SCOTT BIHR

SBIHR@NEWS-PRESS.COM

Libertarian gubernatorial hopeful Adrian Wyllie made a splash in the polls this week, breaking the 10 percent barrier twice, and in the process turned conventional wisdom on its ear.

In four surveys that included Wyllie, the candidate averaged an eye-catching 9.3 percent, a heady achievement for a minority-party candidate in Florida, where they rarely fare well.

A fifth poll, YouGov/New York Times/CBS News, only offered the two major-party candidates and "other" as options, which was unfortunate given Wyllie's recent rise.

YouGov aside, Wyllie's numbers shouldn't be ignored. Factor in the high negatives of incumbent Republican Gov. Rick Scott and Democrat Charlie Crist (both are polling in the 40 percentage-point range), there's no telling how high Wyllie's ceiling might be.

In normal election years, minority-party candidates don't sniff more than 1-2 percent of the vote in Florida. But this election cycle is anything but normal, fueled by an agitated electorate that has propelled independent candidates to the lead in the Kansas Senate and Alaska Governor races.

For comparison, a look at the unconventional 1992 presidential election might be helpful. Insurgent candidate Ross Perot made a significant impact, collecting 18.9 percent of the vote nationally and 19.9 percent in Florida.

Of course, there's no way to tell if Wyllie will rise or fall in the polls. But given his recent mini-surge, keep an eye on his numbers as we enter the homestretch.

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