The conservative reaction to Charlie Crist’s decision to go indy has been pretty harsh. Here’s a sample:
No one has to agree with or even like Marco Rubio to appreciate the one service he has done for Florida, which is to expose how Crist’s desire for personal advancement trumps any and all other considerations. Whatever their reasons for the Republican rank-and-file’s rejection of Crist, there are few candidates more deserving of rejection than Crist because of the sheer opportunism that has marked his career and which he will continue to display this year.
Some even suggested that Crist should join the Democrats. This is, in my view, a baseless smear against Democrats, who deserve better than to be associated with the likes of Charlie Crist.
Larison’s characterization of Crist’s opportunism as “exceptional” seems to be borne out by the latest headline, “Crist says oil spill proves drilling isn’t safe, withdraws his support“, viewed in the light of this:
In 2008, during the period when he was under consideration for the McCain ticket, he abruptly withdrew his previous opposition to offshore drilling, a change that brought him into line with McCain’s views.
That’s some exceptional flip-flopping, even for a career politician.
Morbo
Ask Google ads and ye shall receive. This post brought to you by Charlie Crist for US Senate.
ETA: Oh look at that, Rubio’s getting in on the action, too.
Brien Jackson
God damn people get their fee-fees hurt when politicians ditch their parties.
de stijl
So Republicans throw Crist under the bus and then they get all pissy when he fights back. That’s some chutzpah.
soonergrunt
He was on the Today show this morning. He kept going on and on about how he was listening to the people and how the people are disappointed with both parties and so on and such like. I was disappointed myself, but only that he didn’t stick with the classic “I didn’t leave the party, the party left me” shtick. There’s a reason that’s a classic, after all.
The thing is, Crist may be an opportunist of the worst sort, but he also is a genuine moderate.
dmsilev
So, is the Governor going to run under the “Florida for Crist” party line?
dms
WereBear
I’m shocked, shocked, that a politician would change their views to get elected.
Next you’ll be telling me there’s gambling in Casablanca.
stevie314159
He sounds like a ….MAVERICK!
And I hear that word is now available.
Cat Lady
Crist/Lieberman 2012. They’d probably win Florida.
cleek
Liebercrist!
Michael
Sort of OT, but they’re starting to wail that wingnut secessionist Rick Perry is a RINO for not wanting to adopt the AZ immigrant bill.
freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2503726/posts
They’re also upset that Jeb and Marco Rubio are not fond of it.
The teabaggots are going to have some major cracks regarding issues of race, and even the libertarians are going to be unhappy.
Major popcorn time.
El Cid
I think a lot of people would prefer a guy who flip flops on policy but gets a mite more rational in governing than a hard core right wing nutbag.
walt
If Crist wins it does an advance a rather powerful talking point in the media. Both parties are havens for extremists and running as an Independent will combat this dire circumstance. Of course, it’s largely nonsense but if you’re going to throw a Tea Party, you have to expect a few maiden aunts.
Punchy
The contrast of his super dark skin with his stark white mop scares the bejeebus out of me.
Scott
I’ve noticed it’s a lot more fun when Republicans do circular firing squads…
gypsy howell
Well honest to god, if the oil spill in the gulf doesn’t make a coastal-state politician flip flop around a little about offshore drilling, then I’d have to figure they’re not part of the reality-based community.
Flipping to McCain’s DBD position was definitely political opportunism, but flopping back to “hmmmm… maybe this isn’t such a great idea” strikes me as reality-based.
MattF
Well, y’see, an honest-to-goodness moderate is likely to be an opportunist as well. Way of the world, sky=blue, grass=green.
WereBear
@El Cid: You nut! You rational pragmatist, you!
EDantes
Welcome to Leibermanitis repub bitches.
sal
In the age of Palin, Crist’s ‘opportunism’ is a bump on a gnat’s knee.
Ted the Slacker
I hope these Repubs excoriating Crist realize that every single one of their arguments can – and have been – applied to a certain senator for Connecticut.
