Tea Party Influences 2010 Florida Republican Senate Primary
According to most experts and polls, the writing was on the wall for Crist. Just 6 moths ago he was the front runner to challenge Democratic front man, Kendrick Meek, for the seat. But, oh, how things have changed.
Crist has been labeled, for lack of a better term, "not Republican enough" by members of his own party. More importantly, Rubio has received the nod from the Tea Party movement. That endorsement alone practically doomed Crist's bid in Florida's Republican primary. The Tea Party movement has proven to be a powerful force in winning nominations for candidates and has sown enough fear among Florida politicians that none has dared to oppose Marco Rubio's ascension -- even with the red flags he carries.
As an independent voter, I cannot vote in the Republican primary, though I can watch with concern. The Tea Party has really made waves this election year, but the endorsement of Rubio is odd; he seems to be counter to everything the Tea Party proclaims to hold dear. According to the Politico, records show that Rubio misused a Republican Party of Florida credit card for personal expenses that were unrelated to Party business (contrary to Party Rules that dictate that cards must be used for official business only). Rubio also faced serious allegations that he doctored a state budget plan to help ensure a friend and political ally had the inside track to bid on a $265 million turnpike fuel contract, according to the St. Petersburg Times.
These would be ship sinking accusations for any other candidate, yet Rubio has shrugged them off with the kind of Teflon slipperiness only the Tea Party can provide. With no real opposition, Rubio stands to win the Florida Republican Primary with a laughable effort. He can now conserve his strength for the general election in November, where some polls say it could be a bitterly contested three-way battle for the Florida Senate seat.
A win for Meek or Crist in November would be an upset by any measure. A Rubio victory seems more likely, as the momentum of the Tea Party is undeniable. As a Florida voter, I just wonder if the Tea Party is prepared for the potential consequences of putting this man in office. He could well become a potentially negative referendum on their remarkable accomplishments to date.
Sources:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20003082-503544.html
http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2008/04/dems-rubio-reek.html
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0410/Feds_investigating_Crist_camp_Rubio.html
Published by RR
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6 Comments
Post a CommentI'm on the Pacific coast, so I won't be voting with you but I'm trying to keep up with the Tea Party movement and the candidate is very handsome! Caught my attention, ha!
Like it not, the Tea Party is creating some interesting news stories. Good work.
Former Miami Mayor, Maurice Ferre is by-far the most qualified candidate. Read more about his campaign and his solutions for Florida at http://ferre2010.com
Florida has always had quite a bit of controversy surrounding its nominations and reasoning! We are definitely a state where those who wish to be or even claim to be leaders per se lack the ability to reason intelligently!
Well Rubio is a real Republican politician.As Floridas speaker of the house, he appropriated funds for colleges and hospitals, taxpayer money. Then received kickbacks from these institutions for himself and his lawfirm.Plus being investigated by the feds for credit card fraud! A real republican puppet for Jeb Bush!
Great analysis. This endorsement makes the Tea Party in Florida seem either ignorant or hypocritical. Has someone been putting tequila in their tea?