Rubio Sneaking Up on Crist

As long as we're checking on the viability of RINOs vs. real conservatives, what's up in the Crist/Rubio race? This from the St. Pete Times:

The most persistent rumor this week: Gov. Charlie Crist 44 percent Marco Rubio 30 percent in the race for U.S. Senate. The poll allegedly is the Florida Chamber of Commerce’s, but president Mark Wilson isn’t calling us back.

Is it true? A 14-point race? We have no idea. But Rubio people have told us about it. Crist people have told us about it. And the accounts of the five people from both camps to whom we spoke differ by only a percentage point or two.

Regardless, some of Crist’s top supporters are worried. They say that this isn't the only poll showing that Rubio is scratching and denting the Teflon of Charlie Crist, who has seen record job loss and home foreclosures plague his watch as governor. More and more, they say, likely Republican voters are leaning toward Rubio and away from Crist...".

Well, well.

And the crazy-rumors are starting to fly, too. Like this one:

Still, one top Crist supporter even speculated that Crist might consider withdrawing from the race and run for re-election. That probably won’t happen. But while the idea of Crist switching races is unlikely and probably absurd, the entertainment of such an absurdity by the Crist-can’t-lose crowd is noteworthy. They’re nervous. So is Crist, who’s unexpectedly dropping in at Republican committee meetings, where straw poll after straw by rank-and-file Republican base voters show the base favors Rubio.

I don't think Crist will switch races, especially when he's had such a lead for so long. But that lead is, as I said, sinking like a rock.

It's still early; we're still a long way out from that race. But the tide is turning on old Charlie. Even Salon takes note that Crist is in for a battle he may not have bargained for.