Posted on 07/29/2014 2:07:31 PM PDT by dignitasnews
Despite claims that he switched to the Democratic Party as a result of "GOP racism," Charlie Crist has been unable to secure strong minority support and as a result has lost the lead in his bid to reclaim the Florida Governors mansion against incumbent Governor Republican Rick Scott. In the latest CBS/New York Time/YouGov poll, Scott now leads Crist by five points in a race analysts suggest may be getting away from Crist.
Charlie Crist led the race by as many as 15 points in polls taken early this year, but has been unable to muster strong support from minority voters, a group he has courted with much zeal. In May of this year he made his now-infamous comments that he left the Republican Party due elements of racism within the group. These comments were met with skepticism, given that his GOP political career was destroyed when as the better known and funded favorite, he was routed by a (then) virtually unknown Latino Republican lawmaker by the name of Marco Rubio, now Senator and potential 2016 candidate.
While Rick Scott has generally scored negative popularity ratings by Floridians during his tenor in the Governors office, Charlie Crist has been unable to capitalize on this, he himself having a problem convincing voters that he is genuine, as many consider his previous comments about his party switch a mixture or opportunism and sour grapes. While his "stand against racism" has resonated with younger voters in the state, many Hispanics, particularly in the GOP-leaning Cuban-American population, remain skeptical worry that Crist the Democrat would be an even worse state executive that Crist the Republican was.
CBS News/New York Time/YouGov poll July 2014
In the recent polling, Scott secures solid or leaning support of 48 percent of Floridians, against 43 percent support for Crist. More troubling for the former Governor and "new" Democrat, his strongest support comes from younger voters, who vote at lower and less consistent rates than older voters. Among those 65 years and over, Governor Rick Scott enjoys overwhelming support of the voters, as 55 percent support the incumbent solidly, with another three percent leaning in his favor. In contrast, Crist garners only 35 percent overall with a constituency that is particularly key in a state known as a retirement destination.
The poll also shows that Charlie Crist's racial strategy may be falling flat as well. In a state that Barack Obama took by a slim margin in the 2012 Presidential elections, Crist was hoping to capitalize on the coalition Democrats had put together in 2012 and exploit recent racial divisions in the state as a result of Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman situation. The minority vote was key for President Obama, who captured 95 percent of the black vote and 60 percent of Hispanics. Today Charlie Crist has solid support among only 63 percent of black voters, with another 9 percent leaning his way. This presents a 21 percent drop from the totals the President received just two years ago, indicating that the race baiting tactics of Crist and the Democrat Party may in fact be counter-productive. While the African-American vote is still solidly leaning to the Democratic Party overall, recent signs point to a shift in black politics as the failed policies of President Obama are highlighting a half century of unsuccessful liberal leadership in the inner cities and in particular the black community. As a result, voters in these neighborhood are beginning to slowly warm up to Republican candidates, as they common cause with the GOP on matters of job creation, school choice, immigration. Strong leftward turns by the Democratic Party on social issues such as abortion and gay marriage have also highlighted cultural differences between African-Americans and a party still largely influenced by the morality and worldview of predominantly white liberals in the urban conclaves of large cities on either coast.
The same can much be said for Crist's efforts to woo Florida's Hispanic voters, a slightly larger electoral bloc than black Floridians. 60 percent of Latinos in Florida voted for President Barack Obama, but in the cited poll only 48 percent of Hispanic voters in Florida today support Charlie Crist, with 42 percent opting for Scott. The 12 point erosion in support for Crist among Hispanics may be too large for him to overcome between now and election day.
In a nation being torn apart by nefarious elements seeking to profit from its racial divisions, a November loss by Charlie Crist would send clear signals that this style of gutter politics will not be tolerated by the American people. The path of fear and divisiveness would be shown to be a losing one and the people of Florida would be spared from leadership proven to play on the lesser aspects of our nature. If the latest CBS/NY Times/YouGiv 2016 Florida Gubernatorial poll showing Rick Scott with a five-point lead over Charlie Crist is any indicator, the people of the sunshine state are seeking solutions to problems, not self-serving rhetoric designed to turn us against our neighbors.
By Dignitas News Service
Sources:
RealClearPolitics FiveThirtyEight NBCNews
Image by Sarah Dussault
Is overtanned a race?
I do not want ever to see Crist get into another position of power.
If he ever got here then homosexuals, druggies and left wing kooks would push for all sorts of crap they pushed back in their old northern states . Which in turn ruined their northern states and made them want to come here.
RealClearPolitics FiveThirtyEight NBCNews
Why not just post from there then?
Why is your blog involved at all?
Good news for the gang.
Do you think this poll will ever see the light of day at the SH!T? I'm sure Jeremy is all over this. Right.
Good news. Thanks for posting.
For darker color, it's best to let it soak a minute or two before rubbing.
Hey worthless troll, don’t you have some kids to babysit on the border? Worst poster on FR, bar NONE.
The only way I see SH!T writer Jeremy Wallace covering this is if he's spinning it to frighten and gin up the dem base. In other words, only if he can use it to manipulate his readership.
Great to hear, let’s hope it continues, thanks for your article.
Yeah, a whole bunch. They all look like you and keep calling for "Papi" and reeling off your phone number.
Worst poster on FR, bar NONE.
What are your criteria for worst versus best?
Take care of your border kids like your BFF Barry the fraud Soetoro.
Ok, have fun.
You got an answer or are you passed-out drunk again?
I hope Crist goes down in flames. He will be done for good.
Or the actual organizations that did the polls: CBS/NY Times/YouGiv.
Democrats run as republican when it is convenient (Bloomburg),Conservatives run as ....Conservatives
NO, but same “SEX” sex may be???
No, he will not win in the popularity polls produced by the media.
They have exhibited a near universal dislike against him, for being what most voters of Florida want.
A serious elected government leader/servant in Tallahassee.
Not a partisan political star, not a career politician.
His support on election day will be both wide and deep.
Crist? He couldn't even manage to get my vote when he ran as a Republican.
The only election I ever left a spot intentionally blank.
I didn't vote for his opponent, but I wouldn't vote for him, either.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.