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For a guy who hasn't held any public office in nearly two years, former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist sure does generate a lot of attention, especially from his former party. The Tampa Bay Times reported recently that Republican Party of Florida "seems to be mighty worried" about Crist.
Indeed, state GOP officials have furiously sent out press releases about Crist for months, attacking his every move, even running televised attack ads, even though he isn't currently a candidate for any office.
Friday night, the rationale behind the fury became clearer: Crist attended an event at the White House, and announced he's now officially a Democrat.
He did so during a Christmas reception at the White House, where President Barack Obama greeted the news with a fist bump for the man who had a higher profile campaigning for Obama's re-election this year than any Florida Democrat.
The widely expected move positions Crist, 56, for another highly anticipated step: announcing his candidacy for governor, taking on Republican incumbent Gov. Rick Scott and an untold number of Democrats who would challenge him for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.
"What changed is the leadership of the Republican Party," Crist told the Tampa Bay Times. "As I said at the convention, I didn't leave the Republican Party, it left me. Whether the issue was immigration, or education, or you name it -- the environment. I feel at home now."
The news hardly comes as a surprise. In 2010, as part of the Republicans' purge of moderates from the party's ranks, Crist became an independent. Over the summer, he endorsed President Obama's re-election soon, and soon after spoke at the Democratic National Convention.
The next question, of course, is what Crist plans do to next. Given his recent moves, that's not too hard to figure out, either.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) has struggled badly in his post, and has a very low approval rating statewide. Democrats see him as vulnerable in 2014, but do not yet have a high-profile candidate who's well known, has proven himself or herself capable of winning statewide, and can raise a lot of money.
And along comes Charlie Crist, who probably wouldn't mind having his old job back.
Would Democrats accept him, given his past? If the initial reaction from the Democratic Governors Association is any indication, the answer is yes.
[W]hile the DGA is formally keeping its powder dry, Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin -- the group's new chairman -- had good things to say about Crist. In an interview on C-SPAN's Newsmakers program on Sunday morning, Shumlin said Crist is "high on the list" of likely Democratic candidates.
"He's an incredibly capable leader. Now, I want to be clear, as DGA chair, we don't take sides before we know that we have one single candidate as opposed to a primary. But having said that, everybody knows he was a great governor. He led Florida with tremendous vision," Shumlin said. "If he's a candidate, we would welcome him to the club."
Pretty close to a Democratic endorsement of a guy who used to call himself a Reagan Republican.
For more on what Crist has been up to, take a look at his recent interview with Rachel, which aired two weeks ago.
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It's about time they brought back fun to the state of Florida, Disneyworld sure needs help. Yeah!
Charlie is a loser.
It's not like he lost a consulting job at FOX...
And now, let the Republican gay-bashing of Crist begin.
What? You didn't see that coming?
I'm not his biggest fan, but, after Governor Skelator, Mussolini would seem Liberal - so, if Crist runs, I'll support him. Unless or until someone better comes along.
GOP has been self destructing for awhile now. Some of my more conservative friends don't really want to be referred to as republican seeing how much of the GOP platform has shifted to crazy point of views and has specialized in making sure nothing gets done in congress.
My acquaintances who lean to the right have done the opposite. They're doubling down on the crazy, turning the volume up on FOX and Rush Limbaugh to 11 to drown out any voice of reason from anywhere :-/
Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) has struggled badly in his post, and has a very low approval rating statewide.
GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.
That blot on western civilization embodies everything that is wrong with Republicans.
ABS
Anybody But Scott .
Amen!!
Whoa! Watch out for that "Anybody But" stuff. As you recall it didn't work out for the Republicans! Progressives have to send out a positive message about who we support as well as how corrupt Gov Scott is.
Amen, A-men, Ayymen.
Whenever I see Crist, I keep thinking of Roger Sterling of Mad Men. Yeah, it makes no sense, but that's what happens. Does anyone else have this problem?
Attacking Crist? Seems attacking is the rabid right's answer to everything.
Right, why can't they just promote their positive and platform, let us compare and decide. We know their bad deeds already, or can find out if we need to.
Since 2000 the difference between D's and R's has become so great, that the conversion from one to the other by a politician smells of self-interest. I welcome Crist to the party, but wouldn't vote for him for anything.
I don't think that's a fair assessment. Parties may move left or right by virtue of their membership and donations changing, but individual people tend to keep the same views and values (pandering and flip-flopping notwithstanding). The Republican Party has moved so far to the right that a lot of right-leaning moderates actually have more in common with the Democrats at this point - and when the Tea Partiers are actively pushing moderates out through primaries, it simply makes sense to join the side that actually wants you.
Thank you, the REAL democratic party died with JFK.
This dumocratic party don't care about the middle class nor the poor, they used that name to get what they want.
