The Crist Implosion

The Wall Street Journal ^ | 04-20-10 | KIM STRASSEL

[GOP_Lady]

An independent run for Charlie Crist looks better on paper than it does in reality.

Would Florida Gov. Charlie Crist in fact be politically smarter simply to drop out of the Senate race?

Mr. Crist yesterday acknowledged to reporters that he has been "certainly listening" to those who argue he should quit the GOP primary against Marco Rubio and run in the fall as an independent. His admission came after the National Republican Senatorial Committee issued a memo saying there's "zero chance" Mr. Crist would remain in the primary. The memo, which urged Mr. Crist to drop out of the race completely, was released publicly after Mr. Crist reportedly didn't return a call to receive the same message privately from Senator John Cornyn of Texas, who heads the NRSC.

Mr. Crist is struggling to navigate what could potentially be a devastating end to his political career. He's 20 points down against Mr. Rubio. Last week he vetoed a popular education bill as a favor to the state teachers union, repudiating a decade-long GOP effort to bring accountability to the state's schools. With senior Republican supporters abandoning him in droves, Mr. Crist is clearly tempted by a Quinnipiac poll showing he might still win a three-way Senate race as an independent.

[Notwithstanding]

CHRIS WALLACE, HOST
CHARLIE CRIST

WALLACE: ...have been persistent rumors in Florida that you are so far behind, at least currently, in the polls...that you may run instead as an independent. Here is your chance to dispel all the rumors. Are you willing to pledge right here, right now that you will run in the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate and not run as an independent?

CRIST: I’m running as a Republican...

WALLACE: So are you ruling out that you will file as an independent by the April 30th deadline?

CRIST: That’s right. That’s right. I’m running as a Republican.

WALLACE: You will run not for a governor — you’ll run for Senate, and you will run as a — in the Republican primary.

CRIST: ...I’m running as a Republican...

WALLACE: Will you support the winner of the GOP primary, whether it’s you or Marco Rubio?

CRIST: Of course I will...

WALLACE: Well, I’m going to get — I’m going to — I’ll give you an opportunity for a final statement. I just want to say, though, you are saying you are going to run in the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate. You will not run on the no party affiliation line.

CRIST: That’s right. That’s right. That’s what I’m saying.

[sinanju]

So Crist is now going to run as an independent spoiler?

Sigh. Just like all those dem congresscritters who voted for ObamaCare. He has presumably cut a deal with you-know-who and is counting on a payoff later for services rendered.

[Joe Brower]

Florida Freeper

[Matchett-PI]

“Hopefully he’ll be _man_ enough..” ~ pissant

That’s pretty funny.

http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2010/02/marco-rubio-allies-say-charlie-crist-is-really-mean-.html

Comments:

Hey Charlie Baby you don’t know how much it hurts me hid out over here in Sumter County pining away my probation. Now you go around bragging about feeding your family. You know I’m the only real family you ever had. I hope your beard wife dosen’t have any young boys for you to fall in love with. You can’t tell me you don’t remember what we once had. I’m still here waiting for you when it all collapses in August.You can get my address from the Dept of Correctio ns website

Posted by: Bruce Carlton Jordan | February 07, 2010 at 08:13 PM

<>

What’s worse, being a “slick package from Miami” or a slimy package from St. Pete?

Fasano and Shucking Chuckles have the latter down pat.

And Charlie’s lost hs mind attacking Rubio as a family man.

Wonder if that old venereal disease has finally worked its way into his mushy brain and worked its magic?

Posted by: whasup | February 08, 2010 at 07:29 AM

<>

The governor may want to stay away from dragging personal lives into the campaign. It is a little below the belt to imply that his opponent is an unfit parent. If he is not careful, the governor could be inviting unflattering insinuations to be coming his way as well.

Posted by: John L. Meeks, Jr. (Jacksonville FL) | February 08, 2010 at 12:23 PM

<>

Friday, November 13, 2009
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2385354/posts

Charlie Crist is playing the Race Card in Florida, apparently, according to an article in RedState talking about the latest sleazy attack ad Crist is running against Marco Rubio ­ an ad that talks about the color of Rubio’s skin and calls him Cuban.

What’s most interesting about the RedState piece is that it’s the first time we’ve seen a Republican site even hint at Charlie Crist’s escapades at the Green Iguana in Tampa.

[[[[ Interjection: Results 1 - 10 for green Iguana gay bar http://tinyurl.com/ylsg6bq ]]]]

[snip]

[Dominick]

Last week he vetoed a popular education bill as a favor to the state teachers union, repudiating a decade-long GOP effort to bring accountability to the state's schools.

