Crist Now Says He Would Have Voted for Obamacare Before He Voted Against It

Florida Governor Charlie Crist has apparently changed his position on Obamacare, just like he changed parties and his stance on teacher accountability, among other things. The independent candidate for Senate now claims that the health care bill was really good-- but also really bad. Huh?

"If I misspoke, I want to be abundantly clear: the health care bill was too big, too expensive, and expanded the role of government far too much," Crist said in a statement. "Had I been in the United States Senate at the time, I would have voted against the bill because of unacceptable provisions like the cuts to the Medicare Advantage program."

I know that this is just like John Kerry's double-speak during the 2004 presidential campaign. Both Democrat Kendrick Meek and Republican Marco Rubio are attacking the governor-- apparently he makes no sense to them, either.

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Primary Mania Open Thread.

11:40 PM - (JIP) A few more statistics to end the long night:

I blogged tonight's Primaries for 3 hours and 40 minutes.

I Updated this article on 34 occasions this evening.

Good night everyone!

11:35 PM - (Alaska) And here's the link to Alaska's results....

....for whenever it reaches 8:00 PM there.

11:31 PM - (Arizona) Sen. McCain wins GOP Nomination:

Senator John McCain - 198,631 - 58.95%.
Congressman Hayworth - 99,067 - 29.40%.
Businessman Jim Deakin - 38,464 - 11.42%.

(JIP) I'm done for the night. Check here for Arizona results.

11:23 PM - (Arizona) Deadheat to replace Rep. Shedegg:

Arizona's 3rd congressional district.
Ben Quayle - 9,171 - 22.20%.
Jim Waring - 7,949 - 19.24%.
Steve Moak - 7,510 - 18.18%.
Vernon Parker - 6,488 - 15.70%.

11:18 PM - (Arizona) McCain is kicking Hayworth's ass:

Senator John McCain - 161,637 - 58.91%.
Congressman Hayworth - 82,787 - 30.17%.
Businessman Jim Deakin - 29,313 - 10.68%.

11:12 PM - (Arizona!) Arizona's first results are coming in!

Senator John McCain - 137,802 - 59.29%.
Congressman Hayworth - 69,876 - 30.06%.
Businessman Jim Deakin - 24,72 - 10.40%.

Can we call it for McCain now?

11:00 PM - (JIP) I'll be shutting down for the night soon...

...I just hope Arizona releases their results before I do so.

(Florida) - Rick Scott is officially the declared winner. Wow.

10:53 PM - (Arizona) Where are you Arizona? We're waiting!

I have a feeling we'll see Alaska's results before Arizona's....

10:50 PM - (Florida) Allen West (R) to face Rep. Klein (D):

Florida's 22nd congressional district
Allen West - 23,039 - 76.00%.
David Brady - 7,275 - 24.00%.

10:44 PM - (Florida) It's over for Bill McCollum in Florida:

Rick Scott - 575,110 - 47%.
Bill McCollum - 533,479 - 43%.
Mike McAlister - 126,255 - 10%.

10:37 PM - (Florida) 82% of Florida Precints are Reporting:

Rick Scott - 558,734 - 46%.
Bill McCollum - 522,276 - 43%.
Mike McAlister - 123,636 - 10%.

McCollum trails by 36,500 votes...

10:31 PM - (Arizona) - Arizona does not appreciate political junkies!

(Florida) - Over 1.2 million Florida Republicans voted today.....wow.

10:25 PM - (Florida) - 81% of Florida Precincts are Reporting:

Rick Scott - 551,770 - 46%.
Bill McCollum - 514,583 - 43%.
Mike McAlister - 122,109 - 10%.

McCollum trails by 37,000 votes....

10:21 PM - (Arizona) I feel like Karl Rove did in 2000.........

......I want those results, and I want them now! Goodness!!!!

10:13 PM - (Florida) 74% of Florida Precincts are Reporting:

Rick Scott - 543,201 - 46%.
Bill McCollum - 504,704 - 43%.
Mike McAlister - 120,664 - 10%.