The future of the real GOP is going to be as the conservative wing of the democratic party.
Next up, log cabin "democrats".. Welcome Mr. Crist, you were always one letter off to the GOP. Do no more harm.
At this point even Jeb Bush could run as a democrat in Florida. The general election follies were just the straw that broke the camel. If there isn't a wild swing to the dems in the next few years down in Florida maybe we should start taking Anon. seriously when they talk about Rove's internet escapades.
Rick Scott is ripe for a challenge here in Florida. He has been perhaps the most pathetic and intellectually weak of the Tea Party governors swept into power in 2010. His approval ratings remain at record lows and his administration's handling of the recent election has made Florida a laughingstock once again. Crist was as popular as Jeb Bush when he led in Tallahassee, and would wipe the proverbial floor with Darth Scott in any potential contest. Te GOP is dying in Florida. - pp
"Te GOP is dying in Florida" Except it's not....Many portions of the state are Flaming Teabaggers. I'm here in Central Florida Lake County...Redneckistan. It went 62-38% for Mitt. The Villages (EEEEEUUUUU!) 72% for Mitt .
There is a Republican Supermajority here and a least we had Crist here last time to veto some of the Tinfoil Hat legislation
To be fair, Scott has had a lot of competition from states like Wisconsin, Michigan, and Kansas for "laughingstock" status.
Please, please, someone must defeat Rick Scott and end the nightmare. A random shark pulled from the Gulf would do less damage to any individual in this state.
I welcome Gov. Crist's transfer from the dark side of politics. I have watched him on MSNBC and he seems intelligent. Hence his change I would think :). I look forward to seeing how he evolves as a Democrat.
Crist is doing something great when the TEAPUGS are attacking him. People will vote for him just to insult Scott--love it!!!
Nobama is a puppet of the banksters and the military industrial complex, just like the rest of them.
I just wished that instead of joining the Democrats he'd joined up with some other disenfranchised moderate GOP's and started the third party we need to show the current GOP that the further right you go, the less likely you are to get elected. I'm an independent and would really like to have a real choice in the elections.
This years choice was, a selection of candidates from the nearby psycriatric ward or President Obama, and while I like President Obama I still would have liked a choice.
What most forget is that true Reagan Republicans are now conservative Democrats.
The move was not on their part but made for them by the Tea Party and the extreme shifts to the right by both it and the GOP.
A Dem governor with a Republican legislature is not going to help Florida. The Dems need more state offices and more legislators in the state house. If they can run the state efficiently and effectively, then Dems can pick up more seats on the federal and state level.
Welcome Gov. Crist....He left some tell tail marks of his evolution before he left office by making it easier for gays to adopt. As for the next governor? I'd vote for Crist. But to be honest I'd vote for a dead horse if I thought it had a chance to beat that mistake fr a governor we have now! I just keep remembering his commercial when he was running where he dragged his mother in and she said "He's a good boy" well ma'am he may have been a good boy but his a fascist dictator who panders to the wealthy as a governor..You can have your good boy back we don't want or need him.
Gov. Christ is a decent and honest man, i am sure if he was the Gov. of florida now, we would be having a high speed rail system. He is a man of Vision and for the people.
Bull@!$%#, crist was a puppet and a globalist and be glad that HSR in florida was banned, because it was a waste of taxpayer money and we can't afford it.
and he ain't no decent man, he's a puppet and a disaster, I Thought rick scott was bad, this could be even worse, he's a DINO.
makes me glad I Left the democratic party 6 years ago.
and don't get me wrong the GOP Sucks too, i'm a libertarian and non-partisan and loving it all the way.
Rick Scott is the worst governor I have ever witnessed in my lifetime. The reason he became governor was because the teaparty nominated in him in the primaries. So, Charlie Christ ran as a independent and, he split the Democratic vote. What a mess. Governor Scott is a disaster.
Crist didn't cause Scott to be elected. The Dems ran Kendrick Meek, who was such a weak candidate that he wasn't getting many of the Democrats on board, let alone the R's and Independents. Crist jumped in because he saw that Meek had no chance.
Kendrick Meek ran for senate against Crist and Rubio , but yes he was weak , lame , sorry......
Alex Sink ran against Scott
You're right. Sorry about the mix-up. But my point still stands. The Democrat was so weak that he had no chance to win. Dems need to have someone like Crist running against Scott in 2014.
LOL... What surprise? WE all have known Crist much too long, we knew him to be a democrap, so why not just do it..
Glad he did. Now, I hope COLIN POWELL will join him.
Maybe his next step will be "coming out"?
A good thing, not a criticism.
Couldn't stand crist as a republican and will hate him even more as democrip, let's face it, the two headed one party system is nothing but snake in the grass
this november 2014, I'm staying home, I'm not voting for either NWO scumbags for governor of florida.