Charlie Crist May Have the Last Laugh

Florida’s Republican Party thinks it has Charlie Crist out on a limb. A lifelong Republican and a sitting governor running for a US Senate seat, he was dissed by the party when it gave its official support to conservative Marco Rubio, who has strong Tea Party support. The party of “No” didn’t appreciate Crist’s bipartisanship and his getting cozy with President Obama.

When polls showed that Florida’s Republican right had generated overwhelming support among its base for Rubio, Crist saw the handwriting on the wall. Thursday he announced he would seek the Senate seat as an Independent. Some people (mostly Republicans) think that’s the kiss of death for Crist. With no party affiliation, he’ll have problems generating campaign funds, they say. You can count on one hand the number of people who have been successful running for the Senate as an Independent.

On the other hand, political pundits say Crist has a good chance of winning. He could gain the most votes in a three-man race with Republican Rubio and the Democrat candidate, Kenneth Meek. Crist has more name recognition than the others. And he doesn’t carry Rubio’s baggage of credit card scandals, among other things.

Florida (and some national) Republicans urged Crist to stay in the party, drop out of this Senate race, and try again for Florida's other senate seat opening in 2012. They didn’t say whether they’d screw him again then like they did this time.

Hoping to thwart Crist’s independent campaign, Florida’s Republican leadership reminded party members of their loyalty oath, urging none to support Crist and to demand refunds of campaign contributions they may have given him -- although he’s not obligated to return any money. Even National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn (R-TX) got in on the act, telling Crist he can never return to the Republican Party and demanding a refund of $10,000 in donations to his campaign.

But Crist may have the last laugh. Republicans (who are not party “officials”), Democrats and Independents will support him; the only question is how many and by how much. And Republican “officials” in other states are not bound by Florida Republicans’ loyalty oath. Some of them who are reasonable people are as tired as the rest of us of the arrogance, the hypocrisy, the scandals, and disdain for the people by the right fringe of the Republican Party and its Tea Party partners.