Crist, 'hand-shaking, spit-polished, tanning bed machine'

Dan Ruth: This was supposed to be a cakewalk for a hitherto popular governor. Spend a year or so hanging around Tallahassee, wait for Mel Martinez to start wanting to spend — everybody now: "More time with the family!" — and then waltz into the United States Senate, otherwise known as "American Idols."

For Gov. Charlie Crist, political life has always been sort of a Willy Loman-meets-George Hamilton existence. The man is a walking hand-shaking, spit-polished, tanning bed machine. It was a simple enough game plan (full column here)

Howard Troxler: Just to be clear, Charlie Crist did not endorse the stimulus, okay? Sure, our governor took the stimulus dough. But it was an accident. He thought it was a campaign contribution. He hugged the president back in February, too. But he didn't even know he was hugging the president. He was being sociable. (column here)

Comments

[T.D.]

Nothing like one liberal rushing to the defense of another. Nice try, Ruthie.

[Grace]

This pile-up seems a little mean.

[Donald]

Erin do something

[Douglas Stewart]

NO VOTE FOR CHARLIE HERE....By the way, Obama took your dollars and promised you change...So, how's that "change" working out for you? Is it better than your dollars...?

[ouch charlies own mom book club disses him]

Crist will do almost anything to erase the endless television footage of him and the president touting the administration's stimulus plan while sharing a stage and a smile in Fort Myers.

Since then, the governor has endured an unbelievable string of setbacks. The straw polls he lost at about a dozen local Republican party meetings around the state. The slaps in the face from conservative interest groups like The Cato Institute, the Club for Growth and the Family Research Council. And this latest indignity: His mother's book club in St. Petersburg unanimously voted to read Rubio's 100 Innovative Ideas for Florida's Future in the month of November.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/columnists/beth-reinhard/story/1321205.html

[I'm crying happy tears.]

Thoroughly entertaining, but here's the part I don't get: why did it take Florida's crack journalists three years to figure this guy out? None of this is any surprise to anyone who's been paying attention.

[whasup]

It's not news that Shucking Chuckles walks both sides of the street, political and social, or plays for both sides, politically and socially.

[bad for Sansom but ok for Rubio?]

Rubio has a cushy University job just like Sansom got in trouble for. Why is this not an issue?

[More bad press for the governor, but a consequence from his own actions]

St Pete Times today

excerpt:

"That is exactly what is worrying the governor. That is why the governor has become weirdly untethered, like a breakaway balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving parade. The governor's people are chasing him from below, trying to grab the ropes.

Everybody loves Marco."

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/weird-statements-show-gov-charlie-crist-is-suffering-a-case-of-marco-itis/1050236

[SPT's is a gossip rag!]

so disrespectful

[Marco Rubio comes to Pinellas to deliver the most important speech of the campaign, asking PCREC to 'divorce' Crist.]

Marco Rubio comes to Pinellas to deliver the most important speech of the campaign, asking PCREC to 'divorce' Crist.

http://bit.ly/1avmD8

[Inquiring minds...]

I wonder how Broward will receive Charlie?