Word: republicanization
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Incumbent governor Rick Perry beat U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison in the Republican gubernatorial primary race on March 2. Perry prevailed with 51% of the vote and will run against former Houston mayor Bill White, the Democratic-primary winner, for what would be Perry's third full term. Strategists suggest that Perry was able to secure the win by portraying Hutchison as a Washington insider despite both candidates' Texas roots...
Florida voters knew Republican Governor Charlie Crist would go on the attack sooner or later this year to try to salvage his floundering campaign for the U.S. Senate. But they surely had no idea that his rival's grooming habits would become an issue. Last week on Fox News, Crist blasted his surging opponent in the August Republican primary election, former Florida house speaker Marco Rubio, for having used a GOP-issued American Express card for personal purchases, including $133.75 spent at a deluxe Miami barbershop. Rubio is "trying to pawn himself off as a fiscal conservative," Crist said...
...then, Crist's bipartisan style, including his embrace of President Obama's $787 billion economic-stimulus plan and his performance as recession-racked Florida's chief executive, have come under withering assault from GOP loyalists. Rubio tops most surveys now by double digits; in one released last month by Republican pollster Tony Fabrizzio, he leads Crist 52% to 27% among self-identified Florida conservatives. (Read about the top 10 GOP congressional contenders, including Rubio...
...Even national Republican leaders who tripped over one another last year to endorse Crist, a governor who until recently enjoyed approval ratings as high as 70%, are backing off. Texas Senator John Cornyn, who heads the GOP's Senate campaign committee, said last week that while he's not dropping his endorsement altogether, he regrets having jumped to anoint Crist so soon - back when the governor "seemed like the ideal candidate...
...growing chorus of pundits is suggesting that Crist should not even try to battle the resurgent right but instead run in the November general election as an independent. Or perhaps even follow formerly Republican Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, who, facing a conservative revolt in his state, last year bolted the GOP to run as a Democrat in his re-election bid this year. But with even Florida's usually centrist independent voters appearing to shun Crist now, polls suggest Rubio could defeat him in November as well as the leading Democratic candidate, Congressman Kendrick Meek. Either way, Crist adamantly...