Once thought to
be a strong contender for the vice presidential slot on
the McCain ticket, long-rumored-to-be-gay Florida governor
Charlie Crist is watching his approval ratings soar
throughout Florida, according to a new Quinnipiac
Univeristy poll.
The Palm Beach Post reports that approval for Crist
has soared to 61% throughout Florida. The surge in
Crist's poll numbers comes on the heels of two
announcements: He's engaged to be married, and he
supports a Florida ban on same-sex marriage.
Crist told
reporters in early August that he supports Amendment Two,
which would constitutionally ban same-sex marriage
throughout the state of Florida. At the time, Crist
was still thought to be a top contender for the VP
slot on McCain's ticket.
The Florida
governor's support for Amendment Two was an
about-face from his previous position on the issue of
gay marriage. Though Crist had long shied away from
commenting either way on the topic of gay marriage,
reporters had credited him with a "live and let
live" attitude.
As approval for
Crist surges throughout the state, so does support for
Amendment Two.
According to a
recent article in the Miami Herald, 55% of voters
throughout Florida support a ban on same-sex marriage. While
that is short of the 60% approval needed to amend the
constitution, recent polls suggest that number is
holding.
Earlier this
month, the blogs had a field day with Crist's
announcement that he is engaged to be married -- to
the head of one of the nation's largest
Halloween costume manufacturing companies.
According to
TowleRoad.com: "The woman marrying the gayish
governor from the sultry Southern state actually makes
beards." (The Advocate)