Press release sent to contact.ipr@gmail.com:
A few weeks ago, Florida Republican U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio looked like he would be sailing into Washington with the political winds of talk radio and the tea parties at his back. But today, it seems like Marco is slightly adrift with this once-solid base.
With an embarrassing GOP credit card scandal, and now an independent challenge from formidable rival Charlie Crist, what seemed to be a slam dunk primary win has turned into an even-odds general election race. And, with Libertarian candidate Alexander Snitker nipping at his heels, he could be quickly become mired in a two-front battle for conservative hearts and minds.
“The shine is coming off the ball with Marco Rubio,” said Jason Hoyt, co-host of the Tea Party Patriots Live radio show. That sentiment is being echoed by tea party groups around the state, prompting many to take a deeper look at Rubio’s past – with some not liking what they find.
“My first impression is [Rubio] being an attorney, Speaker of the House, a lobbyist, he’s been in politics for a while…he’s pretty much what we’re trying to replace,” said Jay Jacobs, events coordinator of the Baker County Tea Party.
The tea party groups don’t appear to be the monolithic voting blocs that the Rubio camp was likely counting on. At any given tea party event, one is likely to find as many Ron Paul supporters as there are Sarah Palin fans. A recent Politico poll reveals that tea party members are evenly split between the religious right and libertarians.
By most indications, Crist has little chance in courting a significant number of tea party voters. The TV ads touting Crist’s conservative record are nowhere to be seen these days. But, his strategic shift toward the political middle ground has gained him favor with centrist Republicans that would have normally supported the GOP primary winner. It’s likely that Crist will siphon votes from Democrat front runner Kendrick Meek as well.
Religious conservatives still seem to be solidly in Rubio’s camp. However, he faces a difficult dilemma on whether to court more moderate Republicans voters, or try to gain ground with libertarian-minded voters, knowing that placating one group may risk alienating the other.
Not long ago, Rubio enjoyed a strong home-field advantage in talk radio. But over the past few weeks of endless on-air discussion and prognostication about the Florida Senate race, a slightly different picture seems to be emerging.
“I know this is being looked at as a three-way race,” talk host Bud Hedinger told his listeners on AM 540 in Orlando yesterday. “But there are other candidates in this race, and it might be time to look toward a guy like Alex [Snitker].”
Lately, even TV and radio icon Glenn Beck has been leaning more and more libertarian. Though Rubio has been a frequent guest on his shows, Beck told his radio audience last week that Snitker was, “the type of Libertarian I could go for.”
Voter frustration with both major parties is a bellwether of this election cycle. Fiscal conservatives have become disillusioned with Bush for his deficit spending and ballooning the debt, while many social liberals are growing angry at Obama for the continuing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and support for the Patriot Act.
Couple that with historically-low Congressional approval ratings, plus a strong sentiment against career politicians in general, and the political pump may be primed for a third-party candidate to take the fast boat to Washington.
7 responses so far ↓
1 Bev Baker // Apr 30, 2010 at 3:01 pm
Alex is a genuine guy who understands like most of us, that things are just going the wrong direction in Washington. Nothing is getting done except bickering and the politicians are just spending our money while the people they work for (you and me) are budgeting and scraping by to try to keep their homes, keep the lights on, and feed their families. Rubio is very shady and with the likes of Romney and Guiliani endorsing him, it just goes to preview what circles he will run with if he gets elected. Alex Snitker will get to Washington and vote for what is right for you and me, not what the parties want. He will vote against un-necessary spending, vote to bring our troops home, abolish the current burdensome tax code and replace it with the Fair Tax, and has no intentions of making the Senate a lifelong career. He is what our founding fathers were – ordinary citizens who love their country – The USA is still the best country around, but if things don’t change…………..
2 The American Conservative » Conservative Inc.’s branch office in Florida // May 1, 2010 at 2:58 pm
[...] There was another announcement about the Florida senate race a week ago that received much less attention but was just as significant. For New Hampshire U.S. Senator Bob Smith, who had relocated to Florida, had started a campaign for Senate last year and planned to run to Rubio’s Right. Indeed, Rubio provided opening from that flank when he criticized Arizona’s new immigration law. Instead, due to a lack of support and money, Smith ended his campaign. Thus, the only Right alternative in the U.S. Senate race will be the Constitution Party’s candidate Bernie DeCastro. Or for Libertarians, Alex Snitker. [...]
3 Florida Independent Voter // May 30, 2010 at 5:55 am
Alexander is a wac job that has no chance in wining!
4 Bonita Colley // Jun 18, 2010 at 7:41 am
I am amazed that the media thinks “religious right” is a different camp than Libertarians. Christians understand where true Freedom comes from and after looking into the Libertarian Party and being a Christian they pretty much line up together. Everyone will have their differences of opinion on certain subjects but the important thing is we agree on the foundation of our Constitution and Original Intent! Liberty and Free Loving Americans better join forces if we want to truly make a difference.
BTW In the days of our founders they were considered “Whack Jobs”. Learn to spell Florida Independent Voter.
5 George Phillies // Jun 18, 2010 at 8:39 am
At least our main stream media is occasionally getting a clue about the Libertarian Party and its natural opposite the Republican Christian ‘conservatives’, the people who are all in favor of liberty, especially their liberty to use the government to persecute people whose attitudes on sex and drugs are different from theirs.
The ‘original intent’ of the Constitution was that slavery was legal. It also in original intent gave us a scheme for electing a President that failed catastrophically the first time there was more than one significant candidate. It also in original intent gave us a scheme of government that is giving us unlimited foreign wars abroad and unlimited national debt at home.
The founders except Samuel ADams, who was a bit of a character, were selected from the most trusted and respected men of the 13 colonies — ‘men’ in that original intent mostly did not include women, though thanks to Massachusetts Judicial Activism it did include African Americans, our judiciary here in Massachusetts having eliminated slavery.
6 pat // Oct 18, 2010 at 4:14 pm
A lot feel Snitker is a Rubio plant, and the LP Florida was taken over by right wing nutjobs with GOP and LNC help. The AG has begun investigating the past GOP Chair. I hope Phillies investigates!
7 David K. Meller // Nov 3, 2010 at 12:21 pm
Mr. Snitker sounds like a worthwhile alternative, but I am extremely doubtful about this “fair tax” melarkey! The point of repealing the income tax is to REPEAL the hated income tax and abolish the IRS (It Really Steals)! Replacing it with a National Sales Tax–or anything else–is a complete waste of time.
Libertarians of all people recognise that taxation is theft! It is collected through means that if done by you or me would be called “extortion”. Whether the tax is collected through “income” or “retail sales” doesn’t change these fundamentals.
The government spends far too much already! The last thing needed is for an additional or alternative revenue source!
PEACE AND FREEDOM!!
David K. Meller
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