Research 2000 for the Daily Kos (3/15-17, likely voters, 11/16-18/2009 in parens):
Charlie Crist (R): 30 (47)
Marco Rubio (R): 58 (37)
Undecided: 12 (16)
(MoE: ±5%)Kendrick Meek (D): 36 (33)
Charlie Crist (R): 45 (50)
Undecided: 19 (17)Kendrick Meek (D): 40 (38)
Marco Rubio (R): 41 (30)
Undecided: 19 (32)
(MoE: ±4%)
Another poll, another dose of heartbreak for Charlie Crist, who entered this race a year ago with a million bucks in his wallet and a pocketful of dreams. What’s especially notable is that this poll was taken in the immediate aftermath of Crist’s first real counter-attack on Rubio, which centered specifically around Rubio’s use of Florida Republican Party credit cards for personal expenses, including some ridiculous allegations of back waxing. It doesn’t look like Crist’s new aggressive posture has paid his campaign any immediate dividends.
And how about a journey into the hypothetical?
Kendrick Meek (D): 24
Charlie Crist (D): 21
Undecided: 55
(MoE: ±5%)Kendrick Meek (D): 27 (31)
Marco Rubio (R): 32 (27)
Charlie Crist (I): 29 (32)
Undecided: 12 (10)Charlie Crist (D): 38 (45)
Marco Rubio (R): 40 (34)
Undecided: 22 (21)
(MoE: ±4%)
An indie run continues to look like the best bet for Crist, turning a certain defeat into a game of jump ball for all three candidates.
And, finally, the gubernatorial race:
Bill McCollum (R): 47 (45)
Paula Dockery (R): 9 (9)
Undecided: 44 (46)
(MoE: ±5%)Alex Sink (D): 35 (33)
Bill McCollum (R): 41 (35)
Undecided: 24 (32)Alex Sink (D): 37 (35)
Paula Dockery (R): 15 (13)
Undecided: 48 (52)
(MoE: ±4%)
This is a slightly more optimistic take than PPP’s poll last week, which had Sink trailing by 13 points. As we’ve said before, there are certain things that Sink can do right now to improve her campaign, but I hope that she has an effective paid media team on contract.
I’m really hoping Crist goes kicking and screaming the whole through to tar and feather Rubio as much as he can. Meek just needs to come up the other side, have himself already very positively defined and be ready to take out Rubio.
It’d be interesting to see Meek start tying himself to Crist in a, we are the two moderate independents in this race and Rubio beating Crist just leaves me, so vote for me over the tea-bagger. (Not that Rubio is really a tea-bagger)
R2K and Rass have both done Florida polls in the last week or so, and in the Meek-Rubio matchup, Meek is doing better according to Rassmussen than R2K? That is a shocker.
55% undecided (!) against Meek, and Dems undecided against Rubio (and they ain’t gonna break for Rubio).
Crist has a lot of choices, but his best options are a tough three way race in the general, or a tough primary against Meek.
As long as Crist isn’t an idiot, and runs again Rubio in the primary, he is the most likely person to be the next Senator from Florida.