The Fires Of The Stake

Prince of Georgia Politics, Tom Crawford has declared Florida Republican Charlie Crist's bid for the Senate dead. He's probably right.

How does a rock star GOPer with a 70% approval rating, the man who delivered Florida for McCain go from a 30 point lead to a 12 point deficit in a matter of months?

It certainly wasn't his support of the largest property tax rollbacks in Florida history. It certainly wasn't his support of a bill to ban gay adoption. It certainly wasn't his pro-life stance.

Rational analysis would conclude Charlie's dive into the abyss was the result of the catastrophic economic collapse. Florida's revenue formula based on property taxes, when suddenly no one was building houses, and tourism, twarn't nobody going to Disney World, meant the Sunshine State took exploding economic lava bombs straight in the shorts.

But we are not dealing in the rational world, so set these facts aside and step on to the e-ticket ride that is current Republican politics.

Charlie was undid by a hug.

Unlike his fellow Republican brethren who bellowed far and wide against the federal stimulus, then eagerly wallowed to the trough to partake of the "socialist" slop, Charlie openly declared it was the correct policy.

Then he hugged the man who brought the manna from D.C. Charlie hugged Obama and the witch burners ran to gather kindling.

And now he will burn.

Daily, we hear the witch burners cry the dogma of the purge. Only the true can remain. Only those who kneel, weep and prostrate themselves at the the golden raimants of the revered father of modern conservatism deserve redemption.

Only the stained dare touch the leperous Democrats. Only the infected show the buboes of the stimulus. Only the heretics preach surrender to terrorism evidenced by the closing of Guantanamo, moving the trial of Khalid Shief Mohammed to New York and allowing a trial for that fool who blew up his underpants.

Another important measure we have developed in our overall strategy is applying the rule of law to terrorists. Terrorists are criminals. They commit criminal actions like murder, kidnapping, and arson, and countries have laws to punish criminals. So a major element of our strategy has been to delegitimize terrorists, to get society to see them for what they are -- criminals -- and to use democracy’s most potent tool, the rule of law against them.

Ronald Reagan's top State Department Official on terrorism said that.

There is no place for Charlie Crist in today's Republican party.

There wouldn't be room for Reagan either.

He would be primaried.

UPDATE: I originally wrote Reagan said the above quote. It was actually L. Paul Bremer, talking about the Reagan Adminstration's policy in dealing with terrorism.

Crist And Jeb?

Daniel Larison of the American Conservative asks a reasonable question.

In policy, Crist is hard to distinguish from the tradition of former Gov. Jeb Bush, who angered a lot of conservatives with his liberalizing views on immigration but who has otherwise been widely respected and admired by many rank-and-file conservatives. Obviously, I am far removed from both Bush and Crist, so this does not recommend Crist to me, but what makes Crist the unacceptable “moderate” in the minds of movement activists that does not similarly tar Jeb Bush?

It's quite simple. When conducting a witch hunt, it is important to ignore the plank in order to spike the speck.

Git The Stimulus Tar And Feathers!

Fresh off their "victory" in NY-23 the Club For Growth is venturing down to Florida.

Their problem with centrist Charlie Crist? He was fer the stimulus. Well, you see that just won't do, cuz any good libertarian was agin the stimulus.

Charlie's sin gives these "conservative" leaders no choice but to tacitly endorse "liberty" loving lovable theocrat Marco Rubio.

Remember this lesson well, chilluns. When it comes to the gummint spending money, you must be ideologically pure. Even if it means you just git all plain squishy on things like personal freedom, science and all those other "side issues".

Money matters. The rest of the things government does to screw us? Not so much.

Video via Jason Pye

I Want The Truth

Flush with victory over the evil DeDe Scozzafava, The Witches Hammer opines in Politico on how NRCC Chair Pete Sessions and RNC Chair Michael Steele have strayed from the one true way.

Their “level of disingenuousness ... is disgusting,” Erickson said.

With the NY-23 sideshow out of the way, the big event is about to happen - the Florida Senate race between establishment candidate Charlie Crist and tea party darling Marco Rubio.

Erick pining for Republican truth to power on the eve of the big show brings up old questions.

In May, Erick asked his question.

Will we go with tanned, telegenic tax hikers with dubious personal issues, or young, telegenic conservative reformers who are not afraid to speak up for freedom?

