Florida Governor Crist to run for Senate.

[techs]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200...e/us_senate_race_crist

Gov. Crist to run for US Senate seat in Florida

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. ? Gov. Charlie Crist confirmed Tuesday he will run for U.S. Senate instead of re-election next year, a decision that gives Republicans their best shot at maintaining the seat Mel Martinez is leaving after one term.

The race is important to Republicans nationally as they try to keep Democrats from winning or holding a 60-seat majority in the Senate that can overcome GOP filibusters. Senate Democrats now have 59 votes and would reach 60 if Al Franken wins a marathon recount in Minnesota.

Sen. John Cornyn, head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, quickly endorsed Crist as "the best candidate in 2010 to ensure that we maintain the checks and balances that Floridians deserve in the United States Senate. "

The announcement, which had been expected, is also likely to stir up Florida politics as others scramble to replace the popular governor, who was considered a shoo-in had he sought a second term.




It will be interesting to see if his fellow Republicans try and smear him with the "gay" charges.

 

[Lemon law]

Its somewhat the curse in politics, when rapidly changing events can make six months an eternity in politics, being almost a full year ahead of the primary makes Crist a marked man especially since his challenger is likely to come from the right. Once again, Florida will be a battleground state in 2010.

As for me, I will order the beer and the popcorn for the coming show, but its way too early to predict anything yet.

 

[jonks]

We'll have to see if Fla reps will vote for a (allegedly) gay senator:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.co...tons-closet-door-.html

 

[heyheybooboo]

Charlie Crist is a popular guy - and will most likely win the Senate seat.

He's as moderate a Con as they come. This looks to be win-win for America (outside of the lunatic fringe).

Wasn't Charlie the only republican governor to support Obama on the recovery act?

 

[Jiggz]

With the nation's first 100 days experience with the Obama Admin, it won't surprise me to see Crist winning the senate race unanimously! As for the allegation about his sexuality, that remains to be an allegation until Obama's team makes up a better tale! Maybe ACORN can make up for this allegations!

 

[ProfJohn]

Crist just got married...

 

[quest55720]

I just hope he can admit that his support of porkulus was a mistake. The republican party IMO has no room for those who believe in big time spending we saw under Bush and Obama.

 

[Mani]

Surprised the far right isn't trying to marginalize and oust him like they did in PA. Guess there's still plenty of time.

 

[quest55720]

Originally posted by: Mani
Surprised the far right isn't trying to marginalize and oust him like they did in PA. Guess there's still plenty of time.

Specter deserved to lose support of his party when he sold them out for a few earmarks when he voted for porkulus. Any republican who supported a trillion dollars of democratic party pet projects deserves to lose support of the party. I will be happy to see all the big spenders of the party gone. They are the ones who helped put us into this mess with over spending.

 

[jpeyton]

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
Crist just got married...

Text

 

[Mani]

Originally posted by: quest55720

Originally posted by: Mani
Surprised the far right isn't trying to marginalize and oust him like they did in PA. Guess there's still plenty of time.

Specter deserved to lose support of his party when he sold them out for a few earmarks when he voted for porkulus. Any republican who supported a trillion dollars of democratic party pet projects deserves to lose support of the party. I will be happy to see all the big spenders of the party gone. They are the ones who helped put us into this mess with over spending.

Your regurgitated Limbaugh talking points aside, you realize Crist was a supporter of the stimulus also right? Do you disavow him, the two Maine senators, and every other moderate republican in your party whom you deem "big spenders"? And exactly where were you the last 8 years when spending was out of control without the spectre of a great recession? It's really funny how republicans have suddenly found religion on spending.

 

[aphex]

I've always liked Crist, even though I disagree with him on a number of issues. He is a fairly popular, likable guy down here and I think he would be hard to beat.

 

[Phokus]

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
Crist just got married...

Ted Haggard and Larry Craig were also married to women

 

[techs]

Originally posted by: Phokus

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
Crist just got married...

Ted Haggard and Larry Craig were also married to women

Apparently the social conservatives love gay people. As long as they stay in the closet.

 

[Phokus]

Originally posted by: techs

Originally posted by: Phokus

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
Crist just got married...

Ted Haggard and Larry Craig were also married to women

Apparently the social conservatives love gay people. As long as they stay in the closet.

It seems like the more socially conservative you are, the more likely that you're IN the closet

 

[ProfJohn]

It seems like the 'enlightened left' is more concerned about his sexuality than us crazy bigoted Republicans.

 

[heyheybooboo]

Originally posted by: quest55720

Originally posted by: Mani
Surprised the far right isn't trying to marginalize and oust him like they did in PA. Guess there's still plenty of time.

Specter deserved to lose support of his party when he sold them out for a few earmarks when he voted for porkulus. Any republican who supported a trillion dollars of democratic party pet projects deserves to lose support of the party. I will be happy to see all the big spenders of the party gone. They are the ones who helped put us into this mess with over spending.

