FL-Gov: Crist comeback getting underway

[Donerail]

The Times ran a story a week ago on Crist's advisors. Still excellent news. Charlie 2014!

[Donerail]

Congradulations to Crist, as he seeks his old job back. DWS, like Sink, as well as Wexler could only appeal to Southern Florida. Crist has outreach to Latino and Senior voters. As he is a Senior as well, who helped McCain win Florida against Romney.

I dunno about Sink only appealing to South Florida. DWS, yeah, Wexler, yeah, but Sink is from rural small-town Florida (Thonotosassa) and is pretty well liked in Tampa Bay - she also won some counties in 2010, namely Madison, Liberty, and Franklin, that candidates like DWS can't. Sink has also won statewide before.

[Donerail]

I can't believe Dems are slobbering over Charlie Crist. We've waited 16 years for this? The idea that Crist is the only Democrat who can win in Florida is mistaken. Only a very unlucky confluence of factors screwed the Democrats in statewide races in recent years. In 2006, the Democrats could have taken the governorship, but the Republicans narrowly held on by nominating an extreme moderate (Crist). Then in 2010, we could have taken it again, except for extremely negative national factors that swept the country that year. Even so, Sink nearly won. I think Florida Dems can do better than Crist, but whatever.

Do you have a suggestion for a candidate?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_gubernatorial_election,_2014#Democratic_primary

Sink, Brown, and Crist are literally the only people on that list that would have a shot

And Brown probably wouldn't survive a primary. It's Sink or Crist, and whether Sink will even consider running is unknown after her husband's death. Democrats haven't won a statewide race during this century except for Bill Nelson or Sink in '06 - you get to have a pretty thin bench.

[Donerail]

I'm pretty sure I heard Sink isn't running.

Most recent I can find: "I’m just waiting for a sign. The good Lord will tell me what to do." And she's been speaking to the Pinellas County Democrats, the Hillsborough County Jefferson-Jackson Dinner, and she was spotted fairly recently at Emily's List HQ in Washington.

[Donerail]

I pray and hope that some democrat can knock him out in the primaries, it shouldn't be as hard as people think with all his baggage. I would donate all I could and be out knocking on doors to defeat Crist, I'd vote for Sink.

But what Democrat? We don't exactly have a bench. With everyone (Smith, Dyer, Iorio, Buckhorn, Nelson) declining and if we accept that Brown isn't running, the only other conceivable candidate is Alex Sink, and it's very questionable whether she runs. With Crist's support here in Tampa Bay, as well as his popularity with African-Americans, trial lawyers, and teachers (all key Democratic constituencies), any opponents not named Alex Sink would have some of South Florida and not much else, especially with Crist having Obama, Clinton, and whoever else in his corner. Florida Democrats haven't won a state executive race this century except for one race in 2006. We want a winner, and one of our best communicators is our best shot at regaining the office. Seeing Crist, the bipartisan compromiser, go up against a guy who said he didn't know why anyone is not a Republican is a recipe for victory, and that's what Florida Dems need right now.

[Donerail]

This is usually the part where I go on a huge rant, but I think instead I'll leave this here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Crist#Florida_Governor
But hey, if you mean "moderate" as in "slightly to the right of Rick Perry" then yes I guess.

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So which bit is the to-the-right-of-Perry part?

[Donerail]

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“Marriage is something sanctified between a man and a woman." - Barack Obama (2004)
"For me personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married." - Barack Obama (2012).

Not exactly an unacceptable shift.

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What really mattered was the ultrasound veto. Pro-choice when it counts.

[Donerail]

Look I feel really really freaking sorry for you to have Rick Scott as a Governor.  But replacing him with Charlie Crist is like replacing inoperable brain cancer with AIDS.  Going further with the AIDS parallel, if Charlie Crist wins the race it sets a dangerous precedent in many areas where the "best candidate" is more preferable to the "right" ("right" as in the morally correct choice, not "right" as in "right wing") candidate.  If Florida can't elect anybody but a former Republican Governor from the last decade, it's at least time to get back to the drawing board.

He's not the best candidate; I readily admit that, and the FL Dems certainly have other prospects, but everybody else has already declined, or won't run (Dereich explained Brown; Sink just had her husband die and is extremely unlikely to do so). He really is the only option that FL Dems have; everyone else has either declined or would be 4 more years of Scott. He's basically the only option.

And before you respond "he's running for Governor, not Senator" I would point out that Charlie Crist attaining statewide office arguably puts him a step closer to federal office in the future.  For me, that's too dangerous a scenario to consider support.  And unlike Rick Scott, who will no doubt go down being remembered as one of the most horrible POS who ever governed a state, his becoming President is more of a certifiable reality.  I'm not saying four more years of Rick Scott is preferable to four more years of Crist, but given how horrible Scott has been as Governor I don't see what the harm is in considering other candidates for office.  The man barely won election in a Republican wave year (granted against a popular Democrat) Republicans haven't really shown yet that they are on track to repeat the wave in 2014.

Maybe I'm being shortsighted, but if Crist runs for an office where he would have control over those issues (which I still care about) with those positions, then I would oppose his election. As it is, however, he's not - he's running against Rick Scott, where his issues will include stuff like high-speed rail, not drones. It's also worth mentioning that SB 92 passed (I believe unanimously; I remember it was 117-0 in the House) last session and is now law, heavily restricting the use of drones in the state - it's doubtful that the heavily Republican Legislature would repeal it at the behest of a Democratic governor. Crist just isn't really a threat on those issues for this office - thinking long-term there's a possibility, but is 4 more years of Scott really worth it?

And while a Crist or Sink victory would be a pretty decent bet, Scott isn't dead yet and leads some candidates.

[Donerail]

I thought we already have a Democratic candidate running for governor named Nan Rich. Did she drop out and I somehow missed that?

This is the problem with Nan Rich.