Then, I asked my question.

Exactly what are these "personal issues", Erick? Is he corrupt? Perhaps, he takes kickbacks? Stuffed some ballot boxes? Kills kittens in his spare time?

We both know the answer, but Erick steadfastly refuses to say it aloud.

It makes one wonder how someone can label others "disingenous" when he himself finds talking straight most difficult.

Blessed Are The Rumor Mongers

Rumor and innuendo have always been tools of the trade in the muck trenches of politics, but few use them as wickedly as Erick Erickson. If you fall on the wrong side of the witch burner's line, beware - fact, fiction and simple decency will matter little. And if you happen to be a member of his party, prepare for the flames to lick your toes as the kindling is lit.

In May, following Florida Governor Charlie Crist's announcement that he would run for Florida's U.S. Senate seat, Erick issued his writ - Charlie was a liberal in disguise and Rubio was the man. But, Erick did not hold back his witches hammer. Why only point out the ideological divide when you can also tarnish the man's reputation with accusations of non-existent scandals.

Will we go with tanned, telegenic tax hikers with dubious personal issues, or young, telegenic conservative reformers who are not afraid to speak up for freedom?

Charlie is many things, but scandal ridden is not one of them. I asked Erick a simple question - 'what personal issues?' He did not reply. Why stick around to clarify, when you can watch the results of your myth grenade from a safe distance?

Now, he has taken aim at Georgia's Lt. Governor Casey Cagle.

If nothing else, there is clearly an undercurrent of desire for people to get him gone on the grounds that whatever was bad enough to stop him from running for Governor was bad enough to keep him from running for Lt. Governor.

Last I checked, the reason Cagle got out of the race was he needed to undergo potentially paralyzing back surgery.

Of course, like Charlie, rumors have always swirled around Cagle. It is often the case with people in power. But also like Charlie, they have remained nothing but rumors. This fact does not matter to the witch burners. In the fevered eyes of the zealot, guilt, innocence, justice, truth matter far less than the need for purification. After all, they have to be guilty of something, right?

Here We Go

Florida Governor Charlie Crist's entry in the Sunshine Senate race gives Georgia's grand poobah of pusillanimous insinuation to once again stir the back fence chatter.

Will we go with tanned, telegenic tax hikers with dubious personal issues

Exactly what are these "personal issues", Erick? Is he corrupt? Perhaps, he take kickbacks? Stuffed some ballot boxes? Kills kittens in his spare time?

Step forward and speak plainly, young man.

But that is a vaporous wish of the vain.

If a person puts pure rumor on his website regarding the marital status of candidates, if a person slanders a sitting Supreme Court Justice as a buggerer of boys - why would we ever expect that person to speak plainly?

What's Happening In Florida?

It appears Governor Charlie Crist will announce his candidacy for U.S. Senate on Tuesday.

What does this mean for we's and us'ens beyond the borders of the Sunshine State? The Republican Civil War is about to hot up again.

Crist will face former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio, current darling of the Erick Erickson set, in the primary. Once again, we're going to see Moderate Charlie take on the right wing of his own party. The last time that happened was when he put a rented mule beating on Christain Right darling Tom Gallager in the 2008 Republican primary.

Should be fun to watch.

A Republican Star Rising

What do you call a governor who has over 80% approval rating in his own party and over a 60% approval rating in the opposition party? A freaking rock star.

On his way from a Republican event Monday evening at the Governor's Club, Gov. Charlie Crist made an impromtu walk along Adams Street, stopping to gab, hug and shake hands with folks...

Charlie Crist may be the most well liked politician in Florida since Walkin' Lawton Chiles. Crist not only portrays the good guy but appears to actually be a good guy. A walk the walk after talking the talk act that I bet Georgia Republicans wish Sonny did.

Another Courageous Politician

When asked if the Florida Republican Party should bankroll a ballot initiative banning gay marriage, recently elected Governor Charlie Crist responded, "probably not".

This is not the first time Crist has poked the rabid religious right in the eye. During last year's campaign he pointedly avoided a meeting with the Florida Family Policy Council.

Crist's willingness to buck conventional wisdom, including fiercely going after insurance providers, may be the reason he has a near 70% approval rating among Democrats. As we approach '08, look for Charlie's name to pop up more and more on the national scene.

