Posted on 10/23/2014 9:38:47 AM PDT by Kaslin
Contests for governor of Florida have recently gone from being competitive tussles between in-state partisans to no-holds-barred death matches with big national bucks flowing and network reporters presiding over televised debates. This year's battle between incumbent Republican Gov. Rick Scott and Republican turned Democrat challenger Charlie Crist has become the over-the-top crowned jewel of everything bad about modern day "national" politics.
The real genesis of this "nationalization" of Florida politics can be found in the 2000 presidential electoral deadlock that held the nation spellbound for months. Many Americans who are otherwise apolitical still refer to "hanging chads" as if they were old grizzled political pundits.
Nothing was ever quite the same after that epic battle for Florida's electoral votes. National media reported on Jeb Bush's reelection race for governor in 2002 against a hapless and weak Democratic nominee as if it were the Kennedy-Nixon contest of 1960. Floridians became used to big national political media figures participating in their statewide debates.
The large but oft ignored state that produced the likes of "Walkin' Lawton" Chiles and slogans like "Hey Buddy (MacKay), you're liberal" graduated from just normal intrastate politics to the bigtime of national nastiness.
And nothing can compare to this high dollar, high octane and super vicious race between Scott and Crist.
What troubles many who have followed Florida politics for years is the unspoken belief that neither of these two candidates seems to have anywhere close to meaningful and altruistic reasons for seeking another term as governor.
For better or worse there is little doubt to most that if the dictionary had a definition of "Professional Politician," former Gov. Crist's picture would be right by its side.
Some believe Crist sees himself as the character "Mr. Cellophane" in the hit Broadway musical turned movie "Chicago." He seemingly thinks that he can glide in and out of rooms, meetings, debates or even various political parties without anyone taking notice of him. Sort of a Caspar the Ghost with a tan.
Scott -- with his long neck, gleaming head and wide and sometimes bulging eyes -- seems a character straight out of central casting as well. Sort of a mix between a leaner version of the animated commercial character "Mr. Clean" and the late-comedian Rodney Dangerfield who always claimed to get "no respect."
Both are harmless characters in a very hurtful and vicious contest.
Some believe Crist wants the job because he knows no other profession than politics and, as most insiders also know, he loves to be loved.
Scott appears to some as having made so much money so early in life that he chose a new "hobby," that of being governor of Florida.
Florida's position of governor, while powerful, doesn't wield anywhere near the omnipotent attributes of the same position in some other states. For example, Florida governors have to deal with a voting cabinet which could become a real problem if its makeup were to be split between Republicans and Democrats.
Plenty of voters are wondering why these two would spend megabucks and do everything but mud wrestle just to enjoy four more years in Tallahassee. Their vicious ads and personal attacks during debates have made both men appear desperate for power and oblivious to the public's disdain for their tactics or for politicians in general.
While both men are nice people when away from the political limelight, both are just too overwhelmed -- indeed, consumed -- by politics for their own good. Indeed, they reek of it.
Crist takes many of his cues from a collection of trial lawyers who have the political acumen of rank amateurs. Scott follows the lead of the usual GOP suspects. The type that might advise the boneheaded choice of protesting some silly electrical fan behind an opponent's debate podium by keeping their candidate off the stage while others waited.
The real winner in this national debacle may be Libertarian Adrian Wyllie. While he won't be close, don't be shocked if he doesn't exceed expectations. After all, Scott and Crist have lowered those expectations substantially.
Rodney Dangerfield is dead? How sad.
Nothing else in the article was important.
No doubt. The fact the orange crush chameleon has any support at all just proves that you can fool a lot of people all the time. I can’t believe that FL race is that close. NY transplants that wanted to get away from NY politics and are now moving FL into what they left behind? Same scenario seems to be taking place in a lot of locales. The old “That’s not the way we used to do it in XXXX so lets “make it better here” by changing it.” Uh, no thanks.
‘crowned jewel’...sigh
While people claim to hate attack ads, the politicians use them because they work.
Debate was a joke nothing but a mud flinging contest
I wouldn't either, were it not for the fact Obama carried that state twice. We can gin up all kinds of rationalizations as to why some of these races are blowout wins for the GOP, but it comes to the fact this now - center-left country is changing, and not for the better. The accomplishments of governors like Scott Walker and Rick Scott should carry the day, but the demographics are becoming so markedly altered that once-red states (my state of VA included) are at least half populated by voters who, economic prosperity be damned, are going to vote democrat not matter what. Power for their party supplants the good of state or country.
I watched their last television debate and felt sorry for the people of Florida. Crist looked and talked like the professional political weasel he is and Scott, who had a dumb smirk on his face through the whole debate and was barely coherent.
Good luck, Florida
It’s way beyond my ability to comprehend this crap. Well, not really, but, it’s like smacking your forehead with a cinder block.
Yeah...it feels good when you stop.
Ditto... America is in a very weird place right now. This country doesn't know what it wants to be anymore.
That didn’t happen by mistake. I have very little in common with other Americans often times myself, and that’s just with people living here that I actually consider American. The others, I want nothing to do with.
We can gin up all kinds of rationalizations as to why some of these races are [not] blowout wins for the GOP, but it comes to the fact [public education has made] this now - center-left country is changing, and not for the better.
We've bewailed it for decades, but its proficiency as a system is growing and the future promises worse.
It’s a trending LibtardBlue state. Demographics. Of course it’s close.
I am NOT going away. You are a concern troll. You should NOT be on this forum.
Heh... Yeah.
It started with a law firm that wanted legal pot in order to have pot not be an obstacle to their civil suit business. Then they saw it as an opportunity to have their EMPLOYEE Crist have a possible pothead vote with a joke amendment.
Crist who was a republican, married a democrat when he lost to Rubio, became an “independent” then became a republican.
Quite frankly it is good to have a republican who can give it to the sleaze democrats.
it is close because we have a dead end third party spoiler. (paid) to split republican votes from useful idiots. He is just another democrat.
What is this garbage? Liartarian propaganda to help the orange menace? Go Scott.
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