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Crist further prepares himself for run as a Democrat

By: Tabitha Hale (Diary)  |  July 20th, 2010 at 03:30 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

Charlie Crist, who defected from the Republican Party just a few months ago upon the realization that he would lose in the primary, is growing more comfortable in his role as an independent Democrat. According to this WSJ article, he’s thinking he found a “sweet spot” by not formally affiliating with either major party.

Sure, people are disenchanted with both parties, and each one brings baggage. What he seems to miss is that being an independent only matters if you don’t, you know, act like one of the major parties. So far this year, he’s vetoed an education bill and an abortion bill, and he’s now trying to get the GOP led legislature to ban offshore drilling in Florida waters. There is little doubt that this will be easily defeated, but the irony lies in that Crist supported offshore drilling as recently as last year. What’s changed since then?

Oh, right. He doesn’t have anyone to be accountable to. We’ve seen all to often how this “centrist” routine works – maybe Crist should have a chat with John McCain?

A more damning policy shift, if there can be one larger than his offshore drilling shift, lies with his stance on ObamaCare. Also from WSJ:

Mr. Crist has made other policy shifts. Despite pledging as a Republican to help repeal President Obama’s health-care overhaul, Mr. Crist now says he does not support such a move.

His justification was that he was pressured, and that he “wanted to follow his heart, but other influences have some effect, to a degree.” That may be so, but when it comes down to the wire, there are beliefs that do not change. Things like a pro-life stance, and that the government doesn’t have all the answers. Crist seems to have thrown all that to the wind, scrubbing all the pro life language from his site soon after his switch to Independent, and deciding to hand over things like health care to the government.

This is why Rubio needs to be the next FL Senator. The fact that Crist is even still part of the conversation is ridiculous, and I hope that Floridians see through the charade. As Rubio said, he is willing to say anything to win this election. Apparently he thinks that supporting ObamaCare will help him?

Luckily for Rubio, he’s getting bad advice.

COMMENTS

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  • annas

    says he has gained several points of Republican support and he now leads Rubio by several points? Why in the world would Florida Republicans back this man? Or Independents either, for that matter?

    • IJB

      The fact is, Rubio is behind, by perhaps as much as 10%.

      And the Rubio campaign has done *nothing* over the last month and a half to change that dynamic.

      I’m starting to get the impression that Rubio thinks he just needs to throw up a couple of ads in September and he’s just going to waltz into the Senate. He’s *wrong* if he thinks that.

      The time to take Crist down is running out. If it doesn’t get done soon, it’s not getting done at all.

      • chihank

        On Fox News, Karl Rove & Dana Perino say after the Dem Primary, the Dem canddiate (i.e Meek) will start to gain traction and the whatever Dem support for Crist will fall.

        • IJB

          The time to change the dynamic of this race, by *destroying* Charlie Crist, is *NOW*.

          If the Rubio campaign skips this opportunity, they’re going to go down as the worst run GOP campaign of 2010 – Rand Paul and Sharron Angle’s campaigns will look like genius in comparison to Rubio’s…

          • eburke

            is after the primary when the Dems select their candidate and people actually start paying attention to the election.

            You’ve been down on Crist for the last few months IJB and I’m not sure why.. You mobying for Crist?

          • eburke
      • GenEarly

        multiple meetings every day in Florida! He has tremendous support , and Crist is KNOWN thru out Florida as following his greedy black heart of self preservation. Rubio had to run an insurgent campaign against the country club repubs supporting Crist,and Rubio WON. He will WIN again in the general election; the Obamanation will not get a 2nd senator from FL.

    • texdem

      I’m not in Florida, but I would guess that people are backing Crist because as the right moves farther right, the middle will take moderate politicians instead of the Rubios of the world. Crist is far from perfect, IMHO, but I look forward to Senator Crist.

      • IJB
      • JSobieski

        Once Rubio starts running ads, Crist will be toast.

      • RedBeard

        Crist, as he has proven quite conclusively, is not a “moderate” (whatever in the world that specious term means) but a self-serving opportunist, willing to do or say anything in order to remain employed in a cushy public sector job. A quick search of his quicksand-based stated positions will reveal this to be painfully true.