I don’t sympathize with them, but the “principled” rage in some quarters is pretty feeble, political douchehats exist on both sides of the aisle and sometimes your side gets it.
matoko_chan
The GOP is being co-opted by the Tea Party, and they have decided Rubio is candidate they want to push because of the demographic timer and his skin color.
Its a Micheal Steele decision that is going chew them a new asshole in the end.
I think one reason Crist went independent is Arizona.
Rubio is forced to defend and that is going to make him look bad to Florida hispanics and latinos.
I think…the Graham/Schumer bill will come to the floor in August.
Will republicans filibuster?
matoko_chan
And notice how Larison et al NEVAH mention that Rubio is the Tea Party candidate….they are trying to paint Crist as an insider and Rubio as a “reformer”.
Haunted by the ghosts of NY-23.
mistermix
@gypsy howell: I agree that he flipped back to the right position, but he shouldn’t have changed his position in the first place.
mellowjohn
when someone who flip-flops on an issue goes back to his original position, is that a flop-flip?
Michael
@gypsy howell:
I can’t wait to see what happens when this particular triumph of conservative legislation meets the cooperative pen of our glorious Federalist Society fraternity of conservative judges that Republicans just had to have:
khou.com/news/Chilling-details-seconds-after-oil-rig-explosion-92357259.html
Tort reform, liability limitation and caps for corporations, bitchez – now pass out some executive bonuses, yeehaw…..
Aunt Moe
All other things aside – and speaking as a Floridian – it’s pretty under-reported in all the press’s ‘shock, shock that a pol is self interested’, that Crist is pretty popular in Florida. Which is usually what counts.
But a three way ticket doesn’t play by the rules. So we’ll see.
matoko_chan
Aunt Moe……
its the Dede Scozafavva treatment.
Rubio is the Tea Party candidate.
NY-23 is why Scott Brown told Palin not to come, membah?
He correctly didn’t want to be associated with the teatards.
So Larison and Salam (the Spinmasters) are trying very hard not to say the T-word.
Aaron S. Veenstra
FTFY. Perhaps “Mitt Crist” would’ve been a more apt title.
Gregory
@de stijl:
Get back to me when he endorses Obama for re-election.
burnspbesq
@Scott:
“I’ve noticed it’s a lot more fun when Republicans do circular firing squads…”
They still have a long way to go to be as good at it as the Dems.
matoko_chan
Look Rubio is the Great Brown Hope.
That is why poor gulagged David Frum is throwing his support to him, and slimy Larison is pretending Rubio isn’t the teabagger candidate.
If I were Crist…..I’d superglue Palin and Arizona onto Rubio.
Crist isnt Lieberman…..he’s Dede Scozzafava.
Right down to the ghey.
Anya
Reihan Salam is a dick. I cannot stand that ugly asshole.
Having said that, I am actually sympathatic to Cris and I wouldn’t mind if he wins. What scares me the most is a Teabagger Rubio win.
jwb
@matoko_chan: “I’d superglue Palin and Arizona onto Rubio.” I’m sure he’ll try. Certainly, he’ll try to pin Arizona on Rubio. But a three-way race doesn’t play by the same rules as a two-way race, and quite frankly I’m expecting most of the fireworks to be between Meeks and Crist as they fight for the sane vote, since that is what’s in contention. I actually don’t see this working out well unless Meeks or Crist delivers a quick kill to the other. I don’t see Rubio going much lower than 40%, and that makes it a very dicey proposition for the other two.
Redshirt
We have always hated Crist.
Does anyone know the first thing about Meeks? Can he win?
Mark
Chain Gang Charlie,(or whips and chains charlie, or winds of change charlie) will say whatever he has to in order to get elected. When the accusations about the possible murder of kids in state custody first arose, he was going to establish, if possible, the names, and cause of death of every child buried at the Dozier School for boys. When he found out the the state, and it’s Dept of Juvenile Justice, and FDLE could possibly wind up on the hook for millions in damages, he allowed the FDLE to “bury” that investigation without turning over one shovel of dirt. He may not have caused our problems in Florida, a Governor really couldn’t do that. He could, however have kept his promise to the people of Florida, and at least identified our dead kids. He chose not to do that. I, for one, will never let our politicians forget the children at Marianna. For now, Sorry Charlie has soiled enough public offices. It’s time for him to retire.(or get a real job)
Alan
Oh boy, and now we have Greene.
