Rubio Rising

'Wow." That was the response of a cynical Florida Republican politico recently reacting to poll numbers showing former state speaker of the house Marco Rubio tied with Gov. Charlie Crist. The two are expected to face one another in an August Republican primary for the Senate seat abandoned by Republican Mel Martinez. Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, is wowing even the professionals; his performance is especially impressive because the weight of the Republican establishment is behind Crist, as it has been for most of the year -- the National Republican Senatorial Committee endorsed him back in the spring.

The politico, who told me months ago that Rubio didn't have a chance, now says: "The Rasmussen poll really surprised me. Not sure how that gap closed, as the (in-state) coverage of the race hasn't been extremely significant." This Florida political insider previously dismissed Rubio as having no shot at taking on the governor of the state. "I think he has a chance now, but it is still an uphill battle. His fundraising last quarter helped his momentum big time, in addition to some unforced errors on Crist's part." Marco Rubio is no longer a long shot. In fact, another recent Rasmussen poll had Rubio slightly more likely than Crist to beat the probable Democratic nominee for the seat, Rep. Kendrick Meek.

If you spend time with Rubio, it's no surprise that he's impressing people. He comes off as "the real deal." That, of course, is an industry term for someone who actually believes in something and believes what he says. He's well-versed on issues local and national, and projects a solid presence in public, even when tired by the rigors of his upstart campaign.
NR