Six months ago, Republican strategists working for Gov. Rick Scott told supporters to ignore the polls that gave newly-minted Democrat Charlie Crist a double-digit lead over the governor. Now it is the Democrats’ turn to advise people to look the other way.
Even as a Mason-Dixon poll released last week shows Gov. Scott and former Gov. Crist in a dead heat, Crist’s team is insisting the polls are meaningless, according to the Sunshine News Network. On Monday, the Crist camp showcased Democratic strategist Jim Messina, best known for his work guiding President Barack Obama’s successful campaigns, who let supporters know he expected this to be a tight contest.
“I’m going to tell you the same thing I said at least once a week during President Obama’s 2012 campaign,” Messina emailed Crist supporters on Monday. “Forget about the polls. One says we’re up, another says we’re down, a third says we’re tied – that crap is just noise. This race is going to come down to the wire. What will put us over the top is the grassroots organization we build together.