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What Is Going On In The U.S. Senate Race In Florida!?

By: tomtflorida (Diary)  |  August 4th, 2011 at 10:08 AM  | 

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What is going on in the U.S. Senate Race in Florida!?

Quinnipiac University released a new poll that shows Adam Hasner, despite several noted endorsements, including RS’s Erick Erickson, and a growing list of impressive financial backers, dead last among the key candidates with just 6% of the vote.  Again.

This is not necessarily breaking news, most polls continue to show Hasner struggling to resonate with voters and having over all poor name recognition.

Former Sen. George LeMieux was second in the results with 12% and ex-CEO Craig Miller was third with 8%, having just entered the race a few weeks back.

What is shocking is that Mike McCalister is shown in the poll as leading the race with 15%! Really?

Allow me to be the first to say that should McCalister win the Republican primary, which he will not, you can bid any chance of defeating incumbent Bill Nelson adieu.

McCalister, who failed to release his financial statement when required, quietly slipped it in after the media attention had waned – leaving you wonder if that were the plan all along. Particularly when you see that he has only raised $12,170.75 for the entire year, as of the end of June!

This coming on the heels of his run for Governor last year where he only raised $8,200, which was in the source of a loan to his campaign.

So how is it that a man incapable of convincing folks to contribute to his campaign is able to entice them to vote for him? It just makes no sense.

In addition to this shortcoming, a statewide coalition of tea party groups issued a statement a few weeks back that did not name McCalister by name, although it was clearly directed at him due to several ads he placed proclaiming to be the “tea party star”.  The statement rejected “individual candidates who crown themselves as a Tea Party candidate”.

And there is growing concern about just how ‘pro-life’ McCalister actually is, based on a passage in his book, ‘The Right Future for Florida…and You!’ where he states;

“I am pro-life, and though I don’t believe that government should interfere in the personal choices of its citizens, I believe that tax payers should not be responsible for paying for those choices.”

Yet, with all this, McCalister is in the lead?

It goes to show that you cannot put a whole lot of emphasis on polls. Keep in mind that Public Policy Polling had Alan Grayson leading Dan Webster by 13 pts in the D8 congressional race last year and Grayson lost the election by 18 pts!

It also shows that this race is wide open and that Craig Miller, the newest entry into the race, has a real opportunity before him to capture the Republican primary and go on to challenge Sen. Bill Nelson. A result that would be very pleasing to your humble correspondent.

 

Cross Posted at Florida Political Press

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  • cwilson

    So it’s no wonder the polls are screwy. Nobody has heard of any of these guys (except LeMieux…MAYBE). The campaign really hasn’t started yet.

    OTOH, Hasner has been making the rounds at the county Committee meetings; he spoke at mine last month. (Hey: one more benefit of becoming a Precinct Committeeman, aka an Actual Party Member!)

  • gawken

    Admittedly, that was because conservatives had a tough choice. McCollum was perceived as a RINO, any many weren’t happy with Scott because of his ethically challenged business background.
    McAlister ran a shoestring campaign, but he was successfull in getting on-air on most Florida talk shows, and he came across very well, and very credible. And he’s a good speaker….

    In speaking with felow Republicans here in the Bay area, most hadn’t heard of him, but I’d say that of those who had heard him, over 50% were very impressed.

    I think many here were surprised at Haridopoulous’ dropping out. It has led to considerable speculation that if no one really catches fire, that Jeb will run. Remember, Mike reportedly asked Jeb if it was OK for him to run, and Jeb said yes.

    I’ve written here before that I feel the reason thatMike dropped out was that Rubio told him privately..that he wouldn’t endorse him. And Rubio’s support will decide the race. Which may be why he’s withholding it..to see what Jeb does..remember, Jeb blessed Rubio’s run against Charlie very early on..

    So, to summarize…it’s a good chance that Jeb runs. If he doesn’t I expect that Marco will endorse Adam, and that will decide the primary..and Hausner can beat Nelson..

    • http://travismonitor.blogspot.com Freedoms Truth

      works for me.

      In Texas, the guy to support is Ted Cruz.

  • macjedi

    Does Marco Rubio have a twin brother, a sister, brother in-law? PLEASE, don’t make us choose from a list of un-knowns or Charlie Crist clones…. We need a real Tea Party inspired candidate that can crush the current senate seat occupant Bill ‘worthless’ Nelson. We need someone who can handle the lightning hot issues without fear of the hard answers. AND hard answers are required about the ‘sturm und drang’ after four years of the chosen one and his lemming like supporters in the US Senate. AND ABOVE ALL we need someone that breathes shrinking (fast) government and restoring Liberty. WHO is this person?

