Bill Nelson for Florida governor? It’s possible

[Mojorabbit]

This would be a mess. Here we have a pretty conservative Dem. There we have Charlie Crist. Both have name recognition.
Could be a bruising primary with both coming out damaged..or not. I do not want Scott to have another term.

Bill Nelson for Florida governor? It’s possible
11/12/13 11:58 PM

By Michael LaRosa
Former Republican Governor-turned-Independent-turned-Democrat Charlie Crist is aiming to take his old job back and topple unpopular Florida Gov. Rick Scott and his massive money machine in 2014. But his path to the nomination could be complicated by the surprise entry of Florida’s elder statesman, Sen. Bill Nelson.

“I firmly believe he is considering the race,” said former Florida Congressman Jim Davis.

Bob Graham, Florida’s popular former governor and U.S. senator, agreed, adding he still has time to make a decision.

“Sen. Nelson is capable of deferring his decision without a delay adversely affecting his chances to win a primary,” said Florida’s popular former governor and U.S. Senator Bob Graham. “He just came off a statewide run and has plenty of name recognition and built in advantages.”

Nelson has been flirting with jumping in for months and has been delivering fiery speeches across the Sunshine State in opposition to Scott’s agenda. He and his advisers have refused to rule out a run and are likely to wait and see how much support coalesces around Crist before making a decision.

Nelson’s staff and political advisers declined to comment. But several national level Democrats, with close ties to Florida, also said that the 70-year-old, three-term senator is seriously mulling a campaign for governor and would ultimately decide by the first of the new year.
http://www.msnbc.com/hardball/bill-nelson-florida-gov-its-possible

[Tommy_Carcetti]

1. Let's not willingly give up a Democratic Senate seat, thank you very much.

Democrats with statewide appeal here in Florida are hard to come by, as purple as the state is. Hence the fact that we're having to settle for a former Republican turned Democrat as our gubernatorial candidate.

[Mojorabbit]

11. Exactly! nt

[djean111]

2. As a Floridian, I will vote for anyone who runs against Scott.

Don't know if Crist's baggage will affect an election.
Have to look more closely at Nelson.
Hope Crist and Nelson don't run each other down while Scott happily watches.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

3. Crist offers one thing most Florida Democrats can't.

Statewide appeal.

Granted, he developed that statewide appeal while as a Republican. But his single term was tolerable. And even if he's now Democratic-lite as opposed to Republican-lite, it's still light years of an improvement over Governor McFraudy.

We need to spread out what candidates with statewide appeal we do have, and not have them beat each other up over a single race.

One true blue Florida Democrat with statewide appeal that I do wish would run for state office again is former Attorney General Bob Butterworth. He was extremely popular in the 12 years that he served, and he has a track record of improving anything and everything he took control over. But he's expressed no interest in running for office again.

[HERVEPA]

4. Crist much better than Nelson!

[DemocratSinceBirth]

5. Really, Nelson has been a Democrat all his life

And not one of political convenience.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

7. I believe he was talking about Christ, as in Jesus Christ.

You know, Son of God and all.

He's better than Nelson. But apparently He's better than everyone, so...

[HERVEPA]

9. Edited my post for spelling of Crist.

Yes, almost anyone is better than Nelson

But, for my opinion of Jesus Christ, check this song

[madfloridian]

6. IMHO that would really split the vote and give the election to Scott. Mojo is right.

Bill Nelson is in many ways as much as or more to the right than Crist.

Nelson's office has never been responsive to any of us who might bear the term liberal.

What a mess that race would become..

[djean111]

8. I agree with you if either Scott or Crist was running as an independent.

But it looks like only one of them will run - Crist has declared as a Democrat, so this would be a primary situation.
Wonder what that damned Wasserman will do - who will the DNC support.

And good point up-thread about not losing a Democrat Senate seat.

edited to add - yeah, Nelson is not my idea of a liberal AT ALL.

[madfloridian]

10. Kick for a good way to let Scott win again.

Mojo is right. Bruising primary the result and a split vote on our side.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

12. It's like Florida Democrats get together and have meetings to say....

...."Okay, how can we fuck this up for ourselves?"

The only positive out of all this? How about Senator Alan Grayson?

[geek tragedy]

13. Would be a selfish move on Nelson's part.

Instead of having D in the Senate and kicking Rick Scott's creepy rightwing ass out of the governor's seat, we'd have an open seat in the Senate and a very real possilibity of Lex Luthor winning re-election.