10:06 PM - (Arizona) It's 8 PM in Arizona. Results, please?

(Florida) I wonder if McCollum can come back....any thoughts?

9:59 PM - (Florida) Scott is still ahead by 40,000 votes:

Rick Scott - 536,506 - 57%.
Bill McCollum - 496,777 - 43%.
Mike McAlister - 119,627 - 10%.

9:51 PM - (Arizona) Waiting for Arizona's GOP Results........

.....I'm expecting a huge McCain victory, and a Quayle defeat.

9:49 PM - (Florida) Scott is ahead by about 40,000 votes:

Rick Scott - 524,914 - 47%.
Bill McCollum - 485,017 - 43%.
Mike McAlister - 117,538 - 10%.

9:45 PM - (Florida) Still too close to call down in Florida:

Rick Scott - 515,871 - 46%.
Bill McCollum - 478,672 - 43%.
Mike McAlister - 115,398 - 10%.

9:34 PM - (Florida) With about 1.1 million votes counted:

Rick Scott - 499,078 - 46%.
Bill McCollum - 463,835 - 43%.
Mike McAlister - 111,607 - 10%.

Scott/McCollum is still too close to call.............

9:24 PM - (Florida) With 1,038,957 votes counted:

Rick Scott - 483,880 - 47%.
Bill McCollum - 446,704 - 43%.
Mike McAlister - 108,373 - 10%.

Scott is increasing his lead over Attorney General McCollum.

9:15 PM - The polls have closed in the State of Arizona:

Results to be published at 10 PM.

9:10 PM - (Florida) Scott leads with 1,000,000 votes counted:

Rick Scott - 469,627 - 47%.
Bill McCollum - 434,038 - 43%.
Mike McCalister - 104,897 - 10%.

9:05 PM - (Oklahoma) Thompson wins right to oppose Rep. Boren:

Oklahoma's 2nd congressional district
Charles Thompson - 1,805 - 65.16%.
Daniel Edmonds - 965 - 34.84%.

9:01 PM - 965,000 votes and counting:

Rick Scott - 448,231 - 46%.
Bill McCollum - 416,763 - 43%.
Mike McCalister - 101,195 - 10%.

8:55 PM - 940,000 votes and counting:

Rick Scott - 435,732 - 46%.
Bill McCollum - 409,342 - 43%.
Mike McCalister - 98,673 - 10%.

8:50 PM - Meek wins Democrat Senatorial Primary:

Kendrick Meek - 326,515 - 54%.
Jeff Greene - 199,992 - 33%.
Glenn Burkett - 43,845 - 7%.
Maurice Ferre - 31,941 - 5%.

8:45 PM - 900,000 votes and counting (via FoxNews.com):

Rick Scott - 423,127 - 46%.
Bill McCollum - 398,646 - 43%.
Mike McCalister - 95,779 - 10%.

8:35 PM - The numbers are slowly coming out of Florida tonight.

Arizona's results will be published on their website at 10:00 PM.

8:27 PM - Rubio wins GOP Senatorial Primary:

Marco Rubio - 664,158 - 84.38%.
William Kogut - 71,119 - 9.04%.
William Escoffery - 51,845 - 6.59%.

No wonder Crist left the GOP: Rubio = landslide.

8:10 PM - With about 800,000 votes counted:

Rick Scott - 368,881 - 46.12%.
Bill McCollum - 348,694 - 43.60%.
Mike McCalister - 82,194 - 10.28%.

8:05 PM - With about 750,000 votes counted:

Rick Scott - 345,249 - 46.12%.
Bill McCollum - 325,837 - 43.53%.
Mike McCalister - 77,453 - 10.35%.

8:00 PM - The polls have closed in the State of Florida.

