FL: Crist Campaign Rejects Independent Run, Despite Polls

At The Washington Post's The Fix Chris Cillizza considers the results from a recent poll indicating that Charlie Crist's best "path to victory [in the US Senate] would be to run as an independent:

A new poll conducted in Florida's Senate race suggests that Gov. Charlie Crist's (R) best path to victory would be to run as an independent for office this fall.  The survey, which was conducted by Republican pollster Tony Fabrizio for a group not involved in the Senate contest, showed former state House Speaker Marco Rubio leading Crist 44 percent to 30 percent in the primary race. . . .

Given Crist's standing in the primary, Fabrizio also tested him running as an independent, which he is still legally able to do, in the fall. In a three-way race among Rubio, the Republican, Rep. Kendrick Meek, the Democrat, and Crist running as an independent, Rubio takes 31 percent to 26 percent for Crist and 24 percent for Meek. Crist wins roughly one-quarter of the votes of both self-identified Democrats and Republicans, and takes 41 percent among independents. . . . Crist's camp insisted that the idea of an independent bid is not something they are even considering.

Thanks to Darcy Richardson for the link.