Crist must pick up fight, or sink

[discocrisco01]

From the Fort Meyers New Press

The conservative anti-tax, anti-spending, anti-status quo “Tea Party” mood of so many voters looks likely to cause an upset in Florida almost as remarkable as the one last week in Massachusetts.


With seven months to go before the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, right-wing upstart Marco Rubio of Miami has already caught and passed once-seemingly invincible Gov. Charlie Crist.


Rubio was 30 points behind when he entered the race; now he's even or slightly ahead.


With no big-name Democrat in the race, the Republican candidate will be the heavy favorite in November.

Crist’s moderate bipartisanship has turned into a big disadvantage with the Republican base, but an equally big problem is that he represents the status quo.
The energy this year is with the rebels.


Even some incumbents have caught the wave. Two-term incumbent Texas Gov. Rick Perry is leading U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in the Republican primary for governor, having erased her early lead by enthusiastically seeking Tea Party support.


Moderates like Crist should stop acting like deer in the Tea Party headlights. For one thing, they need to find the guts to speak out against just-say-no extremism.


The right government policies can help stimulate the economy and repair our deeply flawed system for paying for health care, problems for which the Tea Party has no answers.


We need those policies, and leaders with the courage to embrace and sell them.


My Comment: The Tea-Baggers are definitely angry and have the right to be angry. However, their anger is being target in the wrong directions and they believe that the free market is the solution to the problem

In reality, the free market will do little to solve their problem. It will actually make their problems worse.

Voting for the progressive candidate is their best solution. However, this group suffers from massive tunnel vision and is going to vote for Rubio over Crist.

[JCMach1]

1. I still feel Crist will pull this out against the JEBtm clone, Rubio

Crist has never lost a statewide election.

I would love to have the Dem win in this race, but at least Crist would be to the left of Rubio and Mel Martinez.

[saltpoint]

2. There's no one to root for in the GOP primary. Both these guys are

hacks. Crist is slightly less abominable than Rubio, but neither one of them should ever be near real power. Sadly, both are.

Florida is a troubled place.

[KharmaTrain]

3. Crist Is Toast...

The teabaggers have taken control of the GOOP...and to them Crist is a Judas. This poll is the beginning of the end...and also a great opportunity.

My concern is about who the Democrats put up against Rubio. While I like Meeks, I can't see him winning statewide...he doesn't have the charisma and, dare I say, there is still plenty of racism in the state that will work against him. He's not President Obama.

One has to wonder if there are some back-channel communications going on between Crist and the DSCC...if he loses the primary, Meeks is pushed aside and the newly Democratic Crist emerges for a rematch in November.