I will be watching the election results all night long. Look for updates on Jumping in Pools starting at 8:00 PM, and ending at about 11:00 PM:

Polls close in Florida at 7:00 pm* (ET) and 7:00 pm* (CT).
Polls close in Arizona at 9:00 pm (ET) and 7:00 pm (MT).
Polls close in Alaska at 12:00 am (ET) and 8:00 pm (AT).

Hopefully the turnouts are strong, and those who deserve to be nominated are nominated this evening.

* - Polls close in most portions of Florida at 7:00 pm Eastern Time, while in some portions of the state polls close at 8:00 pm Eastern Time (North West Florida), and the State Board of Elections will begin releasing all results at 8:00 pm Eastern Time.





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Primary Mania Predictions - August 24, 2010.

For the latest results, please visit our other Primary Mania article.

Today is Primary Mania in the United States of America, especially in Republican precincts, and as such, I decided to compile a list of the more interesting battles that are unfolding across the United States today, and offer my personal predictions. Please feel free to comment, and if you reside in any of the Primary states - Alaska, Arizona, and Florida - please get out there and vote.

Alaska's Senatorial Republican Primary

Senator Lisa Murkowski will defeat Joe Miller, who is backed by Sarah Palin and Tea Party groups by a 60-40% margin. Closer than expected, but a Murkowski win nonetheless, and a clear case of Palin backstabbing (she originally supported Murkowski last year).

Arizona's Senatorial Republican Primary

Senator John McCain will defeat Congressman JD Hayworth by a 70-25% margin, with a third lesser known candidate receiving the rest. Both have received the endorsement of Conservative individuals and organizations in Arizona, but Tea Partiers have mostly stayed out of the Primary.

Arizona's 3rd Congressional Repblican Primary

Will the Republican voters of Arizona's 3rd congressional district support attorney Ben Quayle, State Senator Pamela Gorman, or Paradise Valley Mayor, Vernon Parker? I personally have no idea who will win today, but I'm doubtful it will be the son of Vice-President Quayle, as a sex scandal has embroiled his campaign.

Florida's Gubernatorial Republican Primary

This Primary battle is nasty. Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum and Businessman Rick Scott have been tearing at one-another for the past few weeks via television advertisements. I support the Attorney General due to his very conservative record, and according to a recent poll of close to 800 Republicans: 39% (a plurality) of GOP voters do as well. But this race is up in the air.

Any thoughts?





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Rubio Up by Five

A new poll has Republican Marco Rubio extending his lead over his two opponents in the Florida Senate Race. This has coincided with a slide in Governor Charlie Crist's approval ratings and a definite air of uncertainty in the Democratic nomination.

This poll comes from Mason-Dixon, and has reconfirmed a similar Rasmussen poll released recently.

Rubio (R): 38%
Crist (I): 33%
Meek (D): 18%
Other/und: 11%

There's still a substantial undecided column here-- and depending how it swings it could affect the results of the election. Considering Meek is so far behind, it may be a signal that he will not crack 25%-- so the undecideds will probably shift between the two leaders.

Since undecided voters tend to vote against the incumbent party 2-1, the results would shift to Rubio 42%, Crist 40%-- which still leaves Rubio in the lead. Furthermore, the conservative wave over the country will probably help Rubio further-- leaving him with at least 3% ahead.

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Rubio Up by Two in New Poll

A new poll from Rasmussen, the most accurate of all of the major polling firms shows Republican Marco Rubio with a slight lead over current Governor, Independent Charlie Crist. The poll also shows Democratic challenger Kendrick Meek well behind in the race for November.


Rubio (R): 35%
Crist (I): 33%
Meek (D): 20%
Other/und: 12%

In another set of polling, another Democratic challenger for the primary, Jeff Greene, was included. Greene appears to push undecideds towards Crist and Rubio:

Rubio (R): 36%
Crist (I): 34%
Greene (D): 19%
Other/und: 11%

So it looks like the horserace is continuing with Rubio consistently ahead in Rasmussen polls and Crist ahead in others.