        If those on the liberal side think Charlie is one of their own, they had better get a reality check. Charlie is for Charlie, and no one else. He will betray anyone if he senses opportunity. But if you want him, I doubt anyone will fight you. Take him, and welcome.

        • Achance
          • Richard Mullins

            with a name like Texdem he had to be a leftist. Democrats here in Texas are getting closer to hardcore leftist. I’m amazed after looking at his/her posts, how long Texdem lasted. Always toke the leftist position on everything and in someway must be a member of the DailyKos(seems in every way to be a kossick).

          • RedBeard

            I wanted to play with him some more.

      • GenEarly

        and the primary voters are mad as hell at Obama, Crist, and the Repub. Estab!!!. Rick Scott will probably defeat Bill McCollum in the gubernatorial primary. Florida voters will have a clear choice,Conservative or Socialist, in the General and even WPB will vote in Conservatives this election.

    • gatorbob

      Possibly Mr. Rubio has a plan of using what campaign money he has to flood the Media with ads in the last week or so before election .
      The last election showed us that most voters wait ’til the last minute to decide who they vote for and they do not listen to or research the Candidates……. therefore being more likely to vote for whose name is freshest in their minds without even checking their records…. this group is sadly the majority of the Voters……
      .I really beleive Mr Charlie (chameleon) Crist will shoot himself in the foot before it’s over …..that’s what usually happens to candidates who try to be all things to all people and nothing honest to anyone….

      GatorBob

      • jaxgator

        I think maybe the leopard just washed the red paint off of his blue spots. :)

  • RedBeard

    That proves, beyond a doubt, that the man has no core principles of any value, only a burning desire to remain in public office. It’s our job to see to it that he fails in that quest.

    Go home, Charlie. Take some time to work on that fake tan.

    • gemimail

      It might have been a good idea to check with the last guy who left the Republican Party just so he could win. No one trusts a traitor so the Republicans will not give him much support. The Democrats will consider him a Republican lite just like they did Spector. With regard to the polls, Rasmussen still has Rubio up by 2 and I trust him more than any other pollster.

  • renny

    A friend from FL this am said people in Stuart walk into restaurants and start loud conversations about how much they hate Obama and Crist. Who knew?

    They are all retirees and are seeing threats to their Medicare Advantage, the home insurance costs that skyrocketed under Crist (in the name of cutting costs, natch), Crist’s open embrace of O over the so-called stimulus, and Crist’s blatant party switching.

    It’s only anecdotal, but isn’t the senior citizens’ vote a big deal in FL?

    • ladycarolina44

      My sister lives in Stuart and she says the same thing. She said everybody’s for Rubio, his bumper stickers are everywhere and she hasn’t seen one for Crist. She thinks the polls are wrong ~ it does make you wonder.

      • renny

        My son does computer modeling and reports for business intelligence and says the FL polls may be off because they aren’t weighted correctly for concentrations of voters, like senior retirees.

        Generic polls tend to just ask yes and no questions and take little in to account except maybe address. One reason Rasmussen has better polls than same the famous Gallup in recent elections is he polls “likely” voters instead of just anyone in the phone book or anyone who happens to answer a phone.

        Maybe that explains why “people on the ground” see Rubio as leading more than the polls say.

    • edintexas

      Yes, the senior citizen’s votes are a big deal in FL. While vacationing in far north Yankeeland right now, I hear a number of them claiming they vote both here (by absentee ballot) and at their FL winter home in person. This type of vote is obviously illegal but, equally obvious, it must occur if people are open enough to claim it. Hopefully they are sufficient in numbers to alter the vote. Those who are relatively conservative Rs, do not appear to be the people illegally voting (there’s a big surprise – not).

      • edintexas

        That should be “Hopefully they are NOT sufficient in numbers…”

    • http://www.voteforteri2010.com teridavisnewman

      Everyone I talked to in Florida considers Rubio to be far superior as a candidate than “Agent Orange” “Cut-and-run Charlie” “Crispy Crist” (because he’s toast) and a lot of other names I won’t repeat. The mood in Florida is ugly and Charlie is the recipient of a lot of anger. People in Florida (read senior citizens who vote in large numbers) spend a LOT of time discussing politics and Crist’s embracing (literally) Obama and his policies was the kiss of death for his political future. Like the people all over America, Floridians are very, very angry and they will vent their wrath in November. I didn’t see any bumper stickers for Crist either–but Rubio’s are everywhere and he’s topic A everywhere I went–from Miami to Orlando!

