St. Pete Times: Crist has blown through his millions, running on fumes

[flpoljunkie]

Cross posted in not widely read Florida forum

OCTOBER 21, 2010

Crist has blown through his millions, running on fumes

Charlie Crist's once sizable financial advantage has collapsed, the potential for him to finish up the campaign with a massive TV buy gone. The independent U.S. Senate candidate spent $7.4-million since Aug. 5, and as of Oct 1, had just $1.39-million on hand, according to his latest campaign report.

Rivals studying his TV buys had worried Crist might be prepared to spend millions in a last-minute TV blitz, but now it appears Crist has little ammunition left. The best and last chance to shake up the race may be Sunday morning's U.S. Senate debate and another NBC debate Tuesday, but Rubio to date has never been knocked much off balance in debates.

http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/content/crist-has-blown-through-his-millions-running-fumes

[Kdillard]

1. Too bad. If Meeks wasn't going to win I would have liked Crist to have a strong shot to take down

Rubio.

[vaberella]

5. I agree...Meek is going to win. n/t

[flpoljunkie]

9. Since Crist has no real chance to win, I've finally decided to vote for my party's nominee.

It felt good to fill in the oval on my absentee ballot for our Democratic primary winner, Kendrick Meek--especially after Crist's cheap 'Obamacare' crack in Tuesday's debate.

If enough Dems come home, we can win this race! Never give up!

[polichick]

10. That was a nasty crack but he's still the lesser of two evils. nt

[flpoljunkie]

12. Lesser than Rubio, for sure.

[flamingdem]

21. Sorry, not a chance. Have you seen the polls? nt

[asjr]

2. That is a result of the powerful Republican money

machine. And of course since SCOTUS gave corporations personhood it has gotten worse. It seems ironic that someone who was touted by the Republicans when he first became governor that they have absolutely thrown him aside. If Rubio wins he needs to pay attention to his owners. We have truly entered the sleeze era.

[Ineeda]

3. I wonder if Carole is out of money, too, or

just unwilling to spend it on her <cough> husband's campaign.

[WI_DEM]

4. This race is long gone--as long as there are two candidates to split the anti-Rubio vote

Rubio will win. The governor's race is much more promising.

[vaberella]

6. I think Meek has a chance of taking this. n/t

[Alexander]

14. There is no way Meek can win. He isn't even breaking 25%.

This is a pure delusion, up there with the delusion that Democrats are going to increase their majorities in Congress.

[vaberella]

15. And I'm certain Black and Hispanic voters haven't voted in proper numbers yet.

Black voters especially tend to vote day of. Most people ignore that demographic until the end though.

[Alexander]

16. I'm even more certain Meek will not win.

The turnout would have to be so lopsided in favor of Democrats for Meek to win that it mirrored presidential election level turnout.

And that simply doesn't happen in off-year elections - most people do not pay as much attention when there isn't a presidential race involved.

[totodeinhere]

17. Wouldn't a lot of Hispanic voters vote for fellow Hispanic Rubio? n/t

[vaberella]

19. Not if he'll take away their social security and if they're Dems.

Racial demographics don't just vote for the same-race candidate. Let's not belittle them that way, they do deserve a bit more credit. A lot of them do care. Not to mention some of them are Dems. I won't deny the ones with wealth and money might lean Republican, as per usual.

[totodeinhere]

20. But your previous posting inferred that blacks will be voting for Meek.

It's called racial identity politics and it is not belittling to point it out. Over 90% of blacks voted for President Obama and it is not belittling to point that out. And it is not belittling to suggest that Hispanics might also engage in racial identity politics.

[vaberella]

22. No. My previous posting was inferring that Blacks will be voting for Meek as a Dems.

Not because he's Black. You're reading something in my post that was definitely NOT on my mind as I post. I never inferred what you think I did. In one of my original post on this topic which is the GDP section I even make mention that Haitian's are normally Republican voters. However I did say they would vote for Meek in many cases because of certain things he stands for---and that is SS and Health care which matter to Haitians. Haitians as Blacks don't vote for you because you're Black---as a matter of fact they'd sooner vote against you because you're Black. In any event my post has nothing to do with racial identity---but has to do with Dem voting patterns in regards to racial demographics---and noting to do with voting style based on race.

Blacks and Hispanics are far more informed than that and I would never belittle, marginalize them by assuming they'd vote for a Black person because they're Black. As a Black person that just disgusts me.

[polichick]

7. Sure looks like it - maybe one will decide to drop out for the good of the state...

...and the country.

[Alexander]

18. Too late. Early voting already started.

And really, Meek would have to be the one to drop out anyway - polls showed Crist could beat Rubio in a 1-on-1 race and Meek could not.

Even if that happened, however, it's probably too late at this point.

[monmouth]

8. I don't think Meek has hit 25% yet. No way does he win..Face it,

Marco has this.

[polichick]

11. Unless Meek drops out and throws his support to Crist (while holding his nose). nt

[Blue_Tires]

13. damn...how did people ever get elected to congress before the days of

spending $30 million of other people's money?