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Reuters Has Crist Up by 7%

Reuters may not be as reliable as Rasmussen Polling, but it is a respectable news organization which has conducted a major poll in the Florida Senate race. These results are different than other recent polling results.

With Meek as candidate:

Crist (I): 35
Rubio (R): 28
Meek (D): 17

With Greene as candidate:

Crist (I): 34
Rubio (R): 29
Greene (D): 18

A couple of things become obvious. No matter who the Democratic candidate is, it appears that the Dems have almost no shot of picking up the seat with their "real" candidate. The main way that they could take the seat is if Crist wins and caucuses with the Democrats. Such a hope may spur many to not vote for Meek or Greene in hopes of sinking Rubio.


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Is Obama screwed for 2012?

The 2008 United States Presidential Election went like this:

Florida

Obama - 4,282,074 - 50.92% - 27 Electoral Votes.
McCain - 4,045,624 - 48.10% - 0 Electoral Votes.

A recent June 2010 Quinnipiac Poll sampling of 1,133 Floridians:

Obama Job Performance

Disapprove - 54% - 91% of GOP, 50% of Ind, and 14% of Dem.
Approve - 40% - 81% of Dem, 43% of Ind, and 6% of GOP.

President Barack Obama won Florida with a cushion of just 236,000 votes, or by a margin of 1.8 percentage points. And now a recent poll from a respectable polling firm has his numbers in one of the most important states at 40%. For someone who faces the voters again in 29 months; a 40% approval rating is a bad sign of worse things to come.

Imagine if these polling numbers reflect voters from across the Nation? Obama won the state of North Carolina by 14,000 votes; the state of Indiana by 29,000 votes; the state of Nevada by 120,000 votes; the state of Iowa by 140,000 voters; the state of Virginia by 230,00 votes; the state of Ohio by 260,000 votes; and he lost in Missouri by only 4,000 votes.

Losing 10% support in all of the above mentioned states would cause such a overturn of voters that it might not matter who Republicans select to be their Presidential nominee; just as long as a Republican is on the ballot. Period.

Memo to all perspective candidates for the Republican Nomination: All you need to do to win the 2012 Presidential Election is to flip about 1,056,000 votes in the seven above mentioned states, which in turn will result in 98 Electoral Votes going into our column, leaving us the victors in 2012.

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Obama Approval in Florida at 40%

According to a new Quinnipiac poll, President Obama's approval rating in Flordia has fallen dramatically. As reported by Real Clear Politics, Obama had a 50% rating in April. Currently, his approval stacks up like this:

40% Approve
54% Disapprove.

He needs to get busy quick if he wants to salvage his ratings in this important swing state. Chances are that the oil spill isn't helping his ratings either. Furthermore, he's making a trip to the Gulf next week, so let's see how that goes.

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Crist Up in New Poll

 Rasmussen has Rubio up by eight, and they tend to be more accurate than local pollsters, but I'll send this your way anyhow. A new Saint Petersburg Times/other media poll has current Florida governor Charlie Crist up by three percentage points in the Senate race as an independent.

Crist: 30%
Rubio: 27%
Meek: 15%
Undecided: 27%

That's a massive amount of undecided-- perhaps those unlikely to vote. In any case, it looks like Crist's independent bid has utterly destroyed any chance that Meek had to win the race. Still, with almost as many undecideds as those for any of the candidates, anything can happen yet.

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Rubio Retakes Lead in FL Senate Race

 Marco Rubio has again taken the lead in the Flordia Senate race, according to a new Rasmussen poll. Rasmussen had Governor Charlie Crist ahead in the three-way race immediately after he announced his independent big. However, now that that shock has subsided and the race has sunk in, Crist has again fallen behind.

Rubio: 39%
Crist: 31%
Meek: 18%
Undecided: 12%

My question is whether Meek will stay in this race. Meek may decide to drop out in order to keep the more conservative Rubio out of the Senate. Also, this would help the Dems potentially keep their majority in the Senate and could also land Meek a nice position in the Flordia goverment as long as Crist stays governor.

