FL-SEN POLL: Crist 35, Rubio 29, Meek 17. Crist has become "de facto" Democratic nominee.

[jefferson_dem]

Crist Looking Good

Thanks mostly to support from Democrats Charlie Crist is the leader in the Florida Senate race. In the most likely match up against Kendrick Meek he gets 35% to 29% for Marco Rubio and 17% for Meek. His lead expands with Jeff Greene as the Democratic nominee. In that scenario Crist gets 38% with Rubio still at 29% and Greene at only 13%.

Crist has become the de facto Democratic nominee and that's where most of his support is coming from. He's currently getting 44% of Democrats in the Meek match up, along with 40% of independents and 23% of Republicans. Crist has increased his support across the board since PPP last polled this race in early March. At that time, while still a Republican, he got just 27% to 34% for Rubio and 25% for Meek. He's now doing 12 points better with Democrats, 5 points better with independents, and somewhat surprisingly even 5 points better with Republicans.

Whether Crist can hold on to this fragile coalition through the fall remains to be seen. Right now 48% of Democrats have no opinion about Meek and 50% are ambivalent toward Greene. Will Crist continue to have such strong Democratic support after the party has a nominee who's built up their exposure during a successful primary campaign? And will he continue to hold onto more than 20% of the Republican vote as it becomes clearer and clearer that Democrats are providing the bulk of his support? What happens on those two fronts will probably determine Crist's ultimate fate.

<SNIP>

http://publicpolicypolling.blogspot.com/2010/07/crist-looking-good.html

[Nancy Waterman]

1. Will he caucus with the Dems after they vote for him?

Has he committed or are we going on faith?

Meanwhile - Rachel on Marc Rubio is fantastic:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/ns/msnbc_tv-rachel_maddow_show/#38317320

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

14. Doesn't matter.

Meek can't win and Crist is far preferable to Rubio. Committal or not, Rubio has to be stopped.

[Bluenorthwest]

2. So do you support the Thrid Party candidate over the Democrat?

Based on 'seeing the future'? What's the point of a political Party at all then?

[DCBob]

3. This is not surprising. Crist is still very popular in Florida among all "persuasions"..

As this race get closer to the finish line I think even more Democrats will jump from Meek/Greene to Crist.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

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[geek tragedy]

6. Somebody missed nap time. nt

[jefferson_dem]

8. Self-delete.

:)

[DCBob]

12. but it must have felt good while it lasted..

;)

[SunnySong]

9. Stick a fork in Meeks he is done...

[Bluenorthwest]

5. Your non response speaks volumes....

Just to be clear, if we do not vote for the Democratic nominee because he or she is the Democratic nominee, there is no point to having a Party, and there is no reason to expect anyone, ever, to vote for say, an anti-equality religionist simply because he's the nominee. A Party has to be a Party. Or it is worthless.

[geek tragedy]

7. If the Democrats nominate Greene, the 'worthless' tag will apply. nt

[Bluenorthwest]

11. that's one way to look at it

Another is that many of us vote for the Democratic nominee. Even when that nominee is a religiously bigoted individual, who hosts hate preachers who call us vampires. This is what a Party needs to keep winning, people who vote with the Party.
Greene is another failure of the Party. They could not field a real candidate at all? Could not be bothered. Because they think they can not win. So they allowed this. This is Tim Kaine's failure, and again, Tim is a religious guy who opposes the equality of my people.
It becomes difficult to have a Party if no one stands with each other, not even the nominees. When the Party nominates joke candidates out of indifference and a lack of fight. Not sure what the point of all of this is, under these circumstances.

[HooptieWagon]

10. What's the point of a Party when the candidate is invisible?

Too much is at stake to permit Jeb's boy Rubio to be elected to the US Senate. Meek is invisible and has no chance, that leaves Crist by default.

[The Backlash Cometh]

13. Thanks mostly from trial lawyers.

How disgusting that they're protecting the most corrupt Republican lawyer known in Central Florida.

[VMI Dem]

15. I see that Crist has become the pragmatic choice.

[Sebastian Doyle]

16. It's against the DU rules to advocate for a third party candidate

...unless the DLC likes them, apparently.

[SwampG8r]

17. yep democrats to the back of the bus if its expedient politically