$787 billion

$397 billion of which is payroll tax reductions.

So. You. Fail.

 

[Lemon law]

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
It seems like the 'enlightened left' is more concerned about his sexuality than us crazy bigoted Republicans.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have to agree that PJ has made a minor point, if it is valid or not is another question.

But no doubt about it, the Crist hat is now in the ring for a the Florida Senate race.

First, as somewhat a GOP moderate, he has to survive a GOP primary challenger who will run well to the right of Crist.

And then to get that Senate seat, he must win in the general election against a democratic challenger.

My prediction, if Crist loses in the primary to someone from the far right, the democrats will win in the general election.

If Crist wins both the primary and the general election, Crist can have a significant role in being a voice of reform and moderation for the larger GOP. As one of more populous states, Florida has
a great deal of weight. A Crist Senate seat victory would be hard to ignore, and could become a GOP model in the process.

 

[techs]

Originally posted by: Lemon law

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
It seems like the 'enlightened left' is more concerned about his sexuality than us crazy bigoted Republicans.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have to agree that PJ has made a minor point, if it is valid or not is another question.

But no doubt about it, the Crist hat is now in the ring for a the Florida Senate race.

First, as somewhat a GOP moderate, he has to survive a GOP primary challenger who will run well to the right of Crist.

And then to get that Senate seat, he must win in the general election against a democratic challenger.

My prediction, if Crist loses in the primary to someone from the far right, the democrats will win in the general election.

If Crist wins both the primary and the general election, Crist can have a significant role in being a voice of reform and moderation for the larger GOP. As one of more populous states, Florida has
a great deal of weight. A Crist Senate seat victory would be hard to ignore, and could become a GOP model in the process.

I disagree. Crist might be tolerated and even trotted out by the Republicans like they do with the Governator to try and show how they are actually a diverse party, but Crist will have zero influence with the right wing wacko's, religious fanatics and borrow and spend Republican base that controls the party.
Let's face it. If Bush hadn't screwed teh pooch worse than any President since, well, any President, the Republican would have gone head over heals for a Huckabee or another right wing fundie isntead of a hail mary for McCain to try and keep the Presidency.

 

[Lemon law]

In all due respects, I think techs is misreading the tea leaves from the 2008 GOP primaries as he says, "the Republican would have gone head over heals for a Huckabee or another right wing fundie isntead of a hail mary for McCain to try and keep the Presidency."

I have long said that both Limbaugh and the larger GOP leadership have a fundamental disconnect with the the more rational GOP electorate. That GOP electorate picked McCain in 2008 because he best fit their best choice, and in the process, firmly rejecting the choices Limbaugh touted.

Tech also misreads the tea leaves on Huckabee, Limbaugh GOP enemy number two, its easy to paint Huckabee as a religious fundie, but Huckabee still had a fine record as a pragmatic and open minded governor that ended up as GOP vote getter number 2.

If Techs wants to look for Fundie idiots, he need look no further than Romney, the incredible plastic man or maybe Rudy Rudy Rudy.

 

[ProfJohn]

You are both wrong.

Republicans have a long history of picking the candidate with the best chance of winning in the fall.

McCain may have not been the best Republican in the field, but he was certainly the best candidate and the only one with a chance to win.

Look at the party's recent Presidential election history. McCain and Dole are the only Republican nominees to have lost without ever serving in the White House since Nixon's 1968 victory. Compare that to the list of Democrat losers in that same time frame: Humphrey, McGovern, Mondale, Dukakakis, Gore and Kerry. Looks like a good record to me.

 

[fskimospy]

If the Republicans are smart, they will realize that moderates like Crist are the way for them to come back out of the electoral wilderness. It's funny that Republicans themselves are insanely unpopular but when you look at the Republicans who ARE popular, they tend to be the moderates like Crist. If they are smart they will take this information and realize that if they want to start winning elections again they can't give in to the nutjobs on the far right as they have been doing up to this point.

 

[Siddhartha]

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
It seems like the 'enlightened left' is more concerned about his sexuality than us crazy bigoted Republicans.

Are you saying that Mr Crist's alledged homosexuality will not be an issue in the GOP primary?

 

[ProfJohn]

Originally posted by: Siddhartha

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
It seems like the 'enlightened left' is more concerned about his sexuality than us crazy bigoted Republicans.

Are you saying that Mr Crist's alledged homosexuality will not be an issue in the GOP primary?

He got nominated to run for governor by the exact same electorate. Unless he faces a really strong opponent he should have a cake walk to the nomination and most likely the Senate.

Democrats have not done well in state wide elections recently.

 

[fskimospy]

Originally posted by: ProfJohn

Democrats have not done well in state wide elections recently.

Wait what.

The most recent statewide elections have been for a senate seat, the governorship, and the last presidential election. Democrats won 2 out of 3.