CRIST GETTING CROWDS EVEN AS OPPONENT'S ADS SAY HE'S SOFT ON SOCIAL ISSUES

Attorney General and Republican gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist was touring the state this weekend with U.S. Senators Mel Martinez (R - FL) and John McCain (R - AZ) getting large crowds while TV ads from primary opponent and State CFO Tom Gallagher accuse the frontrunner with abandoning positions of what he calls Florida Republican's "loyal base" on issues of abortion and civil unions for homosexuals.

Christian conservative attached Crist on those issues last week, but according to this story from the New York Times Regional Newspaper Group Tallahassee corresponsent Joe Follick many who attended the AG's campaign stops in recent days said they didn't mind his views on abortion. One Catholic priest in the Panhandle who asked Crist about the issue earlier in the campaign now says that many of his parishioners aren't paying real attention to social issues right now.

Maybe it's because, for all intents and purposes, the GOP gubenatorial primary is already decided.