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Eminentoes
Charlie Crist Rears His Head Again
Are Florida Democrats weak enough to accommodate him?
TAMPA — While Republicans are waiting for enough of a break in the weather to put on a nominating convention here, former Florida Governor Charlie Crist is using the opportunity to try to weasel his way back on to the public stage. He will only succeed if the Florida Democratic Party’s bench is really weak.
To the surprise of no one who follows Florida politics, Florida’s former Republican governor Charlie Crist has announced that he’s endorsing Barack Obama for president. It’s too soon to tell if this endorsement will prove helpful to either politician.
This announcement, and his previous announced support for Democratic Senator Bill Nelson for re-election, are almost certainly part of a sequence in which Crist re-registers as a Democrat (a logical enough next step for a chameleon like Crist, he’s already been a Republican and an independent) and then seeks the Democratic nomination to run against Florida’s current Republican governor Rick Scott. Scott won the governorship by an eyelash in 2010. And while many of his policies are popular with Floridians, Scott personally is not. He’s vulnerable.
The liberal Crist chose Florida’s most liberal newspaper for his announcement. In an op-ed piece in the Tampa Bay Times (the publication formerly known as the Saint Petersburg Times) that is alternatively puzzling and vaporous, Crist spells out, sort of, his purported reasons why he backs our rookie president for a second term. Here’s Charlie’s take on how Obama dealt with the nation’s deep troubles when inaugurated in 2009:
The president’s response was swift, smart, and farsighted. He kept his compass pointed due north and relentlessly focused on saving jobs, creating more, and helping the many who felt trapped beneath the house of cards that had collapsed upon them.
Clearly something collapsed on whoever wrote this remarkably a-historical bit of nonsense, or he/she simply inhabits a parallel universe. But this sort of thing has been typical of Crist’s long but achievement-free political career — happy talk over substance and reality. Crist’s principal political asset is a big smile and a cheery disposition, at least when talking with voters. He hardly ever utters a harsh word on the campaign trail. Though, as we see in this Times piece, he does utter a good many foolish ones.
In his 14 paragraph screed, Crist hits most of the Democratic talking points. Republicans are on the “extreme right,” wrong on issues “important to women,” and their policies make life difficult for immigrants, seniors, and students. In the first paragraph of Crist’s op-ed there is a head-scratcher about “the failure of those who favor extreme rhetoric over sensible compromise.” I assume readers are to conclude that Romney and his Republican henchmen are prone to extreme rhetoric and Obama is the Great Compromiser, though if Obama has ever compromised with Republicans on anything in his career, Crist doesn’t mention what it is.
Crist was a Republican when he was governor, and while he held a string of offices before gaining the state house, though an increasingly liberal one as the years went by. In 2010, as a sitting governor, Crist was unable to convince conservative Republican voters that he was the conservative to carry the Republican flag in the U.S. Senate race.
When polls made it clear in the summer of that year that Florida Republicans much preferred now Senator Marco Rubio to the mercurial Crist, our Charlie jettisoned every conservative position he ever held, adopted a raft of new liberal ones, and ran for the Senate as an independent. Rubio whomped him by 20 points in November of 2010.
This kind of pasting by a younger man with a much shorter political résumé than Crist’s would have been a clear enough message to most politicians. But not for Crist, who while he has accomplished almost nothing in the series of Florida offices he has held, has an even thinner résumé outside of public office. Crist is biding his time before seeking the next political office by “working” as a television crooner for Morgan and Morgan, a large Florida personal injury law firm that is solidly in the Democratic corner.
Crist will have a difficult time of it if he does try to secure the Democratic nomination for an office that party believes it can win. The party has life-time Democrats who will seek the office. These include but are not limited to Alex Sink, a retired Tampa banker who narrowly lost to Scott in 2010, and, very likely, Tampa mayor Pam Iorio. Others will appear as the race approaches.
In addition to convincing his new Democratic colleagues that he should be allowed to start at the top, and that he won’t drop them as quickly as he dropped his former Republican colleagues, Crist faces the challenge of convincing Florida voters that he really wants an office that he gave up in 2010. Crist could have run for re-election as governor in 2010, and may well have won. But he declared that he could best serve the state by serving in the U.S. Senate. Most Floridians concluded he could best serve his own self-interests by being a senator, and chose the more substantive Rubio by a wide margin.
So it’s uphill all the way for our Charlie on his attempt to return to the governor’s mansion. Florida Democrats have no reason to believe this guy is really one of them, any more than he proved to be a loyal Republican. His principles are wildly elastic, even by the standards of politics. And Florida Republicans, still sore about his liberal politics and his bolting the party after so many had supported him, wouldn’t vote for him for assistant county rat-catcher.
About the only people happy to see Charlie back in Florida politics are political columnists, who appreciate the occasional comic relief. In this last thing, if in nothing else, Charlie is always reliable.
Larry Thornberry is a writer in Tampa.
