Shrugging at senate race polls, Charlie Crist remains upbeat

[seafan]

Aaron Sharockman and Adam C. Smith at the St. Petersburg Times report:

Nov 01, 2010 07:40 PM

.....

If you look at Crist campaigning across Florida in recent days, he's as upbeat as any frontrunner.

"Democracy is a wonderful thing," said Crist, rooting for a high turnout aboard the five-seat King Air plane that flew him across the state Monday.

.....

"Ours is not the campaign that is based, on anger, and pessimism and despair, that's Marco's world. That's not our sunny Florida," Crist told a hometown crowd at Albert Whitted Airport Monday night.

There's an army of silent support, he contends — teachers, pragmatic Floridians, secretly fed up Republicans. He says he hears from them all the time: a Republican legislator's family member Monday said their entire family would be supporting Crist, and African American Democrats quietly make the same promise despite Democrat Kendrick Meek's bid to be the first black U.S. senator in Florida history.

Plus, Florida has never seen a three-way contest like this one, so the polls are suspect, Tuesday's result unpredictable.

"Sixty percent, if you can believe any of these polls, just say no to Marco,'' Crist said. "If you want to do what's right for the future of Florida and our country, make sure that all common sense Republicans, independents and Democrats — really important, Democrats — that all Floridians unite … behind the candidate that can win."

.....

He also talked about what have become new political dynamics for the former Republican. To win, he says, he'll have to carry Palm Beach, Broward and Dade counties.
Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler of Boca Raton, joining Crist in West Palm Beach Monday, said Crist needs to do "very well" in those three Democratic strongholds. "And he will," he added.

.....

"I think there's a silent plurality for Charlie."

.....

And from Jane Musgrave at the Palm Beach Post:

November 1, 2010

ST. PETERSBURG — At 5:47 p.m. today, his rented Beechcraft touched down in his hometown and Charlie Crist’s wild two-year ride for a seat in the U.S. Senate was over.

Yes, he’ll vote early today and talk to reporters. And he may stand on a street corner and wave signs at passing motorists. But for all practical purposes, it’s now up to the voters.

Amid a crowd of about 100 supporters, Crist acknowledged he’s not expected to win. But, he said, people who greeted him at stops at six airports from Pensacola to West Palm Beach to Miami convinced him that polls that show him as much as 10 points behind GOP candidate Marco Rubio are wrong.

“At virtually every stop, at almost every place we went, a Republican or a Democrat would come up to me and whisper to me and say, ‘Listen, my uncle’s an elected representative. He’s a Republican. I don’t want the cameras to see me, but I want you to know my whole family is going to vote for you but we haven’t told a soul.’ It’s like this covert operation around Florida,” Crist told the cheering crowd. Unfortunately, people feel intimidate by their party.”

.....

Urging his supporters to make sure they get their friends to the polls, Crist said: “Make sure all common sense Republicans, independents, Democrats – it’s really important Democrats – that all Floridans unite. Unite for a better future, unite behind an optimist. Unite behind a better day for Florida.”

Good luck, Governor. You have the support of many.

[Unvanguard]

1. He's finished. n/t

[BlueStater]

2. I know I'll get some flack for saying this but Crist was a good governor.

I voted against him in 2006 but he turned out to be far better than I expected. I may identify myself as a Democrat but I'll give credit where credit is due. Unlike most of the GOP, he actually embraced Obama and wasn't afraid to be seen with him in public. Unfortunately, that seems to have been his undoing as the teafuckers have now taken over his party.

[QC]

3. I agree. And Crist is more progressive than many Florida Democrats,

like my DINO congressman, Alan Boyd.

[seafan]

4. Yes, he is and has been a quite decent Governor, which was unexpected for me as well.

From another thread from yesterday:

Crist has actually been a very decent Governor, evolving toward a more populist/progressive position over time, with two moderate Supreme Court picks;

his veto of the horrendous merit pay bill for teachers;

his veto of the GOPers' legislative slush fund bill;

his refusal when he was Attorney General in 2003 to trample on the privacy rights of Terri Schiavo in the feeding tube case (unlike Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush);

his veto of legislation that would force women to submit to and pay for an ultrasound before undergoing an abortion;

he accepted stimulus money to avoid large layoffs and spending cuts, while the Republicans bad-mouthed Obama and took the money anyway;

he stood up for consumers against big utility companies and insurance companies who wanted unfettered advantages to raise rates;

he extended voting hours in Election 2008 so everyone would have a chance to get to the polls to vote;

he began restoring felons' civil rights, including voting rights, after taking office;

he has a good environmental record and tried to call a special legislative session in July to place an amendment on the ballot for voters to decide whether they would allow offshore drilling, but the Republicans laughed in his face and went home after holding a minutes-long gavel-in-gavel-out *session*---- (Nope, no amendment for the voters with these cretins);



And, by the way, the GOP-controlled Legislature is planning a special session just after the election to see if they have enough votes to override Crist's vetoes of their pet legislation.

They wouldn't hear of a special session about the offshore oil catastrophe affecting Florida, but they wasted no time getting this one on the docket, to undo actions that Governor Crist has taken for the people.


This radical GOP wants nothing more than to burn Governor Crist at the stake for defying their rigid dogma.


It is very clear who needs to be removed from power.

I am relieved to the point of exhaustion that it is finally in the voters' hands.

[seafan]

5. Election Day afternoon, 2010

November 1, 2010



U.S. Senate candidate Gov. Charlie Crist waves after landing at Albert Whitted Airport for a final campaign stop in St. Petersburg. (EDMUND D. FOUNTAIN | Times)

.....

Crist logged 1,338 air miles Monday before returning to St. Petersburg, and along the way mused that the race has been anything but dull.

"There's no need to be nervous. It doesn't accomplish anything," Crist said. "I'm anxious. I'm excited. It's good to have a little anxiety. It gives you strength to run across the finish line."

Crossing the Everglades, Crist and aide Danny Kanner spotted a rainbow stretching from the clouds. Crist tried to take a picture with his new iPhone.

"I think it's obvious what that means," Kanner said of the rainbow. Crist got one last look before the rainbow disappeared. "It's crystal clear."

November 2, 2010

Celebrate Victory Tonight at the People’s Party!
November 2nd, 2010

Thank you for your great support during our independent campaign for the U.S. Senate. We’ve been humbled by the support we’ve seen around the state. This truly is the People’s Campaign, and we can’t imagine spending election night without you.

Please join us at our victory party!

Charlie Crist for U.S. Senate Election Night Celebration
November 2, 2010
6:30pm

Renaissance Vinoy Resort
501 5th Avenue NE
Palm Court Ball Room
St. Petersburg, FL 33701

We look forward to celebrating with you tonight.

Thank you for your great support!

Team Crist