Florida Governor Charlie Crist is the next target of grass-roots conservatives who have rejected the anointed candidate chosen by the GOP party elite. Grass roots Republicans, Independents, and groups such as RedState.com are enthusiastically supporting former State House Speaker Marco Rubio.
Crist's accuse him of holding no core values, ideologically as well as ethically. Conservatives accuse Crist of being a political opportunist, and cite last February as an example when he stood side by side with President Obama endorsing the stimulus plan, which so far has failed to yield results in boosting the economy.
Further, Crist has come under ethical scrutiny as three of his primary fund raisers, Scott Rothstien, Harry Sargeant, and indicted Alan Mendelsohn, are all under investigation, have come under criminal investigation for bribery and fraud in their fund raising schemes. Crist is trying to put distance between himself and these three, but his statements are not convincing the public when, for example, his relationship with Rothstein goes back 15 years.
Ideologically, Crist has earned a reputation as a political opportunist, someone who changes positions according to political winds or based on what best advances the career of Char lie Crist.
Republican primar y challenger Marco Rubio has received enthusiastic support, trouncing Crist in a string of straw polls. Rubio has also received Rubio received endorsements from Karl Rove, former political strategist for President George W. Bush, as well as from Senator Jim DeMint, Newt Gingrich, Dick Armey. Rubio also received endorsements from talk show hosts Mark Levin and Laura Ingraham, and from former Governors Jeb Bush Jr. (R-FL) and Mike Huckabee (R-AR) among others.
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