Poll: (Florida) Governor's race in dead heat

[teach1st]

Poll: Governor's race in dead heat
St. Petersburg Times, 4/19

Get ready for a very unpredictable governor's race.

Just as many political observers started to wonder if America's biggest battleground state had slipped safely into the Republican column, a new poll shows the race to succeed Gov. Jeb Bush wide open, with the major Democratic candidates effectively tied with the major Republican candidates.

The Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday showed Attorney General Charlie Crist locked in a dead heat for the Repubican nomination with Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher; in the Democratic primary U.S. Rep. Jim Davis leads state Sen. Rod Smith pf Alachua, but half of Democrats are undecided.

Florida Republicans control all of state government and enjoy an enormous fundraising advantage over Democrats, but the April 11-17 survey of 951 registered voters points to national disenchantment with President Bush taking its toll on Florida Republicans. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.

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[Orangepeel]

1. woo hoo!

Go, Jim Davis!

[seafan]

5. Bob Graham has endorsed Davis. It's gonna be exciting, for sure. n/t

[Zorra]

2. Republican corruption and dishonesty is taking it's toll. n/t

[orleans]

3. jebbie better crank up the central tabulator

if he's gonna steal this election

[YDogg]

4. Charlie Crist gives me the creeps.

Just had to get that off my chest. Nice tan, but he still gives me the creeps.

[HooptieWagon]

8. From a floridian...

Crist has been somewhat moderate for a repuke in the past, FWIW. This election he seems to be campaigning as a christo-fascist. I really don't know if that is a permanent shift or not. I suppose he's realizing that moderates are reluctant to vote repuke this time, so he's attempting to appeal to the far right.
Davis is good... so is Smith... either would make a good gov, though we really missed the boat last time with Bill McBride - he would have been fantastic. McBride's wife, Alex Sink, is running for State FO this time - well qualified since she was previously Fla president of BoA.

[seafan]

6. Davis can pull this thing out, it's starting to look like.

In the Democratic contest, Davis led Smith 27 to 17 percent, with half the 383 Democrats surveyed undecided. Crist was favored by 34 percent of the 385 Republicans questioned while Gallagher was backed by 30 percent with a third still undecided.

Davis was favored by 39 percent to Crist's 37 percent in a hypothetical general election matchup while Davis and Gallagher were tied at 38 percent each. Crist had 39 percent to 37 percent for Smith if they were opponents while Gallagher was backed by 41 percent to Smith's 35 percent in that showdown. All matchups were statistical ties.

Given the president's low approval ratings, high gas prices and negative publicity in Iraq, many observers think a ham sandwich could poll competitively with Republicans at this point.

"The environment is starting to solidify and not at all in a good way for us," fretted Geoffrey Becker, former executive director of the state Republican Party. "I literally think the potential of Republicans losing 5 to maybe 8 (state) house seats is a reality."

[flyarm]

9. west coast fla here..lots 0f people pissed big time because rethugs

want to set up oilrigs in the gulf of mexico..that has even real rethugs pissed off big time!!even if they keep them 200 miles offshore if there is a leak or a spill it will destory the travel industry..and that is the main source of income for most here!

and also remember we have so many seniors..maybe the rest of americans haven't caught onto the medicare scam..but these seniors here get it big time and they know they got fucked!

i am seeing anger here unlike i have seen before..and people are talking to each other about it daily now..i was sitting at the pool 4 days ago..and thats all the people were talking about..and very heatedly!

fly

[JCMach1]

10. Smith is a Dino... He was my state senator so I say it with some

authority.

[Lochloosa]

7. What! I may not have to move?

Give them hell Jim!