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Rubio: We're Too Reliant on Government

The possible next Senator from Florida, Marco Rubio has said something which Americans should take heart in.

"We can not continue to allow this over reliance on government to replace the cornerstone institution that has made the American experience possible," he said.

Plus he went to a gun show. I'd like to see Governor Crist do either of these things. I haven't seen a new poll from Florida lately, but I'd like to see what the figures are.

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2010 Florida Senate Race: Crist lead will not last.

According to a recent Mason Dixon poll on the United States Senate race in Florida, Governor Crist has increased his support in Florida to 38%, while Marco Rubio has fallen to 32% and the lone admitted Democrat has tumbled to an embarrassing 19%.

Some believe the situation for the Democrat candidate can only get worse, as Florida Democrats will continue to flee his campaign and join Charlie Crist, as a Southern version of Joe Lieberman would be better than a younger, Cuban version of Ronald Reagan in their opinion.

It could very well work out that way, but I still believe Marco Rubio will receive 45% of the vote, Meeks will carry 43% of the vote, and Governor Crist will fall to 12% of the vote - unlikely to anyone reading the latest polls. However, we must remember Independent candidacies always perform well at first, but 90% Republicans will join Rubio, and Democrats will eventually rediscover their own candidate.

Charlie Crist is the perfect candidate at the perfect time for an Independent bid for Washington, being a popular Redstate Governor in a traditional Redstate. However, his support for the faulty Stimulus package will remove Independent voters from his column, Republicans who still stand by their man, will eventually flee his campaign as November approaches, and I just cannot see Democrats leaving their candidate to suffer the embarrassment of a third place finish to Marco Rubio and Charlie Crist, two right-of-center individuals.

Call me biased as a longtime Marco Rubio supporter, but his campaign has the momentum and energy of Conservative Floridians, and I just cannot see Charlie Crist's campaign of over-the-road Democrats and fence sitting Independents leading Crist to Paradise, or even Walt Disney for that matter.

Crist will fall, the only question is when.

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Crist Leads in 3-Way Poll

According to a new Rasmussen poll, Florida Governor Charlie Crist has opened a lead on House Speaker Marco Rubio in the Senate race.

Crist (I) 38 (+8 vs. last poll, April 22)
Rubio (R) 34 (-3)
Meek (D) 18 (-4)
Und 11

This comes with a drop from Rubio, but also a 4% drop from Meek (almost 20% of his support) . It looks like Crist is going to keep gaining with Democratic voters as they realize that Meek has almost no shot. He's a full 20% behind Crist and 16% behind Rubio.

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LeMieux Backs Rubio

Some stunning news today after the Governor's announcement yesterday. Flordia's Senator George LeMieux, who was appointed by Crist last year after the retirement of Mel Martinez, is backing Marco Rubio for Senate. LeMieux is a political acolyte of the governor and is only serving out the remainder of the term. Crist named him as Senator after speculation that Crist might appoint himself.

“I am saddened that my friend, Governor Crist, has decided to leave the Republican Party. Our friendship runs deep, but my commitment to the principles of the Republican Party runs deeper. I cannot walk down the path he has chosen.

Poor, poor Charlie.


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Video: Crist 'Running as a Republican'

From the Rubio campaign, a new commercial:



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Why Jeb Bush Might Not be Such a Bad Idea

Politico has an article up and Hot Air has linked to it about the possibility of a future Bush in national politics. Of course, this is Jeb Bush, the well-known former governor of Florida. Jeb is George W.'s brother and with a voting population not too enamored with the Bushes, the logic of having him be the face of the GOP might not seem like a great idea.

That being said, there are some advantages.

