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FL-Sen: Mack Won't Run, Endorses Crist For... Whatever

by: James L.

Thu Apr 02, 2009 at 4:49 PM EDT


It looks like Charlie Crist won't be facing a Mack Attack in 2010:

[Connie] Mack [IV], whose father served two terms in the Senate, wrote to Gov. Charlie Crist on Thursday saying he won't be a Senate candidate. [...]

Mack told Crist, "I will be your strongest supporter and champion - regardless of whether you seek re-election or election to the Senate."

If Crist does indeed get into this race, I still expect an anti-Crist to emerge -- but will it really be Marco Rubio, or will someone with more spine step up to take on Crist and his Obama-loving ways?
James L. :: FL-Sen: Mack Won't Run, Endorses Crist For... Whatever
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FL-Sen: Mack Won't Run, Endorses Crist For... Whatever | 48 comments
I expect it could be
someone like Ric Keller, who lost but wasn't corrupt, a solid conservative and someone who's just trended out from under him.

Who knows. Bilakris could even run.

Call no man happy until he is dead-Aeschylus

"expect an anti-Crist to emerge"
Crist-O-Meter
I gotta start watching the Crist-O-Meter.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/p...
The article disses Sink
[ Parent ]
Good news
Mack would have been a solid nominee.  Hopefully Crist runs.  It would probably cause us to lost the Senate race, but give us at least a 50/50 shot at the Governor's race.
FL governor
I want Crist to run for senate which would open up the governor's mansion thus allowing a potential run by Alex Sink. She could win against Lt. Gov. Kottkamp and prevent the legislature from gerrymandering the entire state again for the census.That is what i hope for atleast.  
I'm not sure that Crist would even sign
an all-out gerrymander, and if he did, the Obama DOJ may reject the map on VRA considerations.
[ Parent ]
I suspect you may be right
Crist loves his maverick image.  I'm sure if he does stay Governor he will push and prod the FL GOP legislators into something well short of a 2002 style gerrymander, maybe even threatening to veto too ugly a map.

Wonder where Crist will stand on the proposed independent redistricting measure for Florida.  I've heard nothing so far from him on the subject.  

[ Parent ]
Kottkamp would not win a GOP primary
He's an empty suit.  If Crist jumps in the Senate race Kottkamp won't win a GOP primary in 2010, trust me.
[ Parent ]
I wonder whod jump into the GOP primary for Gov.
If Crist doesnt run for re-election. Maybe Putnam would abandon running for AG and run for Gov? I cant see Mack wanting to be in Tallahassee given that his wife is serving in Washington but representing a Californian district. Its not like shes a representative in Florida. Perhaps Jacksonville's mayor would run or Rep. Vern Buchanan.
[ Parent ]
Putnam and McCollum
Those are the most likely suspects.  Either would be extremely beatable for Alex Sink.  Leans D if the race is either of those two vs. Sink.
[ Parent ]
I think a second string
Ned Lamont type might be able to beat Crist in a Repub primary after all the apostasy that Crist has shown in the last few months.
If the election were held soon, yes.
[ Parent ]
It will be Marco Rubio
Kind of hoping that Crist runs at this point. Then Sink can pick up the gubernatorial chair and we still probably have a shot at the Senate seat.  
Cost-benefit of Crist running
would be we'd almost certainly lose the Senate seat (unless some daredevil wingnut managed to defeat him), but he'd probably be the new Arlen Specter.

And we'd then have a great shot at the Governor's Mansion.

probably to the left
Crist is a real genuine maverick.

Call no man happy until he is dead-Aeschylus
[ Parent ]
Ehh
I don't think his voting record would be quite as moderate as Specter's, but he'd probably give the Senate GOP more headaches than Specter ever has.  His voting record would probably be more like that of Voinovich.
[ Parent ]
great point, and then here's a couple long-term possible scenarios:
1. after a few years of crap from the conservatives that control the GOP in the Senate, in disgust Crist switches to Dem, or
2. after a few years, he somehow manages to get into the Repub leadership and from there helps stage a "moderates" take-over of the GOP in the Senate.
[ Parent ]
Yes!
Im very happy to see Mack not running. I certainly am no fan of his. I wouldnt mind seeing Crist run for the Senate and then Jeb Bush run for his old job. A win win for the GOP with us being favored in both races.

A cat can have kittens in an oven but that doesn't make them biscuits.
Doubt it
Jeb hasn't shown any intention of running for anything from what I've seen.  And Crist being elected to the Senate would still mean a BIG shift left from Martinez.  
[ Parent ]
And
There's the potential for a Toomey type to take Crist on from the right in a Republican primary, which is dangerous for Crist considering his apostasies. He could be forced to run to the right to win the primary which wouldn't be good for his maverick status for a general.

That said, Crist would be vastly favored but he isn't invincible

[ Parent ]
Can Jeb run again?
Is the term limit a lifetime thing or a merely a consecutive thing?
[ Parent ]
I've always had
A really difficult time believing Crist jumps into a senate race. He's always seemed to have his eye on the brass ring. The only way this senate race would benefit him in that respect is if he views a run against Obama in 2012 as a kamikaze mission and views 2016 as his real shot. But if he wants to run in 2012, I don't see how he can run for Senate then 6 weeks after he's sworn in decide he's going to run for President.
Crist ain't winning a GOP Presidential primary
Not now not ever.  I think he's finally starting to realize that.  

Message to Gov. Crist: ditch the GOP and join our team.  You can even get a divorce and bring your boyfriend with you.

