Rising partisanship and a sinking state economy are taking a toll on Gov. Charlie Crist's once-stratospheric popularity, but Crist's support for offshore oil-drilling is striking a chord with voters, according to a new survey.
The Miami Herald-St. Pete Times poll of Floridians' attitudes on state issues also shows that a proposal to ban gay marriages -- which Crist supports but won't campaign for -- is falling shy of the 60 percent needed for approval.
Crist's fortunes seem to be falling in tandem with the state's job losses, which lead the nation. A majority of Floridians polled -- 51 percent -- said the state is "headed in the wrong direction.''
That number, however, reflects a partisan divide: Fifty-eight percent of Republicans say the outlook for the state is either ''mixed'' or ''headed in the right direction.'' Just 27 percent of Democrats agreed.
Overall, Crist remains popular, with 53 percent of Florida voters saying they're satisfied with his performance, compared with 45 percent who say he's doing a poor job.
Read the full story at MiamiHerald.com.