About the Author
Larry Thornberry is a writer in Tampa.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (29) | Leave a comment
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Joellen| 8.27.12 @ 6:46AM
One of the first deceitful, nauseating, narcissistic louse to go thanks to the Tea Party. If any fool votes this guy in, well that would explain why we have Obama right now.
LarryK| 8.27.12 @ 11:15AM
Fool? Vote? You just described the Obamanation.
Occam's Tool| 8.28.12 @ 3:51PM
Jo: yes, and I was glad that it happened. I just sent in my $35.00 to the Tea Party Express, right after my donation to Sheriff Joe.
TLP| 8.27.12 @ 7:13AM
Record Unemployment, Foreclosures, Bankruptcies, People on Food Stamps, People living AT or BELOW the Poverty Rate, Suicides, Bank Failures, and Homelessness.
Good Stuff.
Fast and Furious, Illegal Drilling Moratoriums, no XL Pipeline, the Closing of Coal Mines, and Coal Fired Eletric Plants.
Solyndra, Fisker, and the P*ssing Away of $900 Billion in Stimulus Money, keeping his Public Sector Unions on the job and Paying Dues that get funnelled back into Democrat Coffers, while Creating NONE of the SHOVEL READY JOBS he promised.
He's Cut $714 Billion from Medicare, while Killing the FICA Tax, which is the only Vehicle to Fund Social Security.
Illegal Recess Appointments.
Illegally REFUSING to Enforce the Laws on the Books that he doesn't agree with.
Fighting against a Photo I.D. to prove who you are before you cast your Vote.
Suing Arizona for Enforcing the Laws on the Books.
Suing Ohio, to prevent MILITARY PERSONNEL from Voting Early.
The Black Panthers, Louis Farrakhan, Frank Marshall Davis, Jeremiah Wright, Bill Ayers, Bernadine Dohrn and Khalid Rashidi.
The first Credit Downgrade in our Nation's History.
Throwing Mubarek under the bus. Waging an ILLEGAL WAR against Libya. Sitting on his hands as Iran builds their Bomb and Syria's Assad guns down THOUSANDS in Syria, while giving Israel the BACK of his hand.
The Avenger| 8.27.12 @ 7:36AM
I can barely wait for a second term, how about you? All your valid points and yet Obummer is still in a statistical dead heat for re-election. That says much about the ignorance of the American electorate.
TLP| 8.27.12 @ 7:50AM
We have yet to see a BUDGET, under this Crook, and the Crook running the Senate. We have yet to see a Deficit below $1,000,000,000,000. We have yet to hear any of the RCV's of the world explain to the rest of us how $4 trillion in New Debt, under Bush, in 8 Years was "Unpatriotic" while $6 Trillion in 4 Years by President Wonderful is the best thing since Free Vibrators and Flavored @ss Jellies. In fact, it's Wonderful.
300,000 new Unemployed every week is Wonderful. $5 Gasoline is Wonderful. No hope of ever seeing any REAL GROWTH in our Economy is Wonderful. Killing innocent Mexicans with High Powered Automatic Weapons to get new Gun Laws, back home, is Wonderful. Flooding our Country with Cheap, Illegal Workers is Wonderful. Emaciating our Military and fixing to release all of the Taliban Leaders back to Afghanistan because they "Promise to be Good" sounds Wonderful.
These are all Good Things.
Wonderful Things.
And, you and I should thank our lucky stars for the Wonderful Leadership of this Wonderful Man, and his Wonderful Policies that have brought us to this place, where our Cities are becoming Apocolyptic No Go Zones, where Roving Bands of Economic Zombies Rule the Night.
Taking what they want and Killing what they can't take.
Did I mention that his Mother was a Communist Whore?
True Story.
Other than all that, I think that Charlie Crust is on to something.
(And yes, I know it's Crist.)
TeaPartyNow| 8.27.12 @ 11:58AM
Too bad romney/ryan would take America into steeper decline, than than just keeping obama/biden. You'd have to have solutions, not $ carrots, if you want to bring America out of decline & back on her way up. Something romney/ryan won't get.
Tom Kyba| 8.27.12 @ 12:18PM
I'm sure those were all coincidences.
AmericanCynic| 8.27.12 @ 3:37PM
"Throwing Mubarek under the bus. Waging an ILLEGAL WAR against Libya. Sitting on his hands as Iran builds their Bomb and Syria's Assad guns down THOUSANDS in Syria, while giving Israel the BACK of his hand."
Would you have preferred an "illegal war" in Syria and an endorsement of Quaddafi? Or were you just upset that not enough Americans died in Libya? I'm just thankful that you don't work for the State Dept. :/
TLP| 8.27.12 @ 6:45PM
I would prefer ONE CRUISE MISSILE, into the Bedroom Window of this Piece of Sh*t Son, of a Piece of Sh*t Father.
One Bullet could have prevented World War II.
One Cruise Missile could End this Genocide, today.
He's sending his Thugs to Slit the Throats of Women and Children.
Fire the Damned Missile, already.
And, Fck You, if you've got a problem with that.
