Former speaker of the Florida House Marco Rubio (R) must feel pretty good about his US Senate campaign right now. The latest Rasmussen Reports poll has Rubio 10 points ahead of Gov. Charlie Crist and 9 points ahead of Democrat nominee US congressman Kendrick Meek. One question on many Republicans’ minds is whether Crist’s candidacy will take votes from Rubio. In Duval that’s not likely.
Jacksonville in Duval County was a key springboard for Rubio. He spoke to the Republican Women’s Club of Duval Federated in May, 2009. Rubio’s candidacy was just beginning to emerge amid a groundswell of support for Crist from Republican leaders in Washington and the former chair of the Republican Party in Florida as well.
GOP women, however, are known for their independence. This is perhaps one of the Party’s best kept secrets. And when Rubio walked into the room at that May, 2009, meeting, it was evident he had a strength that some state and national Party politicos underestimated. The room was packed; he received a standing ovation. And after his speech, done without benefit of teleprompter or notes, he took off the cuff questions that no one had screened.
In coming months, he would be featured in branded magazines like Time and National Review. He kept his feet on the ground, covering the state, addressing groups and organizations. He also rolled out a series of policy proposals on health, veterans’ issues, education, taxes and other issues under the banner ‘Ideas to Reclaim America.’ Some Republicans and national media (who have never quite understood the GOP) tagged him with labels such as ‘Tea Party candidate.’
That alone demonstrated the ignorance of politicos and pundits. Anywhere Rubio spoke, Main Street Republicans listened. If anyone is a true grassroots candidate who tapped into the traditional GOP model of limited government and tax reform, it is Rubio. His magnetism goes far beyond Tea Party supporters from various formal and informal groups.
After Rubio debated Crist on Fox News in March, with Chris Wallace as host, no viewer could possibly call Crist the victor. If the two had been in a boxing ring, Rubio would have knocked Crist out cold.
Approximately one month later, Crist left the Republican Party. Most media, including your Jacksonville Republican Examiner, have described Crist as an independent candidate. He isn’t.
Jerry Holland, supervisor of elections in Duval County explained in the August Newsletter: “Several candidates have also qualified to bypass the Primary and will go directly to the November 2nd ballot, including Florida Governor Charlie Crist, who announced he would run with, ‘No Party Affiliation’ (NPA). You may have heard that Crist is running as an, ‘Independent.’ While he is not running in either of the two traditional parties, (Republican or Democrat) it is important to note that there are 42 other minority parties registered in Florida, including three that begin with, or contain the term, ‘Independent.’ Governor Crist and 5 other ‘NPA’ candidates are technically not Independent. They are running as individuals with no affiliation to any of the 44 registered parties in Florida.”
The day after the Florida Primaries concluded, Cindy Graves, president of the Florida Federation of Republican Women, issued a statement congratulating GOP winners. Saying FFRW would “united to campaign hard for our ticket to fight the liberal agenda and win a sweeping Republican victory in the mid-term elections,” Graves summed up the Rubio Factor in a very astute manner. “We will be led by our inspirational Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, Marco Rubio…”
Comparing votes cast in Jacksonville gives an idea just how inspirational Rubio is. Of a total of 63,985 votes cast in Duval by Republicans in the closed primary, Rubio received 57,465. Compare that total to Democrat votes cast. Of a total of 46,015 votes cast, Meek received 29,760. Yet Democrats outnumber Republicans in the county, with more than 235,000 registered Dems and more than 193,000 Republicans.
There’s an added quirk—more than 98,000 voters describe themselves as ‘other.’
Crist, with his No Party Affiliation, wasn’t on the Primary ballot.
It is highly unlikely Rubio will lose votes to the liberal governor who was recently in Martha’s Vineyard for a fundraiser and who has strategists tied to President Barack Obama’s campaign working on his Senate run.
Jacksonville is unquestionably a Rubio stronghold as the numbers suggest. And there’s another unquantifiable factor—the enthusiasm of those who cheer Rubio on at rallies and gatherings where there is standing room only and a line of supporters hoping to shake his hand and on Nov. 2, to fill in the bubble by 'Marco Rubio' on the ballot.
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