On the heels of major conservative victories such as Scott Brown’s win in Massachusetts, Marco Rubio, a Republican candidate for Senate, is enjoying red-hot momentum against the early favorite, Florida Governor Charlie Crist.
In a matter of just five months, the polls have flipped to Rubio’s favor, giving the former underdog a double-digit lead over the governor. CNN cited a specific image that has come full-circle to haunt Crist- a hug with President Barack Obama, from Feburary of last year, when Crist accepted Obama’s stimulus package.
Currently, Crist is running radio ads criticizing Obama’s spending, but Rubio isn’t afraid to call Crist’s bluff. Peter Hamby of CNN, wrote an article titled, A year later, ‘The Hug’ returns to spotlight in Florida Senate battle.
John Dowless was one of several experts quoted in Hamby’s article. Excerpts from Hamby’s story include:
Friday’s straw poll victory marked the beginning of a spate of good news for Rubio. On Monday, Indiana Rep. Mike Pence, a standard-bearer for opponents of big government, threw his support behind Rubio. And on Tuesday, Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, lined up behind the former House speaker.
National endorsements often matter little in local races, but they appear to have made an impact in the Florida fight — to Rubio’s benefit.
Primary voters tend to be a little more informed, they pay attention,” said John Dowless, an Orlando-based Republican strategist. In a primary these endorsements do make a difference, and in this environment it plays even bigger. Whether it’s Grover Norquist, the National Review, or the Club for Growth, those things matter.