Does this mean Marco Rubio’s general election strategy includes cooling down his Tea Party rhetoric?

“Marco Rubio owes his position to the Tea Party, the 9/12 groups and the other grassroots groups,” said Robin Stublen, a Tea Party activist who founded the Punta Gorda Tea Party in Florida. He said the notion that Rubio is moderating his Tea Party speak is “100 percent correct,” though admitted he still fully supports the Tea Party-backed insurgent.

In the Sunshine State’s unique general election this cycle — that includes a serious independent challenge — Rubio’s strategy is obvious: win over enough votes of moderate Republicans and independents who might be drawn to Crist while keeping the Tea Party energy on his side. Crist, the early front-runner, left the GOP to run as an independent in the race after Rubio became a Tea Party darling.