    • gatorbob

      Yes the seniors vote in Florida is a big deal…..I am an Independent Senior Voter and the vast majority of Independents (young and old ) that I know would not vote for Charlie The Chameleon if he was giving away new Autos…..
      The largest voting bloc in Florida is the Seniors ….

  • stilhdr

    Sounds as though Mr Crist isnt sure what he thinks. All he seems to be able to see is elect me. Time for him to see that an elected office is not a job with a paycheck and perks. It is SO much more than that. Florida voters….PLEASE see past this and elect someone who stands for something…anything……not everything.

    • GenEarly

      Our voting powder is dry and we will win the 2nd American Revolution in 2010 through out Florida; on county, state, and national levels. The Broadside coming in Nov. will be deafening.

  • Darin_H

    for him, and the sad part is that he doesn’t recognize it.

    He’s trying to say that Republicans are bad because they pressured him. But what it actually says is that Crist is without a backbone and will bow down to pressure. How is he going to stand up for Florida if he can’t even stand up to some anonymous Republican operatives (that are obviously made up for his little story, yes, I just called you a liar, Charlie).

    • theBlur

      I slightly disagree with you – it doesn’t show Christ lacks a backbone.

      It shows he has no principles (like that soon-to-be-former senator Spector). He is a mealy-mouthed politician who has little respect for the people he supposedly represents, so he will say whatever he believes will get him elected.

  • George Neitz

    of all politicians a turncoat, he needs to talk to (soon to be) former Senator Specter. The major problem we have now in Florida is the large number of turncoats within the Republican party that have before and are still supporting Charlie the turner,it is disheartening at the least to see groups of otherwise solid Republicans resign from the REC so they can “clear thier conscience” and support this vile disgusting lout.

    • teresakoch

      and I’d be willing to bet that the electorate isn’t going to be too eager to have them back…..

  • MrMosis

    In my mind are ongoing echoes of “Who ARE these people!?!?”

    Including the ones who support him in polls.

    • IJB

      …Because the Rubio campaign is failing to expose the real kind of person Charlie Crist is to these people.

      Don’t blame them – blame the Rubio campaign.

      • MrMosis

        Yeah ok, but shouldn’t the disgusting gauge go redline when Crist is mentioned or displayed, for all but the most uninformed of the uninformed? All it takes is a few key pieces of information (like switching parties, 0care, etc.) combined with his presence / tan.

        Doesn’t someone around here have some good insight into the Rubio strategy? I have heard they are waiting…. but what I would like to hear is WHY…. and how/why they are confident it will be the best strategy to do so.

        • IJB

          And many voters, [gasp!], don’t play close attention to politics.

          These kinds of people don’t know what to think unless ads are run explaining the issues to them.

          These people need to be told what slime Charlie Crist is. Otherwise, they may not find out until it’s too late…

        • GenEarly

          in the General Election. Marco Rubio is doing just fine, he hasn’t lost ANY support and Suntan Charlie gives more support to Rubio everyday; he is despised in Florida. (excepting the Teachers Unions, Abortionists,Socialists, Obama sycophants, etc. about 25% of the voting public.)

  • chihank

    The nasty primary between Rick Scott and Bill McCollum could help Alex Sink win the Governorship. Thanks to inter party fighting, the Dems could win a double header in FL.

    • GenEarly

      Yes, we are having a Primary in Florida! Better than having the political bosses anoint the candidates for us. It’s refreshing to see freedom and it is messy, but fun. Don’t be timid, now is not the time to avoid the action.

  • deano64
  • indyjohn

    couldn’t sink any lower into the depths of sleaziness, he proudly proclaims that he is a

    POLITICAL WHORE !!!

    How could anyone (besides an amoral Democrat) even remotely consider voting for someone so creepy and vile. I sometimes think that if Crist didn’t have politics to occupy him, he would be a voyeur and flasher.

  • gatorbob

    With all the crookedness and violations occurring in our Elections, and with the biased left leaning Media, I do not believe any Poll I read unless it has a factor of at least a spread of 75 to 25 and then I take those with a grain of salt……