[ Parent ]
I'd welcome him
to our party as he'd probably liberal up even a bit.  Plus, if he's going to occupy that seat anyway....
[ Parent ]
What'd really odd
Is that I never expected Crist to be a true moderate as Governor.  His entire 2006 campaign was themed in "continuing Jeb's policies."  He turned out to be anything but.
[ Parent ]
I don't know
If I necessarily agree with that. There isn't that one candidate who can coalesce all of the branches of the republican party, perhaps Jindal can but I don't know if he'll run. Without that consensus candidate, I think Crist may just be able to pull it off as the electable, moderate "grown-up."
[ Parent ]
Great news
Mack would have been a tough opponent, but I feel pretty bullish on either Meek or Gelber beating a guy like Rubio, or some other second-string candidate like Vern Buchanan.
I was down about Meek at first
But his fundraising so far is amazing.  If Crist doesn't get in he actually has a shot.
[ Parent ]
I'm still really down on Meeks
he's an inner city machine politician and what's more a legacy politician. That sort of thing doesn't play well statewide, especially in very narrowly divided states like Florida.
I really wish Rep. Kathy Castor would run, she actually has a chance against someone like Rubio or Buchanon or Ric Keller.

Call no man happy until he is dead-Aeschylus
[ Parent ]
uhhhh...
in 1 sentence you hate on Meeks for being a legacy politician, and then 10 words later you say you would like Kathy Castor to run?

Ever heard of Betty Castor, you know, Kathy's mama?

[ Parent ]
yeah,
but Kathy got elected to the Hillsborough County Commission on her own then she easily won a hotly contested Dem primary and she did all this in a swingish area, (well, her district isn't because it's gerrymandered, but the overall area is). She's also a woman and altogether has a much better statewide profile.

Call no man happy until he is dead-Aeschylus
[ Parent ]
The last part
Of your post is your opinion and your entitled to that. But as far as Castor being elected to the Hillsborough County Comission, you don't think her election to that position had something to do with the fact that her mom served on that comission, had an extensive career in the Florida legislature and was the former president of USF? And you don't think her 06 primary win had anything to do with the fact that her mom held all of those positions as well as being a US Senate candidate just 2 years earlier?
[ Parent ]
Keller?
A turd sandwich could beat Ric Keller statewide.  He's only one notch above Katherine Harris in electability.  
[ Parent ]
Whatever happened
Whatever happened to the Tampa mayor, Iorio or something?  she sounded like our most electable candidate.
[ Parent ]
Crist
One of two Republicans I actually like.  Huntsman is the other.

Oh, and how did his father resist naming him Jesus?  I don't know if I would have been that strong...

Mad At Thad:  A Blog Devoted To Ousting Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, Republican - Michigan

Olympia Snowe
I've never had muhc of a problem with her.  She's easily the best republican Senator.

Voinovich has grown a good deal more liberal too the past few years.  Especially since he announced he's retiring.

[ Parent ]
Huntsman, Crist, Snowe, Voinovich
those are Republicans I too can respect.

Check out the 2010 California races and help us take back Red California!
[ Parent ]
How about Hatch, Lugar, and Hagel?
[ Parent ]
Hatch??
Why not Jesse Helms?

We can't stop here; this is bat country. -HST
[ Parent ]
Are you serious???
[ Parent ]
I was under the impression that Hatch was relatively sane
while Helms was a full-fledged jackass.

If I'm wrong, or need clarification, please tell me.

Bill Posey is not half-alligator...and is outclassed by Davy Crockett anyway

[ Parent ]
Are you kidding me?
Hatch and Helms have almost nothing in common.
[ Parent ]
I can't respect Voinovich
he occassionally makes his big stands, the only important one against Bolton, but most of the time he completely votes the Republican line on all Democratic legislation. Snowe is a little better but you can't help get the feeling that she and Collins both are master posers and in the end they are also both on the conservative line. REpublicans simply don't have as a big an ideological gap as Democrats do, they don't have Senators as liberal as Ben Nelson and Mary Landrieu are conservative, or Reps as conservative as Peterson, Taylor, Bright, Griffith, or Boren. And still they think their party is too moderate and want to primary a bunch of people.

Call no man happy until he is dead-Aeschylus
[ Parent ]
Collins is a poser
I don't get the vibe from Snowe. Heck in "Lies and the Lying Liars" Franken said if he ever had an affair with a Republican elected official it'd be Snowe cause of her integrity and honesty.

Does Chaffee still count as a Republican? If so, I respect him along with Snowe, Crist, and sometimes Huntsman (still need to know more about him, but the Great Eye is turning to Utah).

[ Parent ]
Rs that I respect
Olympia Snowe (the last real moderate in the Senate)

Charlie Crist (great stands on voting rights and the environment)

Lincoln Chafee/Jim Jeffords (they're not Rs anymore, but I always liked them; Linc sadly wasn't smart enough to leave the GOP when he should have)

John Huntsman (I gotta give credit to a guy who supports climate change legislation and civil unions while being governor of Utah)

Sam Reed (he was the SoS in WA when they had that big recount and made sure every vote was counted).

Interesting fact about Reed's predecessor, Ralph Munro (I may be wrong on that name): His father helped tend the farms of Japanese Americans while they were in the internment camps and then gave the farms back when they returned.

[ Parent ]
Re: Reed
Wow. That's unusual for a Republican SoS!

Check out the 2010 California races and help us take back Red California!
[ Parent ]
A RINO SoS
From what I've heard, Sam Reed has little or no relationship with the rest of the WA GOP. He never attends their events, rallies, or whatever. Not surprisingly, they've threatened to primary him but have been unable to find anyone interested in doing so.

Interestingly, the SOS Project, which is the program dedicated to electing Democratic SoS's, did not target him in 2008. They consider him to be one of the good guys.

[ Parent ]
FL-Sen: Mack Won't Run, Endorses Crist For... Whatever | 48 comments

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