Should Charlie Crist Run for Governor Again?

By Stefan Kamph Wed., Jun. 29 2011 at 2:28 PM

Categories: Great Scott!, Politics

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Stew on that, Charlie.

We're fully aware of the journalistic rule that says if a headline ends in a question mark, the answer is "no." But humor this venture into the lands of political possibility, driven by desperate flight from the backward policies and reckless attitudes of Rick Scott, Florida's 45th governor.

Earlier today, we brought you news of a poll showing decent support for the idea of former Gov. Charlie Crist, who dropped out of last year's gubernatorial election in favor of a failed Senate bid, running as a Democrat in 2014.

Peter Schorsch, a St. Petersburg blogger, saw Crist at an event last weekend where, in his view, many supporters wanted him to run again: "Of course, Crist has always been mobbed by well-wishers, especially on his home turf in Pinellas. But there was something different about the way Crist was embraced by the crowds at the TradeWinds."

We haven't been easy on Crist in the past, even urging him to come out of the closet and stand up for gay rights. But Schorsch thinks that the (straight) married life has done the old governor some good.

If Charlie Crist is one thing right now, it's a happily married man. The former state Senator, Commissioner of Education, Attorney General and Governor was a bachelor for much of his time in public life, but for the last three years, Charlie Crist has been a husband and step-father. And, just as it is for most any man, the wonders of family life have matured Crist for the better.

OK, it's plausible. And after Scott has squandered what minuscule political capital he had entering the office, Crist's familiar orange face could please voters in significant numbers. Schorsch's anecdote of constituents asking Crist to "PLEASE run again" lends some credence to the poll numbers.

Jerry Brown did it. And Rick Scott may be Skeletor, but he's no Terminator.

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