New Rubio Ad: 'Things Change'

*
Rubio's campaign uses Charlie's own words against him:



Hmmm. Does Crist remind anyone of another politician, one with an "R" after his name?

h/t: Jennifer Caballero

- JP

Jeb, we hardly knew ye...

*
Conservative Lite^TM Jeb Bush, who has been silent for a good long while, finally opened his mouth and shortly thereafter put his foot in it. In a Newsmax interview, he dissed Reagan conservative Sarah Palin and praised Vichy Republican Charlie Crist. Some reaction from the Web:

sisu:

"Northeast Corridor Conservative Jeb Bush gratuitously dissed Sarah Palin and thereby all her fans in a Newsmax interview this afta. As far as we're concerned, he's toast."

The Lonely Conservative: 

"Sarah Palin hasn’t announced any intention to run in 2012. Other than her support for John McCain, she’s doing some good things for the conservative movement. There’s no need to bash her. Crist, on the other hand, is a RINO who not only supported, but embraced, Obama’s dreadful stimulus package, and he wants to be a United States Senator. Jeb ought to save his criticism for those truly deserving of it. Instead he opened his mouth and joined the ranks of the elitists that are annoying to the rest of us."

American Conservative Values:

"Perhaps Jeb has forgotten what they said about his brother George W. Bush and what they also said about President Reagan. Perhaps, just perhaps if Jeb had a brain he’d keep his mouth shut!"

Classic Liberal:

"Find the most popular figure among the conservative base, then lambaste her as stoopid. Yeah, I admit it. I love seeing the Establishment fall apart! Moron. Then again, he is a Bush. Btw, a 'depth of understanding of the complexity of life we're living in today' is another way of saying 'we need more progressives!'"

Allahpundit, displaying his usual mind-numbing political instincts, wonders whether Jeb is thinking thinking about a 2012 run. Riiight, Allah. Presidential candidates always launch their campaigns by dissing their potential opponents and getting their supporters fightin' mad. Sheesh!

- JP

Does John McCain Need Some Palin Power?

According to Bill Kristol says J.D. Hayworth has come out of nowhere to mount a serious challenge to the GOP's 2008 presidential candidate in his home state:

The new Rasmussen poll for the 2010 Arizona GOP Primary — John McCain 45%, J. D. Hayworth 43% — will generate a fair amount of buzz. But August is a long way away, and I assume that when McCain gets back to Arizona and campaigns, he’ll pull it out.

Still, who could help McCain beat back a populist conservative challenger? Sarah Palin.

Kristol predicts that Juan's former running mate will campaign for him in Arizona and help him save his Senate seat. Allahpundit isn't so sure that McCain would be able to get over himself enough to ask for her help:

I’m sure she’d do it too, not only as a favor to Johnny Mac but because endorsing him over a “true conservative” blunts the media narrative that she’s severed all ties to the center. So why do I think it’s not going to happen? Because I suspect it’d be awfully hard for a mavericky Maverick to swallow his pride and ask for the support of someone who’s loved by his constituents in a way he’ll never be.

Pulling McCain's sorry butt out of hte fire would also allow Sarah palin to square accounts with McCain. She wouldn't owe him a thing after that.

Meanwhile, back east in Florida, Marco Rubio has no such ego problem. He's already made it know that he would welcome a Palin endorsement. Not so for his primary opponent Gov. Charlie Crist, however:

But instead of hitching himself to a rising star in the GOP base, Crist simply noted Palin's apparent lack of interest in the race. Her support "hasn't been offered," he said when asked if he would welcome her backing.

Pressed whether he'd accept the endorsement if Palin offered it, Crist declined to answer, shutting the door of his SUV and driving off.

Sorry, Charlie Tuna. We think you know that you'll never be star-kissed.

- JP

Will Sarah Palin Endorse Marco Rubio?

In Sarah Palin's interview with NRO Tuesday with Rich Lowry and Robert Costa, the GOP primary battle for a U.S. Senate seat was one of the topics which was discussed:

She suggests, meanwhile, that there might be encouraging news coming Marco Rubio’s way. She says she’s had a chance to look at the Crist-Rubio race “just on the surface.” But she adds, “I’m just being asked about it really in the last week or two, so I’ll dig more into it. I’ll find out what the guys are holding in terms of positions and see where maybe I can help.

Given the 2008 Republican party vice presidential candidate's announced intention to campaign for conservative candidates it would seem that Marco Rubio would be more likely to get a Palin endorsement than Charlie Crist, Ms. Palin's former Republican Governors Association colleague.

If former Governor Palin does endose Rubio, The Palm Beach Post's Michael Bender observes that it could further widen the rift between the McCain and Palin camps:

Keep in mind that her 2008 running mate, John McCain, has endorsed Crist. And with the McCain & Palin camps already trading blows in the wake of the former Alaska governor’s Going Rogue biography, imagine the potential sideshow a proxy fight could set off if Palin lines up behind Rubio...

We don't think it would be a sideshow. It sounds to us more like the main attraction.

- JP

A Gentle Reminder to Sarah Palin: Marco Rubio

- By Thomas Lamb

On the face, this kid has it.

If he has no issues, this kid can win easily.

As for comments I made on the race being the testing ground for conservatives?

I still hold to the belief below on the Flordia Republican senate primary race being the testing ground for conservatives, but the New York race with Hoffman has added some interest in that it could become the catalyst in the conservative movement.

You have to hand it to the bigwigs within the Republican party. They know how to run a duplicitous campaign on smaller government.

It should be obvious now, that the Republican machine does not care about the message, it cares about winning.

Case in point, the Senate Republican primary that is unfolding in Florida.

Here you have the idiot Crist talking about how great the stimulus package is and wanting to become the senator of Florida under the Republican party banner.

Moreover, for the moment, you have a brand new poll showing the conservative losing to Crist.

But wait, is that a good sign? Not for the Republican party. The reason the Republican party is at odds right now is because it has no clear message.

It is being viewed as a duplicitous party. How can it be a party of smaller government when its bigwigs are pulling in behind Crist.

Just recently, a Gallup poll is showing the republicans making gains on the democrats. And Rasmussen has had gains at dead even between the parties, while the pundits continue to banter about how the republicans have to move from the right in order to win.

Given another poll done in February, on how independents view the stimulus package, I think Crist may be barking up the wrong tree when he is boasting about the benefits of the stimulus package and how he supports it.

As an aside, it would be interesting if Palin's PAC targets Florida and supports the conservative candidate. And even though there was no special election in Illinois, since the Democrats picked Burris, Illinois is setting to be a perfect storm for Palin's PAC, if Palin's PAC moves in on the state.

All in all, Florida will be the testing grounds for the conservative soul and may very well be the testing ground for Palin's PAC.

Call it fantasy politics if you want but it would certainly stir the political pot.

Given the race in New York and the demographics, politically speaking, Florida may still be the place to watch and see if Palin enters the political scene in Florida.

John McCain endorsed Crist and this Senate seat race would be (if an endorsement came in to Rubio) the one to give Palin's PAC its conservative wings.

Call it Going Rogue II: Revenge of the Conservatives

Related Threads:

New Developments Within the Florida GOP

John McCain is Crazy: He Endorses Crist

- Tom