Paul in KY
@mellowjohn: Technically, I think you’re right!
eemom
what would be really awesome would be if McCain was forced to pull a Crist in Arizona and then LOST.
That would, like, totally prove the existence of God.
Uloborus
Sooooo, let’s say the GOP does go hardcore Teabagger and implodes. Like, gone, no longer able to be an effective political party. Let’s say a new one forms. (Disclaimer: This is a hypothetical – the GOP seems to be driving off a cliff, but it’s amazing what a political party can survive.)
My understanding is that when a political party dies, the whole thing rearranges a little. It won’t be a liberal/conservative conflict anymore. Any guesses what the new divide would be?
Brien Jackson
@Uloborus:
You’d have a far right party, a center-right party, and a larger left party. You might also see the far left split off, but there really isn’t a large leftist contingent in this country, so you’d probably see Nelson, Landrieu, et. al leave the Democrats for the center-right party, with the majority of the Democratic coalition left intact.
Brandon
It would be nice to compare what conservatives said about Lieberman’s indy run with Crist’s. In my estimation, they’d say that Lieberman was a principled moderate who got purged from his party by the extremist base, but Crist on the other hand is an unprincipled opportunist. I usually hate the need for the media to create false equivalencies between Democrats and Republicans, but this one I think is pretty spot on. The key differences are that Lieberman’s “moderate” positions i.e. Iraq and Terrah were far from mainstream, while as far as I can tell Crist’s actually are. Crist is the classic finger in the wind politician, while Lieberman is … I’ll leave that for another day.
Bill H
I wonder why the punditry is going all pissy on Christ as an opportunist for becoming an independent, and they are just at worst shrugging their shoulders and even praising Arlen Specter for becoming a fucking Democrat. Specter, of course, switched for noble reasons of principle and governmental process and is a man wearing shining armor. His switch had nothing to do with his own interests or the fact that the Republicans had developed a profound loathing for him and would not elect him as a dog catcher, nor did it have anything to do with any promises that Obama had made of assisting him into a cakewalk for a Democratic Senate seat.
Oh, no indeed, Specter’s 180-degree turn move makes him the embodiment of nobility, while Christ’s 90-degree turn makes him a self-serving prick.
Brandon
@Brien Jackson: I don’t think you are correct in the sense that there will be a “center right” party. I think that if the GOP implodes, it will be replaced by a collusion of Teabaggers and Citizens United money to form a large Corporatist/Nationalist/Fascist party. Dick Armey is right at the center of that nexus and he knows the game very well. With unbridled corporate money and two decades of AstroTurf experience, these folks know how to manipulate their troops very well. And the Brooksian Totebagger Intellectuals will follow along because they just follow the money.
ChrisS
I don’t understand what the problem is with politicians changing their mind. Especially when confronted with new information.
Crist didn’t agree with off-shore drilling when gas was cheap and his state’s coffers where flowing with money from beach tourism. He gets a chance to be the VP, gas is $4/GLN, and people are demanding more oil, he says he’d consider changing his stance (from 2008):
There hadn’t been an off-shore drill-rig incident in 20 years. There have been technological advances that reduced dangers. His change of opinions is not preposterous, especially since Charlie was never an outspoken critic warning people of the combined dangers of peak oil and global climate change to begin with. So for him to see 20 years of safety, combined with rising oil prices, and the chance for advancement (especially with a party that doesn’t tolerate, uh, mavericks), it’s an easy decision to make.
He was only interested in protecting FL’s beaches as governor. As he campaigns for the senate, a rig blows up and threatens the entire gulf coast with an environmental disaster, he understands that maybe he was right all along (and he’s no longer required to march in lock-step with the party). It’s completely understandable for him to return to his previous position. I wouldn’t vote for him, because I prefer a stronger protector of the environment, but I don’t think he’s a bad guy for changing his mind.
