May 18, 2013
September 6, 2012
Former Florida Republican Governor Charlie Crist is in Charlotte tonight preparing to address the Democratic National Convention. Crist became an independent in 2012 after it appeared he could not win a GOP Primary for the US Senate. Now with talk that he could run for Governor again as a Democrat, but the GOP is turning up the heat on Crist.
As a young State Senator, Charlie Crist was tasked with embarrassing the sitting Democratic Governor. The GOP elected Crist statewide three times to Education Commissioner, Attorney General and finally Governor.
But the now infamous bipartisan hug in Fort Myers lit a fire under the strengthening Tea Party, Crist was poisoned. Now a speculation he is setting his sights on a Governor’s Mansion again this time as a Democrat. The state GOP is firing back with a TV spot in which Crist is heard to say, “I’m a Jeb Bush Republican. President Bush he is a leader of courage and conviction”.
We asked party spokesperson Kristen McDonald if the party was afraid of Crist or just paying him back for deserting them. “It’s neither really. As I said it just that we are trying to remind Floridians and the people of America who Charlie Crist really is” she told us.
When Charlie Crist was a Republican, the party kept track of everything he said, wrote, TV, radio so they gotten an archive we are sure to see more of.
“I’m quite happy in the private sector” is what Crist told the national audience. He also said he isn’t likely to run as a Democrat, but he did leave the door open. Political Scientist Carol Weissert believes the GOP has more fear than anger when it comes to Charlie Crist. “I think they’re worried. I mean that would be how I would read it. Why would you spend money that you need to spend on a campaign against somebody who hasn’t even announced” says Weissert.
Crist would have to start making moves to run as a Democrat shortly after the first of the year, and with three other possible contenders, his success would be uncertain.
The former Governor contends he did not leave the Republican Party, but that it left him when it was taken over by the far right.