  • Fla Mom

    I heard Miller being interviewed on local radio the other day. When asked how he would have voted on the final debt ceiling bill, he said he would have voted no unless his vote was needed. What a weasel; he is off my list!

    McCalister is speaking at our REC meeting tonight, so I’ll get to hear him first hand. Maybe I’ll ask him about his position on abortion.

    I’d love it if Hasner would come to our REC.

    Fla Mom

    • mikeymike143

      i usually agree with tomtflorida but he is WAY off base with this post. it looks like a straight hit piece on the leader in the republican polling because he wants to support RINO craig miller. and i noticed the way he also took a shot at adam hasner.

      the two conservative republicans in the race are hasner and mccalister. the two moderate/establishment candidates are miller and lemieux. just say no to the RINO

      and i have plenty of tea party and conservative activist friends that absolutely love mike mccalister. to be honest, i am still undecided between hasner and mccalister and would be happy with either of them as my senator.

      oh, and didn’t miller get beat in the republican primary last year for the district 24 house seat. sorry but someone who spent over half a million dollars of his own money and still only took third in his district primary has NO chance of winning a statewide election. LOL

  • http://www.floridapoliticalpress.com/ tomtflorida

    mickeymike143, I’m curious how a man who has never served a day in office can be classified as a RINO. Craig Miller is a non-politician with extensive business experience and strong leadership skills. A man who understands very clearly what ails our economy and what needs to be done to get it going again. The only dig on him is from a political hit piece that erroneously claims he supports amnesty. I know this man and I have had countless conversations with him on immigration and the claims made against him are blatantly false.

    As for my thoughts on McCalister, it is based on personal interaction with the man and first hand information. I strongly suggest you take a good hard look behind the curtain – some things are just NOT what they appear to be with this man. But it’s early and there’s plenty of time for the truth to come out. Stay tuned…

    And Hasner is a good man and I know Erick E. has endorsed him, however, the FL budget grew from $50 Billion to $70 Billion during his 8 yrs in Tallahassee and there are seveal other positions where he’s real squishy. Facts are facts…

    This race is very important and it behooves us to honstly do our homework and arm ourselves with truth and knowledge. Do that and you will join me in seeing that Craig Miller is the only choice in this race that will go to DC and change the culture of corruption and ineptitude.

    • Fla Mom

      How will Craig Miller go about changing the culture of corruption and ineptitude if he will bend to leadership’s will and vote the way they want him to? (See my comment above, and those were his very words.)

      Also, if you have any facts about McCalister, instead of just innuendo, you should state them. If McCalister really has problems people need to be aware of, then earlier is better than later. Do you have such facts?

      Fla Mom

      • http://www.floridapoliticalpress.com/ tomtflorida

        Keep in mind that Craig Miller is NOT a politician well practiced in the art of flowery prose, able to to utter pleasing rhetoric at the drop of the hat that’s easy on your ears. Instead, he’s spent the last 40 years on Main St. growing businesses. I did ask him about that comment and he intention was thus; If his vote alone would lead to the U.S. defaulting on it’s obligations, then he would not cast that vote.

        As for McCalister, are you aware that there is a growing force of military veterans in the process of denouncing much of what the ‘good Colonel’ is saying? As I said, stay tuned…

        • Fla Mom

          Do they actually disagree with something he’s said? If so, with what policy position do they disagree? Or do they just not like him personally for some reason? Or, a la Kerry, do they think he did not have honorable service? I look forward to evaluating what they say.

          Having a philosophy and a conviction that results in knowing how you’ll vote on what is likely the most important issue, or at least one of them, facing the country right now, is what is needed, and it has nothing to do with flowery prose. Being able to say what you mean and mean what you say is important in a senator. Or a businessman, for that matter. For example, does Miller realize that a vote against the debt bill would not have resulted in immediate default? Or does he disagree with that position; if so, why does he?

          And by the way, I hold no brief for McCalister; I don’t know enough about him yet, nor really about any of them. I just was appalled at that one answer of Miller’s, and he would have to go a long way before I’d vote for him.

          Fla Mom

  • http://www.floridapoliticalpress.com/ tomtflorida

    Seems McCalister may be embellishing his actual experience in the military, the vast majority of which was as a reservist as I understand – which is honorable service in itself, just not the impression he’s been giving.

    For those who’ve been following his campaign, they may notice that he scrubbed his web site of his “Special Ops” experience… there’s a reason why.

    Craig was speaking in the hypothetical. The professional politicians know to stay away from nuances, Craig is just being honest. I’ll take honesty over rhetorical skill any day of the week.