Democrats flirt with backing Charlie Crist

[Perky]

he emergence of a politically unknown billionaire self-funder in the Florida Senate race is prompting top Democrats in the state to say publicly what some have been whispering for weeks: If Jeff Greene, who got rich betting on the collapse of the housing market, becomes their nominee, many in the party will have the cover they need to get behind Republican-turned-independent Gov. Charlie Crist.

Establishment Democrats in Florida, for now, are sticking with Rep. Kendrick Meek, who lags far behind in early general election polls against Crist and Republican Marco Rubio. Yet with Greene promising to drop at least $40 million of his fortune on the primary and pulling neck and neck with Meek in one survey, Sunshine State Democrats are beginning to consider the increasingly realistic prospect that their nominee might be a “meltdown mogul” — one who collects erotic art, had Mike Tyson serve as his best man and once hosted “Hollywood Madam” Heidi Fleiss as a house guest.

Faced with such an awkward possibility, many influential Democrats indicated that supporting Crist — who has quickly moved leftward since leaving the GOP — or just remaining quiet would be the better of the unenviable options.

The situation is fluid. Many unknown factors hang between now and the August primary, as well as the general election — not the least of which is how Crist and Rubio will be affected by a criminal investigation into the state Republican Party that has already resulted in a former party chairman’s arrest.

But in the two months since he dropped his party affiliation, Crist has unapologetically altered his position on a variety of issues to get in line with core constituencies of the Democratic Party, and in doing so, he has managed to cut deeply into Meek’s vote share within his own party. Meanwhile, Greene has already spent $4 million of his own money to blanket the state’s 10 media markets with ads.

With Greene’s baggage and Crist’s efforts to woo liberals and moderates, senior national Democrats indicate privately that they’d most likely remain on the sidelines if Meek is not the nominee.

It all adds up to this: Crist, written off this spring after being effectively pushed out of the GOP by Rubio, could emerge as the de facto Democratic nominee this fall.


Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0610/38590.html#ixzz0r2RonH7t

[Dawgs]

1. Against Dems supporting Crist, but would be happy with seeing Rubio lose.

:)

[WeDidIt]

5. Where would you be if Meek dropped out?

It's a possibility if the party power brokers talk to him.

[Sebastian Doyle]

2. Dupe thread. Right wing source. Against DU rules (advocates third party candidate)

You are not permitted to use this message board to work for the defeat of the Democratic Party nominee for any political office. If you wish to work for the defeat of any Democratic candidate in any General Election, then you are welcome to use someone else's bandwidth on some other website.

Democratic Underground may not be used for political, partisan, or advocacy activity by supporters of any political party or candidate other than the Democratic Party or Democratic candidates. Supporters of certain other political parties may use Democratic Underground for limited partisan activities in political races where there is no Democratic Party candidate.

[Perky]

3. LOL the thread is not advocating anything

ant the fact that it is a RW source is debatable. and even if it were then there are a lot od posts that should be nixed.

[LiberalFighter]

8. Technically Meeks or any Democrat is the nominee until they win the Primary in August.

[Clintonista2]

13. Mods: Politico is not a banned source

http://progress.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5105555#5106270

[Sebastian Doyle]

15. Why don't you read what I posted in that thread

And then tell me again how you can't see how Politico is a fully funded part of the right wing attack machine.

[Clintonista2]

16. Don't get all defensive now.

eom

[Sebastian Doyle]

17. Funny thing about the people who defended Politic-Ho in that thread

You may notice most of them are eating pizza in the Great Beyond now. ;)

[flyarm]

21. so what do you think of Obama giving direct exclusive Interviews with Politico? eom

[flyarm]

20. It would be odd to be a banned source..since Obama has given direct exclusive interviews with

Politico!

So would we be banned to post Obama's exclusive interviews with Politico????????

[Perky]

23. The OP Does not advocate Electing Crist!

[Clintonista2]

24. Don't worry, he's been on my case all day too cause I posted the exact same politico article

I'm imagining some sorry character sitting in a dark room frantically hitting the alert button. "Politico is a plot by the BCCI to take over America!!!!!!!"

[WeDidIt]

4. I can understand the thinking along these lines, but Meek would have to drop out

for me to be convinced it was the right thing to do.

Otherwise, I still have to go with Meek. Fortunately I don't live in FL and would not have to make such a choice in a voting booth.

[jenmito]

6. Dems. would only back Crist if Meek didn't win the nomination. n/t

[Sebastian Doyle]

19. No, this is playing out like Connecticut in 2006, only worse

Crist never pretended to be a Democrat. But the same people who backed Lieberdouche then are trying to claim Charlie now. The teabaggers hate Crist either because 1) He doesn't hate Obama (which is a requirement for a Southern Repuke) or 2) They think he's gay, and teabaggers can't vote for that! :eyes:

But being possibly gay and not a racist doesn't make the guy a Democrat. It doesn't even make him a DLC'er.

Rubio's worse than a teabagger, he's a Miami Cuban second generation Batista fanboy teabagger. That's a hybrid of TWO batshit crazy Republican fringe groups. If he gets votes outside of those two fringe groups, it's going to be because the Florida electoral system is completely corrupt, and we all knew that 10 years ago.

None of this is a reason to vote for a Republican (even a half sane one) who got dumped by his own.

[DJ13]

7. Hmmm

[Perky]

9. Maybe he is not gay after all

[Sebastian Doyle]

11. Or maybe that photo op

is every bit as authentic as his suntan. (Or his departure from the Republican party, for that matter)

[bigwillq]

14. Who really cares if he is or not?

:shrug:

[skipos]

10. There is no evidence Crist will caucus with Dems

so I see no reason to support him.

[Sebastian Doyle]

12. And even if he says he will

he would probably end up far closer to Lieberdouche than Bernie Sanders. No thanks. We got enough non-Democrats in the Democratic caucus as it is. (And Bernie is ironically more Democratic than any of them)

[Mojorabbit]

18. Crist will be the next senator from Fl

He has the name recognition and the republican nominees are smearing each other with non stop nasty primary ads. Even my non political husband is sick to death of the repub. ads and thinks they are all creeps because of them. It will be Crist barring any bombshell surprise.

[Robeson]

22. I agree, and most Dems I know in FL....

...are voting for him.