist is that he's a moderate populist, more likely to vote what his constituency wants than what Corps want, and he will vote along party lines but without deep convictions. In a nutshell, if he caucuses with the Dems he will vote Dem most of the time and only waver when he has popular support to do so. He might likely be a more reliable "liberal" than Lieberman and several of the bluedog and DLC Dems. Given the current status of that Senate seat, Crist would be a vast improvement.

[RBInMaine]

38. Good ! It is a punch in the face for the TeaHaters, and he'll caucus with Dems. I like it.

[Akoto]

43. As a Floridian, I'd much rather have him in the seat.

I can't recall him doing anything that came off as particularly nutty, even when he was a Republican. In fact, in many ways, he always seemed oddly moderate to me, for the party he was running with.

Hope all turns out well if he should emerge victorious. Time will tell.

[AtomicKitten]

44. Since Meek is out of the running, I hope Crist makes short work of the teabagger. nt