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Friday, October 09, 2009
Jillian Bandes :: Townhall.com Columnist
Marco Rubio - Charlie Crist Matchup a Fundraising Game
by Jillian Bandes
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After no-name candidate Marco Rubio raised about $300,000 in his first quarter for his primary campaign against Charlie Crist, he announced a cool $1 million pull for his third quarter. A day later, Crist boasted over twice that - but the trends are important, Crist spokesman Alex Burgos says.

"Charlie Crist announced his numbers and they're down significnalty from his second quarter total," said Burgos. "So we like the trends. Marco is trending up, and Crist tripped."

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But some wonder whether or not one million is even enough. It takes roughly $1.5 million to get "one message" out -- to cover one issue in all areas of Florida media, including Spanish stations. Right now, Crist can get more than three times the number of messages out than Rubio can in the same time period.

Rubio's impressive cash pull will need to get even better if he's to have a fighting chance because Crist still holds a commanding lead in name recognition.

Optimistically, Burgos thinks that Rubio's numbers will only go up. That's because the donors he's accumulated are small and consistant, the fundraising style that proved so useful to Barack Obama. Around 97 percent of those donors hadn't maxed out and could give again. He attributes that Rubio's reaching-out towards all sectors of Florida voters.

"A big part of our political attitude has been to address just about every Republican in the state...local Republican groups, different GOP women's groups, Young Republicans," he said.

A Florida political consultant familiar with the race said that it's too early to tell whether or not the numbers would pan out for Rubio in the long term.

"He won't have to do as much in Miami, which is nice because it's a really expensive market," said the consultant. "But he's definitely appealing to the conservatives. His numbers were definitely seen as a victory, but I'm not sure if it's a victory at the 5 yard line."

Jeb Bush's endorsement is still on the line as well. The popular fomer governor has criticized the National Republican Campaign Committee for taking a stance in Florida's primary business, but hasn't yet indicated whether or not he'll make a formal endorsement himself.

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About The Author
Jillian Bandes is National Political Reporter for Townhall.com
Crist: Tan Man

Pistol:

I think all conservatives are FED UP with RINOs/CINOs who game them. FED UP!!!

My hunch, based on what I've read of Rubio, is that he's simply another gamer. I do not trust him AT ALL on illegal immigration. I think his sympathies lie with the "immigration reform" wing of the party, i.e., with the RINOs. Wish it were different, but unfortunately I don't think it is. His record thus far on this is not good.

Nevertheless, Crist embodies everything that's wrong with the Republican Party at the moment: he's a greasy, self-serving "Arlen Specter with a tan," I think somebody called him.

Unless the party takes a sharp turn to the right with the election of gutsy, principled conservatives, it is doomed; simple as that.

I no longer get excited by any one candidate because they virtually always let you down. That's a fool's game and I'm not a fool. It's the nature of people who gravitate towards power to become corrupt--all of them. I think it much more prudent to take a sober, dispassionate approach to politics and to watch what politicians DO and then to judge them based on that and that alone.

First things first, though: Dump Crist!

Then hold Rubio's feet to the fire.




Thanks
Thanks pjluvshorses your links are helpful. I think what every true conservative should do is make an out line of the issues that are important to them, maybe like this;

1. the U.S. Constitution
2. pro-abortion vs. pro-life
3. homosexual/lesbian "marriage"
4. shamnesty for illegal aliens
5. the 2nd Amendment
6. national security at home and abroad
7. education
8. the global warming myth
9. socialsim vs. capitalism

etc., etc. and then go down the list and see if the potential candidate actually line up with true conservative values when it comes to those issues. Also I have begun making a list here at TH on my blog, so if you would like to leave some suggestions as to what should be on a true conservatives list of issues then please stop by;

http://hopefullyonesimus.blogtownhall.com/2009/10/10/my_lis t.thtml

and add to the list by leaving a comment.
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