Brandon
@Bill H: Specter, like Lieberman before him, is a Villager and ‘decent’, that’s all you need to know.
Tenzil Kem
The Meek campaign has a plan to make sure Puerto Rican voters in Florida know Crist opposed Sotomayor, right? Right?
If the GOP does die off, I imagine the blue dogs would wind up becoming their own party. And that wouldn’t be awful — you can at least buy a blue dog, which you can’t do with today’s GOP.
JR
ChrisS stole my thunder, but I like a politician who figures out that s/he doesn’t have all the answers all the time.
I’m a pragmatic liberal, so while I’d never vote for Crist, I’d like to think he’d be someone you could work with.
ksmiami
Um – as a FL resident, I think the GOP is scared **less of Crist because the nice ladies of Palm Beach are not going to vote for a crazy Cuban Rightie with $100.00 hairdos and because Crist’s legislative achievements are actually pretty good. Meek is a nice guy, but as a committed DEM, even I see the writing on the wall for his campaign, Nah, when Crist pulls this out I will laugh my friggin head off – speaking of which I gotta make a donation to his campaign right now even for pure entertainment purposes
Liberty60
But-but…
I thought that enlightened self interest was the pole star of Galtian Producers!
I was going to leave it at snark but doesn’t this point up the dilemma of modern wingnut ethos?
Namely that they speak the language of Darwinian self interest one moment then speak the anguage of self sacrifice and communal obligation when it comes to matters military.
ChrisA
I really think we’re missing the opportunity to coin a phrase for an entire generation of power-hungry GOP’ers. .. going independent.
We’re going to see more and more of this in the Northeast and the west & yes even the southwest, anywhere that the demographics are strongly against the GOP.
My humble proposal: ‘Doing a Lieberman’. . .
to be constantly shown with divers, doing half-gainers, as they flip-flop their way into the pool.
Comrade E.B. Misfit
@Brandon: I was going to say……
The Grand Panjandrum
Lieberman/Crist 2012: Because We Want It and Doggone It We Deserve It!
Geeno
@Aaron S. Veenstra:
“Mitt Crist”? Is that like “Piss Christ”?
srv
Larison:
I’m really, really searching for the downside here Daniel. Strange to have so much compassion for the career of someone you detest so much.
MinneapolisPipe
I think Larison was overly harsh on Crist. All politicians are opportunists. It is, after all a democracy. And the only way you get hired for the jobs is to stand for election. The only way for job advancement is to stand for another election. This shouldn’t shock.
At the end of the day, Crist is and was and most likely will be a moderate.
Moderates tend to change their mind more often- for whatever reasons: political expediency, newer and more relevant facts, etc.
Ideologues, meanwhile, hold on to their sacred cows, facts or new knowledge be damned.
asiangrrlMN
Wait a minute. So, Crist is supposed to endure all the bullshit heaped upon him from his own party as they tack wildly to the right without murmuring a word? Really? There’s a word for that, and it’s not sub.
P.S. One of the things I hate most about the whole false equivalence thing (both slides are soooo extreme) is that it ignores the reasons behind each candidate leaving the party–and the reasons are vastly different for Crist and Lieberman.
The Truffle
@asiangrrlMN: False equivalence worked for wingers in the past. For example: “But there are loonies on the left tooooooo! Ward Churchill! ANSWER! A meanie with an Iraq flag at a protest!” Well, none of these people are lionized by their fellow lefties the way the right-wingers titter at Ann Coulter’s “jokes,” cheer on Limbaugh, and nod sympathetically at Beck. Coulter, Limbaugh, and Beck have been showered with applause, book contracts, and speaking engagements by their fellow right-wingers.
It happens with Crist and Lieberman. Lieberman actually LOST A PRIMARY BECAUSE THE DEMS WERE SICK OF HIM. Crist was chased out of the party.
The right-wingers are desperate for years past, when they could have it both ways.