Posted on 12/19/2009 5:46:17 PM PST by Presbyterian Reporter
Gov. Charlie Crist walked alone into Friday's meeting with The Miami Herald editorial board.
His security detail stayed outside the glass door. There were no staff members juggling Blackberries and briefing books at his side. Just Crist, sitting at a conference table in shirt sleeves and a tie, at perhaps the lowest point of his political career.
The interview came after another tough week.
Polls showed the former presumptive Republican nominee tied or just a notch ahead of former House Speaker Marco Rubio of Miami in the U.S. Senate race. Calls for his state party chief, Jim Greer, to resign reached a new peak. And the capper on Friday: Florida's unemployment rate hit 11.5 percent.
Is Crist to blame? Are the polls right? It doesn't matter. The perception is devastating. His aura of inevitability is gone, and the next thing to dry up could be his fundraising.
Friday's meeting offered Crist a chance to step up.
But in a room full of policy wonks and devoid of his usual props (smiling schoolchildren, American flags, endangered sea creatures) Crist seemed lost.
He gave the requisite Republican homages to former Gov. Jeb Bush and former President Ronald Reagan. He claimed he hadn't raised taxes when in fact the state's budget includes $2.2 billion in new cigarette taxes and fees. He said he sees insurers as ``suspect'' and is ``not a fan'' of utility companies, even though he's taken hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign donations from these industries.
Overall, Crist muddled through more than an hour of questions with responses that were heavy on optimism, light on details. Some excerpts:
What are your priorities?
``Jobs. jobs jobs. These are difficult times. I think we're all very cognizant of that fact, but I think my duty and the duty of all of us in public service is to strive to do everything we can to try to improve that situation for our fellow Floridians.''
But how do we create those jobs?
``Jobs, jobs, jobs. . .It really is all about the economy. There's no question about it.''
Referring to a sweeping plan to expand rail lines, he added, ``This is not a panacea for all jobs and all unemployment. I understand that, but it's certainly a great step forward. It's continuing to provide hope for people and that's important to do, too. People need some encouragement during these difficult times in order to see that that there's a brighter day ahead.''
I haven't heard you offer a single specific.
Crist bristled and reiterated his commitment to investing in rail and bio-technology.
``There's only so much I can do,'' he added. ``I'm not the king. I can't change the global meltdown in the economy.''
Do you have a bio-tech initiative?
``There are things already set in motion that I think we can augment and improve upon, and that's my goal.''
What can the state do about foreclosures?
``I'm a very open-minded guy. I try to approach any issue with an attitude of -- `Is there a way we can be helpful? Is there a way that we can make a difference?' ''
Where are we in this [economic] recovery?
``I'm not an economist by training. I'm a lawyer. But it seems to me there are indicators that it's getting better . . . We all need to work on this together to try to improve the plight and future of our people to make it bright rather than the opposite.''
Enough said.
Beth Reinhard is The Miami Herald's political writer.
The Dems don’t want to run against Crist. On the other hand, I don’t want them to either.
Crist would be a liberal Democrat if he were a Democrat.
Bethy Reinhardt is certified Dem party operative. When ever she writes is first blessed by the DNC.
Crist is the face of the kind of Republicanism which helped put that Muslim Marxist bastard in the Oval Office.
This is the year of the conservative and that he is not.
This time, for whatever reason, the Herald gets it right !
I’ve got 50 “Rubio 2010” bumper stickers on the way from Miami ! They’ll be gone in no time !
To any interested Floridians, give Marco’s HQ in Miami a
call if you’d like them to mail you some stickers to distribute. . .since the election coming up is a primary, many local GOP HQ won’t be able to offer them.
This time, for whatever reason, the Herald gets it right !
I’ve got 50 “Rubio 2010” bumper stickers on the way from Miami ! They’ll be gone in no time !
To any interested Floridians, give Marco’s HQ in Miami a
call if you’d like them to mail you some stickers to distribute. . .since the election coming up is a primary, many local GOP HQ won’t be able to offer them.
Yeah, he’s a lawyer all right. SOB was good with the land (said so publicly) grab by Riviera Beach back in 05 or 06. Eminent domain.... take the land and give it to developers for a marina.
Let’s see what else? Oh yeah, wants to cripple Florida’s electricity production by mandating 20% of it coming from pie-in-the-sky “green” sources in a few years; to protect Mother Earth from CO2 and global warming.
Idiot. Read what the man has said over the last 4 years and you gotta wonder what is wrong with the Florida GOP that it continues to field RINOs like Crist.
Anybody who is paying attention and has a lick of sense now knows -- not just suspects, but knows -- that "man-caused Climate Change" is an enormous hoax.
Accordingly, there are only two excuses for continuing to believe and act otherwise:
1. Ignorance. Or intense stupidity.
2. You're in on the scam.
What's Crist's excuse?
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