This was not what this claims. Among conservatives SB6 was a power grab from Tallahassee. We like to run our own school board thanks. This would serve to grow more administrators in the state capitol.

One big problem we have in our school districts is that we get district level people in jobs that pay $150k plus, and teachers who can't get materials for classes. Many teachers in Tampa have given up asking and just buy materials out of their own pocket or beg parents.

If you look at the Hillsborough school budget, $1,677,174,393.38 was taken in. From that $97 million went to the Administration of the district, not to schools. Thats more than school lunches and disabled services.

Its probably worse in other counties where we have less fiscal responsibility.

[jetson]

Pretty gay looking.

[seekthetruth]

“Mr. Crist isn't holding up very well to public enlightenment is he?”

He sure isn't! Crist says he will listen to the people of Florida in deciding whether to run as an independent.

We could melt down the phones and tell him to drop out!
Executive Office of the Governor Switchboard:
(850) 488-7146

[clintonh8r]

We don’t run our own school boards under the current system. The unions and developers do through their stooges on the board. Until the union grip is broken the taxpayers really have no say in how schools are run. SB6 was a step in the right direction. I hope its veto will be the last nail in Crist’s political coffin.

[mad_as_he$$]

Nice beard!

[Elle Bee]

and they wonder why we don't send money to the GOP anymore

.

[manc]

I’ve got 3 people to call him thus far and getting more to do so.

All of this he will listen tot he people is crap and we know it.
The teachers union and others on the loon left said that they will switch parties to vote for Crist in the republican primary and then change back to being a rat.

Many on the left have said that if Meeks losses to Crist is not bad for them and that says something how far left Crist is then

Even if you do not live in this state please call and say you do not want him to run because the far left is calling him to run

[manc]

no wrong sort of.

The far left and the teachers union have said that they are changing their status to be a republican in order to vote in the republican primary and for Crist then they will change back to being a rat in the election.

Crist if elected would be the biggest RINO of all and this is why we have to stop him with calls to his office telling him not to run, donate money and get the word out for Rubio

[manc]

I’m in this state and Rubio has done no such thing and has no agenda to do so.

if you know this state we have some of the best gun laws in the country and we are one of two with the castle law

[manc]

hopefully writing posts like that will not happen again if you look more into it.

Some people see a post and then do not think and then they spread these lies thus pissing off the conservative and letting in another RINO

[manc]

me too the education bill vetoed by Crist was wrong. that BILL NEEDS TO PASS for the children of this state and stop letting bad teachers get into our schools plus stop the teachers union from ruining education. Amazing that one person on here actually wanted the bill to be vetoed because they had a teacher friend and went by what their friend told them

[benjibrowder]

I thought the Democrat Party choice for Senate was Kendrick Meek?

[Dominick]

Amazing that one person on here actually wanted the bill to be vetoed because they had a teacher friend and went by what their friend told them

Not really. It was not a conservative bill in that we want smaller government. I think the Republicans want to sell that they are friends to the tea party conservatives, and this trash heap of a bill was a stunt to show that.

It would have simply given the government more power over local school boards. They would have then simply hired more non-teachers to administer that, and more waste. It established more commissions at state levels and set up for more state and not local taxes.

Read it yourself:
SB6 Text

[GatorGirl]

Sink is the Dem for gov. Meek is the Dem for Sen.

Meek is a weak candidate, particularly this year, but could Charlie split the vote enough to give Meek the win? The teacher’s union will definitely NOT back Crist, regardless of how thrilled they are with him right now.

[manc]

I’ve read it and my wife works for the school.

Mostly here many teachers and my wife and many parents who are fed up of bad teachers want them out and get rid of tenure.

This bill would have done that and that is why Crist got into bed with the teachers union.

Once Crist goes and he will go then we can get this bill back and tell the teachers union the far left and those who fall for their propaganda that the kids come first not bad teachers getting wage increase and staying in the system when they should not be.

I remember one woman who said she did not want the bill , course she was pro union and had friends as a teacher, that teacher sand all us parents know which are bad did not want the bill.

PassSB6 and think of the kids for their education and time for bad teachers to go.
Now if some want to go pro union then so be it but they cannot say they are for the kids getting an education and then sdie with the union on this

[Dominick]

Nope the bill would not have even been able to strip tenure from current teachers. It was going to for new teachers only, if the local school board allowed it.

Most teachers at the schools were worried the State of Florida would screw it up by taking over schools, like they did when they wiped out the Board of Regents at the University. Now we have Florida Universities more bloated and even less effective.

It was not a conservative bill. It was a big government publicity stunt.