Great News for Florida Republicans: Charlie Crist Might Run for Senate

[DonViejo]

Imagine you’re a Republican political operative in Florida and also an avowed atheist. You believe there is no god, no organizing force in the universe, no metaphysical purpose to anything, no reason. You have always known this. You have never doubted this. You are at peace.

Today, all that changed. Today, CNN broke the news that Charlie Crist may take a gander at becoming the Florida Democrats’ nominee to run for Senate in 2016. Charlie Crist carries a fan everywhere he goes. He used to be a Republican. He also used to be an independent. He managed, remarkably, to lose a gubernatorial race to incumbent Gov. Rick Scott, who was regarded in many quarters as impossible not to beat. He takes a fan everywhere. And he could take the Florida Democratic Senate primary to Boschian levels of chaos.

-snip

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who currently chairs the Democratic National Committee, is also reportedly mulling a primary bid. Wasserman Schultz is an enormously well connected politician with remarkable fundraising prowess and great name I.D. But she’s also prone to making errors that Republicans can jump on. Consider, for instance, that she had to apologize for saying that Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker “has given women the back of his hand.” Consider that she also had to release a statement saying she is okay with intermarriage (good to know!) after previously saying she opposed Jewish people marrying outside the tribe.

Then there’s potential contender Alan Grayson, a Democratic congressman from the Sunshine State whose personal life is less than sunny. He’s trying to get his marriage annulled because, he says, his wife is a bigamist. Grayson also once compared the Tea Party to the KKK, and then said it again after drawing criticism.

That’s not to say that all the potential Florida Democratic primary contenders are followed by a trail of arched eyebrows and awkward press releases. Rep. Patrick Murphy of Southern Florida, another potential candidate, has yet to compare his political foes to domestic abusers or the KKK. And it’s unclear at this point who the GOP candidates will be. But still. The prospect of Crist, Grayson, and Wasserman Schultz duking it out over who is most appealing to Florida Man and Florida Woman: Republicans can’t do much better than that.

Full article
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2015/03/11/charlie_crist_considering_a_senate_run_florida_republicans_rejoice.html?

[AC_Mem]

1. Florida Volunteer Here

I'll be signing up - God knows we need some Democrats here. I really believe we are much closer to turning this state blue than people realize.

[blkmusclmachine]

3. Not by the likes of Crist, fair-weather "Dem."

[brooklynite]

7. Okay then...who've you got?

Alan Grayson might be "otherwise engaged".

[DonCoquixote]

2. Debbie got dibs

and she will paint Charlie an any sort of monster needed.

[blkmusclmachine]

4. DWS = Third Way "Dem."

[geek tragedy]

5. God the Florida Democratic Party sucks. Crist may be the best option of those four. nt

[DonCoquixote]

6. not quite

Crist has a bad rep thanks to his loss...he will get it back, but it was obvious a lot of dems were not going to vote for old Chain gang Charlie. Debbie, as awful as she is, has two cards to play, she can wrap herself up in the Clinton mantle and ocattails, and she has many donors that would love to get rid of Rubio.

[geek tragedy]

8. DWS is severely damaged goods, not exactly an illustrious tenure as DNC chair nt

[DonCoquixote]

11. not in Florida

As nice as the term Senator is, it is stilllocal FLORIDA poltics, which means she has an edge. Granted, we know the Koch brothers can shovel in a mountain of coal against her, and that Rick Scott is on the hard right even by tea party standards, but IF, IF Debbie were to strum the rught chords, she could still have a chance, at least as much as two time loser Charlie Crist.

[Chan790]

16. "she can wrap herself up in the Clinton mantle"

I am sad that anybody considers that to be a positive ever.

[DonCoquixote]

17. sadly, in Florida it is

It does not hurt her cause that Debbie was well known for helping the PUMAs threaten bloody murder if they did not get their way.

[Cal33]

9. I wonder why Grayson isn't running for the senate. He could strengthen Sanders, Warren,

Franken...etc... Maybe he is more needed in the House?

[DonCoquixote]

12. Because debbie is already used to kneecapping him

OLD enemies those two are...she would not even highlight him as one of the rare Florida democratic victories.

[Cal33]

13. Sorry to hear that.

[left-of-center2012]

10. OK - I don't live in Florida, but ........

I'd favor either Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz or Alan Grayson over any former Republican.

[Fla Dem]

14. Author of article is a staunch conservative, so while what she may say is true

she no doubt has ulterior motives for dissing Crist, Wassermann-Schultz and Grayson.

Betsy Woodruff is a current National Review Institute William F. Buckley Journalism Fellow.

Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/author/betsy-woodruff


Today the Washington Examiner reporter announced that she’s moving on to Slate after just nine months at The Examiner. She was hired at The Examiner in February, 2014. Before that, she worked at National Review for two years.

Sources say Slate recruited her because she has sources on the right and will fill a certain void created by Dave Weigel, now at Bloomberg Politics. To be sure, there won’t be any mistaking Woodruff for Weigel around the newsroom.

http://dailycaller.com/2014/10/13/washington-examiners-betsy-woodruff-to-slate/


Even though Woodruff is a staunch conservative, she said young conservatives should be wary of developing ‘tunnel vision’ by remaining in the conservative echo chamber.

Read more at http://redalertpolitics.com/thirty-under-thirty-2013/betsy-woodruff/#QdocuG11wXpokVDJ.99

[Corey_Baker08]

15. Congressman Grayson Post On DU, I Would Love His Take On This Race...

Alan Grayson is an individual that has served his country and his Constituents with distinguishment and I have the upmost respect for him. I believe that for a sitting Congressman for Mr. Grayson to not only be a member, but to post on DU as often as does is an indication that he is in fact a man of the people who wants to keep in touch with ordinary Democrat's like ourselves to see what is going on in the real world & the issues that are front & center to Progressive Democrats such as a majority of us who post here on DU, now that is one hell of a way to keep in touch with us, the people of a progressive Democratic Party...