Crist to Possibly Leave GOP?

[RainDoggie]

Is this for real or just a Rubio flack trying to further undermine the Crist campaign with rumors?  How might Crist running as an independent or even a Democrat effect the outcome of the race?  Would any Democrats here consider voting for Crist if he wasn't running as Republican?  Would you vote for Crist over Kendrick Meeks?  I'm eager to hear everyone's thoughts/opinions.  The original source of this news is a conservative blogger at <A HREF="http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/theslant/blog/2010/02/will_charlie_crist_bolt_the_go.html">sun-sentinal.com</A> and I've quoted his post in full below.  I first read about it on <A HREF="http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/02/could_crist_bolt.html">Ezra Klein's blog</A>.  I have to admit that the whole thing seems rather dubious and until this gets reported by someone other than a self-identified conservative activist and Rubio supporter quoting anonymous sources I will continue to have my doubts.

By Jack Funari

Two highly placed and independent sources, speaking strictly on background, tell me that Gov. Charlie Crist is preparing to leave the Republican Party and run as an independent in the race for the U.S. Senate.

With Crist trailing Marco Rubio by 18 points in the latest polls, the Crist campaign has been in panic mode, launching attack after attack on the conservative Rubio.

Yesterday, the attacks reached a crescendo with the Crist campaign, and/or his disgraced Republican Party of Florida thug bootlickers, leaking Rubio's credit card expenses from his time as speaker of the Florida House.

According to published reports, the former RPOF chair, the bovine bully-boy buffoon Jim Greer, spent more in a month than Rubio did in his entire two years as state House speaker. If all the Crist campaign has on Rubio is $53.49 at Winn-Dixie in Miami for ``food” and a couple of plane tickets for his wife, then it's game, set and match, as far as the Republican primary for Senate is concerned.

From what's been made public, Rubio's credit card expenses make him the most frugal of the Republican leaders with RPOF credit cards.

The attacks are not having the desired effect on the conservative Republican base because Crist, and the people who enable and support him, have lost all credibility with the majority of activists and Republican primary voters throughout the state.

Another well-placed source tells me the reason several Crist campaign staffers left recently is because, being committed Republicans, they refused to take part in an independent Senate run by Crist. That’s not confirmed by an independent second source, but it does ring true.

Now, reports from anonymous sources are sometimes wrong, so I have stopped short of reporting a Crist independent run as a verifiable fact, even though I believe my sources are accurate.

Here, in a minimalist nutshell, is why Crist will lose to Rubio in a Republican primary:
If someone told you that Sid Dinerstein, chairman of the Republican Party of Palm Beach County, was going to leave the Republican Party to become an independent, would you believe them? Would you believe it about Marco Rubio? No. If you knew anything at all about politics, or anything about Rubio and Dinerstein, you would dismiss out of hand such a ridiculous report as not being credible and just another silly political rumor.

So tell me, do you believe it is possible that Crist will leave the Republican Party to run as an independent?

You do, don't you?

And that is why Crist will lose to Rubio.



Jack Furnari is a regular contributor to this blog. He is a conservative activist and a former columnist for the Boca Raton News. He can be reached at jacktda@yahoo.com

[vicupstate]

Other blog sites have mentioned this possibility as well.  It doesn't make sense to me, but Crist's campaign has been in a death spiral of late, and might think it is their only shot.  Personally, I think it would backfire.

Meek is a weak candidate in many ways, but I think Crist is damaged goods and would have a hard time beating even Meekin a primary. 

His better chance would be to go Independent, but I doubt even that would work. 

[jandar]

Crist has always been a RINO. He only supports things when it works to his benefit, and he thinks he can take advantage of it. He tries too hard to get everyone to like him and this hurts him.

If anything, him leaving the GOP is good for the GOP as he is status quo and a good ole boy in the end.
Time to shake things up.

[jaxtrader]

Crist might make the reasonable political calculation that he would fare better  as an independent in a three way race than he would against Rubio in the primary. In CT, lieberman waited until he'd lost to Lamont in the primary before running as an Independent. Not sure if the same is possible in FL. It is now a near certainty that Rubio will be the GOP nominee. In a 3-way, each candidate could rely on solid support from 25-30 % of the electorate, leaving the race in the hands of a relatively few swing voters, whom Crist would hope to sway.

[jandar]

I think the law in Florida is that if you lose a primary, you cannot run as an independent in the same election. He would have to register as one before the primary, and before the deadline of 4/30 if my memory is correct.

[buckethead]

Good riddance.

And Green Day sucks.

[Dog Walker]

?  That one went right by me.  Who or what is Green Day?

[copperfiend]

It worked for Lieberman. He got beat by Lamont in the primary because he was seen as a GW Bush supporter even though he almost always voted with the Dem caucus. Crist is seen as an Obama supporter because of the stimulus bill. It will cost him in the end. I think if Crist runs as an "I" in the general election, it could help get a democrat elected.

[heights unknown]

Hasta la vista baby!

"HU"

[buckethead]

?  That one went right by me.  Who or what is Green Day?

A pop-punk trio with politics and teen angst messages.

[Dog Walker]

?  That one went right by me.  Who or what is Green Day?

A pop-punk trio with politics and teen angst messages.

Waaay out of my age range!  Thanks.

[JaxNative68]

I am registered as an Independent, mainly because a I'm neither a left or right winger.  But with all the politicians that are running away from the Republican Party and ending up as Independents, I may have to change my voting status as Unaffiliated!