Charlie Crist 2.0: Relaunching As A Democrat
Former Florida Governor Charlie Crist, a Republican-turned-Democrat, launched a campaign-style video and website on Friday that threw open the door to a likely run for his old job in 2014.
In the video posted on YouTube and the website (www.charliecrist.com), Crist highlights his past as governor, calling the period from 2007-2011 a time when “the people were in charge.”
Criticizing the current powers that be, he also asks Floridians to tell him how he can get the fourth most populous state in the country heading back in the right direction.
Crist has maintained a high public and media profile since leaving office. Given both the political fissures in the GOP and intrastate political factors, he is perceived as a good fit for the Democratic slot in next year’s gubernatorial race:
Click here for reuse options!As he travels the nation’s largest swing-voting state, Crist is emphasizing the bipartisanship and consensus-building that marked his sole term as governor. Most early polls show him leading the unpopular incumbent, Republican Gov. Rick Scott, a former hospital company executive elected with tea party support in 2010.Democratic officials, looking for a candidate to lead them back to power in Florida after 15 years, have embraced the convert.
In an era of political polarization, Democratic leaders see his pragmatic governing record as a national model for a party trying to claim the political center and solidify gains among the country’s fast-growing bloc of independent voters.
A statewide victory also would give Florida Democrats an organizational edge in the 2016 presidential election.
Copyright 2013 Liberaland