I watched Charlie Crist's announcement running as independent for the US Senate. Upbeat and sunny as always, the speech contained nothing of the corrosive war within the Florida GOP. This race has national implications. Republican leaders have to be a little careful not to wage a slash and burn campaign against Crist, even though they would prefer to wring his neck. The simple math swings in Charlie's favor and not just in Florida. If the balance of power in Congress remains with or nearly a Dem majority, the GOP will need to have a bridge to Senator Crist. As a swing vote of a swing state leaning increasingly Democratic, Senator Crist would be hugely influential almost instantly; a very rare feat for a first term US senator.
But none of these political factors address how the conservative faction of the GOP, promoting the resurgence of Jeb Bush, applied the buzz saw to Charlie Crist's future as a Republican. In Politico today, Bush comments, "I am not surprised. This decision is not about policy or principles. It is about what he believes is in his political self-interest." If not for Jeb's own political self-interest, Charlie Crist would still be the Republican candidate for US Senate. The rift between Bush and Crist started nearly the moment Crist began his term as governor. To reinvent himself as a populist, Crist is going to have to explain his independence to Florida voters. So far, the corrosive war-- with Marco Rubio as the Bush proxy-- has taken place in code words and messages spinning out of the right-wing media machine. Crist needs to speak plainly and forcefully about the special interest give-aways that have been driving the Florida legislature, run by a Republican majority for a very long time, and how the collapse of Florida's economy ties back to failed policies of his predecessor who is still aiming for the national stage. If Crist can connect the corrosive power of what passes for 'conservatism' with what is corroding Floridian's job security and quality of life, he will speed past his opponents. Let the race begin.
3 comments:
The Republicans have no one to blame but themselves for this mess and every other screw-up over the last 4 years. They left Crist no choice but to run or exit politics and end his political ambition. How can they cut off at the knees a candidate with the popularity of Crist to cater to the lunatic fringe of their party? Did they really expect him to go "quietly into the night" particularly when he has a RICH wife with political ambitions of her own? Do they think Crist's wife married him so they could retire together in Fisher Island now?
Crist should of gone full monty and switched over to the D side. He will now get pummeled by both sides. Watch his numbers go further down from this day forward. This is a sad chapter in Florida politics.
Rubio is coming out in favor of drilling in gulf. Perhaps that is going to sound like a stupid idea to Floridians in about 8 or 12 weeks. I am counting on it. Crist did a turnaround on it. I think Rubio and Palin should get married and move to a remove location.
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