Poll: Dems Want Charlie Crist and Nan Rich Debate

Democrats want to see Nan Rich and Charlie Crist face off in a debate, according to a new poll from Public Policy Polling.

PPP found nearly nine out of 10 Democratic voters -- 89 percent -- said they were either very interested or somewhat interested in seeing a debate between Rich and the former governor.

There is a stunning disconnect between what Florida Democratic voters value and what is happening on the ground, said Jamie Fontaine-Gansell, chairwoman of Progressive Choice, the group that commissioned the poll. Unfortunately, Charlie Crist is denying Florida progressives the opportunity to hear a healthy debate on the issues by refusing to tell voters where he stands on the issues in a debate with Sen. Nan Rich.

Crist has been firm in his stance on the debate, with his campaign team giving a firm "no" on a possibility of a debate between the two. The former governor has instead said he will focus on Gov. Rick Scott rather than debate Rich.

A glimmer of hope for a face-off between the two occurred last week when Crist accepted an invitation to a gubernatorial forum hosted by theFlorida Press Association and Florida Society of News Editors -- an invitation also accepted by Rich. The two Democratic contenders were, however, scheduled to speak on separate days of the event.