Crist's popularity at 61 percent in Q-poll

A new Quinnipiac University poll shows that Floridians approve of Gov. Charlie Crist's job performance by a heady 61-23 percent margin, prompting this from Quinnipiac's Peter Brown: "If Arizona Sen. John McCain is seriously thinking about picking Gov. Crist as his Republican running mate, these numbers certainly will not dissuade him." The last poll in April had Crist at his lowest approval level of 59 percent.

In addition, 55 percent of voters say Crist has kept his campaign promises, and 60 percent are somewhat or very dissatisfied with the way things are going in Florida; 50 percent approve of the proposed tax shift from property taxes to sales taxes and other measures; 55 percent oppose tax-supported school vouchers; 63 percent favor vouchers if tied to a requirement that 65 percent of schools' budgets be spent in classrooms; 58 percent favor a proposed constitutional amendment defining marriage as only between a man and a woman; 47 percent support and 49 percent oppose the new "guns at work" bill; 55 percent support Crist's 12-day European trade and climate change trip next month.

Quinnipiac polled 1,625 Florida voters from May 27 to June 1 with a margin of error of +/- 2.4 percentage points. Read the poll's contents here.

Comments

Great job Governor! Interesting the article doesn't mention that the citizens strongly disapprove of the job done by the legislature...and only 33% approve of the job done by Alex Sink..less than Bill Nelson, Mel Martinez AND Bill McCollum.

And he HAS kept his promise no matter what the couple of negative nillies on this blog will jump on in a few minutes!! Property taxes are going down and will even more, for everyone, once Amendment 5 passes in November and my property insurance went from $6,300 to $2,455! That is a huge savings and after I get my new windows it will be even lower. Go Charlie--- you rock! But, please stay as our Governor, we need you here.

How many of the 1625 Floridians polled were Democrats?

[terminator]

I don't know much about polls or the validity thereof but if 61% of Floridians approve of the job Charlie the tuna has done over the past eighteen months it goes to show what an ignorant bunch of ignoramuses 61% of Floridians are.
Let's review the basic facts:
a. Florida economy in the gutter and Chuck has no clue or policies in place to stem the recesssion.
b. Florida real estate market in the gutter and Chuck responds with lame amendment one thereby saving the average homeowner $240 per year
c. Chuck and his Senate sidekicks then shift an additional $344 million in school taxes called the Required Local Effort onto the backs of homeowners thereby eliminating any savings realized by amendment one.
Chuck responds with the typical lame quote about making property taxes "drop like a feather"
d. property insurance rates continue to rise even though Chuck talked tough on the campaign trail about dealing with those bad insurance companies and rates "would drop like a rock".
Insurance companies respond by raising rates, cancelling policies and leaving Floridians in the lurch.
Chuck and Senate buddies then put together a fabulous plan to issue insurance companies cheaper reinsurance which will drop rates "like a rock".
Instead the insurance companies buy the cheaper reinsurance from the state then raise rates anyway leaving Floridians on the hook for $28 billion in the event of a "big one".
e. Charlie and his Senate buddies barnstorm the state in support of amendment one promising to "hold schools harmelss". Chuck and Senate buddies respond by cutting public education funding by $322 million.
Yeah, old Chuck's done a bang up job in the last year and a half.
Meanwhile, he's been out of the office close to half the time campaigning on behalf of McCain and running around with "faux" girlfriend Carol Rome.
You've got to admit folks, they don't call it FLORIDUH for nothing!
See all the bright literate people Jeb Bush's A+/FCAT school policies produced?
No wonder all the stupid stuff that goes on in the national news eminates from Florida.
You couldn't dream this stuff up if you tried.

In addition, 55 percent of voters say Crist has kept his campaign promises, and 60 percent are somewhat or very dissatisfied with the way things are going in Florida....

Yet there are cross-overs in that group that say Charlie is doing well... someone else's fault - especially when you never take a policy position...

50 percent approve of the proposed tax shift from property taxes to sales taxes and other measures...

Charlie is going to wait until that number gets a little higher before jumping on the bandwagon

55 percent oppose tax-supported vouchers for schools... Where did Charlie go?

63 percent favor vouchers when they are linked to a requirement that 65 percent of schools' budgets be spent in classrooms... may be the shining light that saves the initiative

58 percent support a proposed constitutional amendment defining marriage as exclusively between a man and a woman... will Charlie Flip-Flop over his directive to the RPOF because of polling numbers?

[Debbie]

You rock Terminator! Once again, you nail it. I would love to see the list of who was polled. I'm sure another one of those controlled polls in order to get the desired result.

[Crist will not be VP]

Perhaps Cristi's poll numbers are so high especially because he has been out of the state for half of his term in office. Remember, no news is good news, especially for CC.

The only reason why Charlie Crists name is being mentioned is because he's from Florida. It’s also why for instance that at the same time the Republican’s are getting ready to base their entire campaign against Barack Obama arguing that his minimal time in the Senate is not enough to be President, they’re considering putting someone on the ticket and a heartbeat away from the Presidency with even less experience as Governor. Is there anyone that thinks that if Charlie Crist was the Governor of Idaho we would still be talking about him?

[terminator]

thanks Debbie.

I fail to get it. The man is a stuffed suit who does nothing besides self promote.

Our state is going to hell in a handbasket and all this guy can do is make stupid pronouncements like "I'm optimistic we're moving in the right direction" then hop on a plane to campaign for McCain in some other state!

[Aquaserpent]

Who are these people? You would think one would actually have to do something for a favorable rating. What has he done, that was right?

[Debbie]

I am constantly amazed at what I hear and read about him. Why anyone would think he is so fantastic is a mystery to me. The eternal optimist. Yeah, right. More like the ultimate idiot.