Florida To End Touch Screen Voting

Florida Governor Charlie Crist is requesting the legislature provide funding to convert all of Florida's counties from touch-screen voting to optical scanners.

More paper does mean more accountability. The only problem? The HBO documentary "Hacking Democracy" demonstrates optical scanners are just as vulnerable to tampering.

The only real solution?

Open source. Now.

Centrism In Florida

It's getting noticed.

House Speaker Marco Rubio and Senate President Ken Pruitt last week gave Democrats unprecedented access — at least on paper — to power in both chambers, showing the GOP is ready to share after a decade in command of the Legislature.

Much of the attention this past election season focused on Montana and Virginia. Florida, other than boy buggery and the ghost of Katherine Harris haunting her old district, barely registered a blip.

It's unfortunate since Florida could be the new model for centrist politics. Newly elected Governor Charlie Crist not only managed to brush off right wing whisper campaigns on his sexual orientation, completely ignore the Florida Family Council but also managed to steal 14% of registered Democrats from his opponent Jim Davis.

Uniqueness makes Florida difficult to compare to other states. It is neither wholly red nor blue nor even mauve. It is wide swaths of all three. Unlike other states, Georgia in particular, the regionalization of these trends are not isolated into conclaves of urban and rural and don't always follow the rules.

Major population centers such as Miami do trend "blue" but on particular issues are fiercely "red" due to the influence of the Cuban and other communities. Rural areas are hard "red" but Tallahassee is not just a "blue" dot surrounded by crackers and shrimp boat captains. In the last election some of that "blue" seeped into the surrounding counties. And just to confound further, the "liberal" Tallahassee Democrat endorsed the Republican candidate.

The generalized conclusion about the last election is Florida voters care less about party and more about effectiveness. National politicians would be wise to take note . Florida politicans already do.

Thoughts On Florida

I won't be doing Florida endorsements. Even though I spend an inordinate amount of time in the sunshine state, I am a resident of Georgia and making calls on their races just makes me feel like a carpetbagger.

But I do have some thoughts.

Charlie Crist is going to win. Probably by around 5 points. Both Crist and Davis are fine men. They could be the models for what the national parties should be. Floridians are lucky to have such a quality choice. Lord knows, we Georgians would fall to our knees and raise our arms to the heavens if our candidates were even half as nobe.

Joe Negron may pull it out in the 16th. He's run a hell of a campaign in the final weeks and Democrat Tim Mahoney ran a risky low profile campaign. I think Mahoney was counting on Foley being on the ballot ushering him in. The risk was lack of name recognition. Hell, I follow Florida politics and three days ago and I couldn't tell you Mahoney's name. It's going to be close but I think that this district isgerrymandered way too conservative for Mahoney to pull it off. Even if he does? Negron takes it back in two years.

Gosh, I will miss Katherine Harris. The only difference between Katherine Harris and George Allen is Kitty never had a chance to win. But that didn't keep her down! Not even lack of "pink sugar" could keep her down! Harris was rocket fuel for this blog. After today, she will finally be exorcised to the Republican hinterlands. Still, I'm going to keep the sad clown picture around just in case.

That's all I got for now. Good luck Florida. Have a safe, fun election. That emotion may sound a little overwrought. But it is Florida.

Stop It. Just Stop It.

The gay question is swirling around Charlie Crist in Florida.

527s get involved

Davis gets asked

It causes Bush to snap

Dammit. Florida has inportant issues to deal with. Insurance premiums in the wake of hurricanes. Development that threatens to eat the entire I-4 corridor. Environmental issues affecting the Big Bend / Panhandle coast.

And what do we get? Which orifice Charlie Crist prefers to stick it in.

Come on Florida press! You're better than this! Well dammit, at least you should be better than this!

Tallahassee Democrat Supports Crist

This is the one I was waiting to see. Charlie Crist has the endorsement of every major Florida daily except the St. Pete Times. The Tallahassee Democrat is a "liberal" paper sitting in a blue outpost surrounded by a sea of red. And now they are endorsing Republican Charlie Crist.

Mr. Crist's optimism and his undisputed reputation as a very decent man and good judge of character are strong selling points in this important race, and we recommend him as a solid choice for temperate voters of both parties.