The Avenger| 8.27.12 @ 7:32AM
Charlie Crist leaving the Republican party was and continues to be a godsend.
TeaPartyNow| 8.27.12 @ 11:55AM
And you say this as the right supports Mitt Romney. Another LIBERAL Republican. I can't wait till romney comes out of the closet after he loses to obama.
Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 8.27.12 @ 7:36AM
Charlie Crist is apparently schedule to speak at the DNC next week in North Carolina. That explains the endorsement. He's probably getting some type of monetary pay off also.
AmericanCynic| 8.27.12 @ 3:33PM
Right, because the GOP is never about money. LOL!
squalis| 8.27.12 @ 9:13AM
"Crist's principal political asset is a big smile and a cheery disposition..."
You forgot to mention his tanned skin that many, myself included, thought was not genuine, not from the FL sun, but rather the tanning booth. I always considered that to be a nice metaphor.
Bye-bye Charlie. Say hello to Arlen for me.
TeaPartyNow| 8.27.12 @ 11:53AM
& here's to romney joining you in about two months!
Jamesyoung| 8.27.12 @ 9:23AM
Should a Christian vote for Mitt Romney?
- Mitt Romney is a bishop of the LDS Church (the Mormon Church), which teaches that all other Christian religions are abominations
- Mormons believe in prophets that are never even mentioned in the Bible
- Mitt Romney's great grandfather had 5 wives and his great great grandfather had 12. (Fox News)
- Mormon women receive salvation only through their husbands. Women are subservient.
squalis| 8.27.12 @ 9:40AM
Per your logic, no Jew, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, etc, would ever qualify. Only the "correct" type of Christian would do it for you.
squalis| 8.27.12 @ 9:41AM
BTW, how many wives does Romney have?
TeaPartyNow| 8.27.12 @ 11:52AM
Which goes to show you what romney really thinks of the American People, we are subservient in Mitt Romneys mind. That actually makes more sense than anything. And the whole of the right almost, is happy to pander to their master, the bilker of our moneys. He wants to save us. I always thought that romney was so arrogant, thinking he can save us, a usurpation of our powers in his words. But he truly believes that we, the American People are worthless. Interesting, and thank you. I understand now, who he truly is. A crony capitalist, war mongering parasite.
Seek| 8.27.12 @ 1:03PM
It's entirely possible that Romney believes only some of this doctrine; he could be an example of a "cafeteria" LDS. In any event, as long as he doesn't force his views on the rest of the country, his religion doesn't matter much.
Crassus| 8.27.12 @ 11:22AM
Charlie Crist is the John Edwards of the Sunshine State.
TeaPartyNow| 8.27.12 @ 11:47AM
Huh, well, I'll have to wait and see if Romney does the same thing, and endorses the democrat nominee for 2016. Interesting. He decided that being what he truly is wins more for him. I can see Romney doing that eventually too. These guys are starting to figure out that they really hate conservatives. But romney has got to see if he can bilk America, before he comes out of the political closet. If he fails, we should encourage him. It can't be healthy, being as liberal as he is, and being republican nominee.
drake1456| 8.27.12 @ 11:51AM
Crist has been working full-time for a notorious "trial" lawyer, John Morgan, for several years, and bringing that up to voters will surely do him little good.
RJ| 8.27.12 @ 12:10PM
Let's not forget Charlie Crist was endorsed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee in the Republican primary against Marco Rubio. In prior elections, the NRSC financially contributed to 1) Arlen Specter (turned Democrat) against Pat Toomey and Link Chaffee (turned "independent" for Obama) against Steve Laffey in Republican primaries. We need to change those people who serve in the role of the GOP establishment. Too often they are on the side of wasteful spending and big government.
JimH| 8.27.12 @ 2:09PM
Considering how Specter was treated by the Dems after switching parties, If Charlie is looking for some Federal position, he would have been better served to stay a nominal Republican so Obama could appoint him to something as an example of his bipartisanship.
AmericanCynic| 8.27.12 @ 3:28PM
"Florida Democrats have no reason to believe this guy is really one of them, any more than he proved to be a loyal Republican." Are you speaking for Florida Democrats or any Democrats? I missed the meeting where we came to the decision your straw man argument fights against. "His principles are wildly elastic, even by the standards of politics." Change "politics" to "Mitt Romney's record" and you're spot on.
Albert Constantine Jr.| 8.27.12 @ 5:22PM
"Florida Republicans, still sore about his liberal politics and his bolting the party after so many had supported him, wouldn't vote for him for assistant county rat-catcher."
I think county rat-catcher is an appointed position, so maybe Mr. Crist has a chance.
Bob S| 8.28.12 @ 1:15AM
If Crist is Scott's opponent, then Scott will be as safe as the President on Air Force One. No way Scott will be vulnerable against Crist. Crist lost, and he lost bad, when he was running for Senator. Not even going independent helped him foil Rubio's bid. I think voters will remember that and steer clear of Crist if Crist decides to run against Scott.