And 8:37 am is also correct. But for some reason, nobody is saying any of that right now. When CC is put to the test of national scrutiny, it will all crumble then.

[IP]

Pollyanna Crist has no clothes

Those polled were most likely insurance industry executives, tanning bed salesmen, Chuck’s family, Rick Baker’s family, Mel Sembler’s family, Mr. & Mrs. “Crackhead” Anderson, camera and film salesman, an old man named Sidney who lives in a singlewide in Pinellas Park, and Chuck’s personal masseur… Bruce!

[terminator]

9:02
Don't forget STAN down in Punta Gorda and Jason W from Ft. Lauderdale (can you believe the Times has edited out his name)?
If you attempt to use it, it comes back as SPAM. Try it.

When you don't like the poll results, make up stuff about the methodology to attack. That's so lame.

When you don't like the "MANUFACTURED" poll results, make sure the truth gets out. That's so honorable.

[Leo]

Crist? Tanned with boyish looks and attractive, young hair. We Floridians aren't interested in substance, we care about looks, damn it! As long as the next hurricane looks sexy, who cares how much damage it does to our lives? Pathetic.

[moderate]

In the end, he's just a nice guy. He's not going to reinvent government and he's not going to drive the car into a ditch, as some of you would suggest.

He inherited some pretty significant problems, like the economy and property insurance. You can't hang those on him. He may not fix them, but he obviously didn't create them.

Just a nice guy, who's hard not to like.

Get a grip on reality, moderate... the dink is an empty suit. I didin't vote for a "nice guy"... I voted for a Governor, and at the very least... expect him to show up for work.

He may be a 'nice guy', but he's also our governor and is supposed to have some sort of clue and concept relating to reality. He doesn't. Everything is always hunky dory and he has no opinion on ANYTHING until he consults someone else and/or finds out how it will affect his 'popularity'. Inherited problems or not, he's NOT qualified for this position. This is a prime example of popularity not being the best qualification.

[Omega83]

I thought he campaigned on LESS TAXES.

Last I checked the LRE for schools has been raised in both budgets he has signed.

[Annette]

The "Terminator" person is pretty much on target about Charlie; aka Chuck! And for those of you would think Chuck did you a favor with the new homestead exemption...well, dream on. Your MILLAGE rates will be going up to compensate for tax roll back. 61% of Floridians are morons.

We want Tom ! We want Tom !

[Travis]

PLEASE INCLUDE ME NEXT TIME THERE'S A "POLL".

Why doesn't the state of FL have emission standards?

[Mark]

Crist is a "stuffed-suit" who has no interest in governing the state. Due to his "reforms", the state is over-exposed in its insurance obligation and the best and the brightest in our university are seeking to leave.

Does it bother Crist? No, because now he has Governor of Florida to put on his resume for the vice-presidency post.

[melissa]

Help us all if Gov Crist and McCain are running the country! What a mess that would certainly be! When I heard that Gov Vrist might be VP I just had to laugh...

[CliffordRH]

Charlie fails the "White Picket Fence" test. He's single, possibly gay, won't take a DNA test for a child he says isn't his, he's not a property owner, and he's dating a married woman!

Let not your hearts be troubled. Either Mitt or Jindal are going to be the VP nominee. Crist isn't ready for national office, nor will he ever be.

[bubba]

Crists poll numbers are high.
its time for 'Gay Days' in central Florida.
Coincidence? Maybe. Maybe not.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/community/news/lakebuenavista/orl-gaydays0108jun02,0,2088332.story

How's that $240 working out for ya'll?

$240 ??? WHAT $240.00?

[steve]

They didn't poll me, my taxes went up, and home ins stayed the same. Crist is also (what I call) a global warming terroist. Thank him and the rest in government for high gas prices. He is a joke.

[One of The "Forgotten" People of Florida]

My $240 went to my "ever-growing" property insurance premium!

Thanks Chuck!

[Dr_Dug]

They only polled his family and the lobbyist who gives him money. If they polled the people of Floeida...then it would be only 12%. Charlie is an assclown!!

[Dr_Dug]

CliffordRH.......you hit the nail on hte head!!

Charlie fails the "White Picket Fence" test. He's single, possibly gay, won't take a DNA test for a child he says isn't his, he's not a property owner, and he's dating a married woman!

Dr Dung is desperately afraid that next Prez will be a Democrat or a Moderate who will take away his nanny state corporate welfare.

Crist is a very popular Governor and many of the Dems who post on this blog are just scared s...less that he is going to assure McCain a win in Florida. His popularity will and it will be done without him being McCain's VP. So you CC haters are going to be taking your lumps come November when McCain wins Florida and the nation and becomes our next President. You paid Obama trolls keep right on posting, but your days are numbered.

12:33 - it is the Democrats on this blog that are supporters of Crist...

12:33 - I can assure you that I'm no 'paid Obama troll'. But I dislike CC just about as much as I dislike the democrats.

12:49 LOL!

[Steve]

I have always been a republican up to a few months ago, now I am an independent. Charlie is a joke, and so are Clinton, Obama, and Mccain. The democrats have become socialist, and republicans have become democrats. We have elected too many losers to office

Popular Charlie likes to call Florida the Sunshine state but does not oppose Progress Energy's march to nuclear plant construction in Levy County.
What is so progressive about Progress Energy? Instead of progressing to solar energy in the Sunshine State, it defers to the nuclear option.

"Florida the Nuclear Waste State" sounds more appropriate and Charlie should begin to substitute his language immediately.

Wake up Floridians your state is being stolen by a corporation in Carolina.

Rod Smith in 2010!

Bring back the helicopter baby.