One lesson that some liberals (disapprovingly) and conservatives (approvingly) are drawing from this race is that Republican primary voters are bent on rejecting moderates and nominating conservatives, even at the risk of losing a seat Republicans might otherwise win. But in this case it seems clear that Rubio, even if not as strong a general election candidate as Crist, still has an excellent chance of beating the one prominent Democrat running for the seat, Congressman Kendrick Meek.
...money and name identification in today's political environment don't guarantee victory. In fact, as Patrick Ruffini points out in the course of arguing persuasively arguing that Republicans shouldn't be looking for candidates capable of self-funding campaigns.Rubio is trailing far behind Crist in fundraising, but he has been picking up endorsements from county Republican organizations and, despite his financial disadvantage, getting his articulate conservative message out.
Taking A Stab At What Rubio-Crist Could Mean