The TD goes on to say that Jim Davis is also an "excellent and thoughtful public servant". While others want to focus on the seamy underside of this race, the dailies in Florida get it. Floridians have a choice between two decent men who only want to be good public servants. We should all be so lucky.

Report From The Border

I'm spending a couple of more days down south so I thought I should give another update on political ads down here. THEY ARE EVERYWHERE!

The Valdosta / Tallahassee / Thomasville markets are flooded with ads. All the way from local councilman to big races on both sides of the border.

Florida dominates the border. It's apparent that the size of the state affects the economics of races. More people equals more money. When's the last time any of you Georgians saw a TV ad for a county commission race?

Local issues dominate the local races. Property taxes, water rights issues, education. State issues dominate the state races. Property insurance, taxes and economic growth. The governor's race dominates all and Davis and Crist in Florida have let loose the dogs of war.

My favorite current ad is by Crist questioning Davis congressional attendance. It has an office chair flying across the screen to jangly goofy carnival music. At the end, a reporter approaches an exhausted, sweaty tourist family in Washington and ask why they are here. They say they are from Florida, came to see Jim Davis and can't find him. The young boy then in his best Opie Taylor says, "You think we'll see him next time, paw?" He says "paw". I kid you not.

On the Georgia side its the same Perdue / Taylor slug fest over the Florida land deal. Over and over again. I can understand the strategy with Florida right next door and folks down here having a keen understanding of land deals. It's good old fashioned populism.

Media buys are fairly cheap down here and the tornado of ads will continue for two more weeks. It makes me long for a few Braves promos or even a Wolfman and Donna commercial.

It Had To Come Out Sooner Or Later

With all the storms involving sex in politics these days, there was no way this one could be kept secret much longer. An independent candidate in Florida is about to out Republican candidate for governor Charlie Crist as gay.

Anyone who follows Florida politics will tell you this is about the worst kept secret in the state. It's always been known that Crist was probably gay and frankly no one cared.

I have intentionally stayed away from this aspect of the Florida race because I keow it would be nothing but a 100% crap storm. It would have been easy to talk about this non-stop in an effort to make a "name" for myself. But that is the only purpose it would have served and that would have been wrong.

Some activists have implied that there is a version of Republican gay "stockholm syndrome". We could have an interesting argument on that point but it isn't going to happen in this post. Because that is in no way what Charlie Crist is about. Yes, he plays the conservative card but he also harms himself politically by very publicly snubbing organizations like Florida Family Policy Council.

A word of warning to Democrats who would make something of these revelations and possibly attempt to tag Crist with some sort of hypocrisy.

In the primary, religious right activists attempted a whisper campaign about Crist sexuality. It didn't work. Floridians just didn't give a damn.

And neither should anyone else.

Florida Attack Ads

Earlier I commented on the seeming civility of the Florida Governor's race. No more. I'm further down in central Florida and just saw my first Charlie Crist attack ad. It was the usual boilerplate "he's a big liberal" thing.

Now up along the border I still have not seen these types of ads. So it make me wonder if it's a regional thing or a timing thing. Maybe it's just later in the campaign and the natural cycle is at work. I'm going to be headed back to the Tallahassee in the next couple of days so I will see if these are running up there.

Florida Poll News

Looks like earlier polls showing Davis within 6 points of Crist may have been shall we say optimistic.

Crist leads Davis by 21 points according to Zogby.

More disturbing for Democrats 1/3 of those polled didn't even know who Davis is!

Florida Race Tightening Up

New polls are out showing Davis trailing Crist by only 4-6 points. Perhaps the national Dem party should rethink giving up this race?

Democrats Conceding Florida?

There is mucho fretting in Georgia Democrat circles about nominee Mark Taylor's apparent dearth of money. It looks like Florida nominee Jim Davis may have similar problems. And the Florida Republicans are chortling with glee.

What's interesting is that while in Georgia Mark Taylor is desperately trying to out-conservative Sonny Perdue, in Florida Charlile Crist has outflanked Jim Davis on practically every flank. Davis has just about nowhere to go except hard left and anyone who knows Florida knows that's a loser.

Looks like both Georgia and Florida governor's mansions will stay comfortably red. I will say that I have more sympathy for Davis. Both he and Taylor are getting out politicked but at least Davis isn't looking panicked. Yet.