• Credibility: Bush was a highly successful two-term governor of Florida. He was consistently conservative on many issues and remained very popular.
• Experience: Bush pushed through landmark legislation including an education overhaul. In a time of economic uncertainty, the fact that he also served as the state's Secretary of Commerce is a big plus.
• Demographic appeal: Bush is a converted Catholic and is able to play to both the Protestant and Catholic populations. Bush is also married to Columba Bush, who is Latina. Bush is fluent in English and Spanish and has a following among the state's Cuban-American population.
• Popular in a swing state: If Bush was at the top of the ticket, the GOP would carry Florida, period. His appeal would also reach into increasingly Latino states in the West.

So don't count out this solidly conservative success story. Yes, he might have the "baggage" of the Bush name, but he would make a good President. And think about it: could he actually be worse than Obama.

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Charlie Crist, Shoes, and Florida politics.

Remember when Conservatives and Republicans from across America supported Doug Hoffman over "Dede" Scozzafava last November? I was apart of that movement from day one, but I was naive; I figured a situation such as that would never happen again. Well, it appears I was wrong. Dead wrong in fact.

Governor Charlie Crist (R-Florida) is going to soon announce his Independent bid for Florida's United States Senate election this November, after "leading and than trailing as a Republican" over the last twelve months, which has witnessed the incredible rise of Marco Rubio in Republican ranks, but the Governor cannot accept defeat to a Conservative man.

What you sow is what you reap should be the Conservative motto of the afternoon, we pushed Scozzafava out of the race last November for a more Conservative Republican, well a supposed Republican is now pushing Republican roadblocks out of the way, and he's running as a moderate Independent.

Crist is a sore loser. Republicans want a real Republican: Marco Rubio. Republicans want a party united for Republican principles: Marco Rubio. But, Charlie Crist is an arrogant, self-righteous political pig who wants his power and who wants to spite Republicans. Even his appointed "seat warmer" is distancing himself from Crist. Who wouldn't?

Here's what I predict for the Florida election:

Rubio - 45% of the vote.
Meeks - 43% of the vote.
Crist - 12% of the vote.

Republicans will shelter around Rubio, Democrats will cling to Meeks, and Crist will steal away most Independents from Rubio and Meeks, forcing the Florida Senate race to be about turnout instead of "debate it out". Rubio should win, but if he doesn't and if Senate Republicans fail to recapture the Senate due to a Rubio loss: We should demand the political head of Charlie Crist.

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BREAKING-- Crist Running as an Independent

FoxNews is now reporting that Florida Governor Chalie Crist is going to run as an independent in the Florida Senate race. Crist is supposed to make an announcement tomorrow.

This also comes after a Washington Post article says that Crist believes that he can win as an independent. This is going to be interesting.

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McCain to Crist: Don't Do It

In a similar message to GOP leader Mitch McConnell, Arizona Senator John McCain has told Florida Governor Charlie Crist not to run as an independent if he loses the Florida GOP Senate primaries. McCain, who's facing his own tough primary has told the governor that he will not back Crist if he runs as an independent.

Pressed further, McCain said, “I support Republicans.”



McCain, who is facing a GOP primary challenge this year,  added that Crist is “a dear friend. I like him, admire him and respect him, but I’m also a Republican.”



Crist is fast running out of options. The longer he waits the more he looks like he's desperate if he actually runs as an indie. I can't tell Crist what to do, but he has to realize that even if he wins the Senate race, it would be the end of his tenure in the GOP and any Presidential ambitions.

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McConnell To Crist: Don't Do It

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has some strong words for Florida Governor Charlie Crist, who is considering running as an independent in Florida's Senate election this November.

“We’re going to elect a Republican senator in Florida, and the Republican primary voters in Florida are going to determine who that is,” McConnell said on CNN’s “State of the Union. “We’ve been looking at the surveys, as you indicate, and it looks like Marco Rubio is running a very effective campaign and seems to have the lead. I’m going to be there behind the Republican nominee whoever that is.”

McConnell, who has supported Crist, said the governor would “lose all Republican support if he were to run as an independent.”


Well, maybe Crist will start getting the picture. Let's see what happens with the next batch of polls.

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