Who/what is to blame for Charlie Crist's defeat?

[GMantis]

I think it was mainly the environment, as well as statistics in Florida.

From my understanding, the state economy was doing pretty well. That marks a good time to be Governor.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article1967029.html
http://today.ucf.edu/florida-economy-outpacing-national-recovery/

Bill Nelson might have won, but Crist was likely the best alternative to him that Democrats had.

It doesn't seem as if this helped him much, considering his approval rating. This defeat  is rather clearly mainly the fault of Crist. I mean, he even looks untrustworthy.

[tpfkaw]

This ad was pretty devastating; one of the better of the cycle, even if it was low-hanging fruit.

[Mister Mets]

I think it was mainly the environment, as well as statistics in Florida.

From my understanding, the state economy was doing pretty well. That marks a good time to be Governor.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article1967029.html
http://today.ucf.edu/florida-economy-outpacing-national-recovery/

Bill Nelson might have won, but Crist was likely the best alternative to him that Democrats had.

It doesn't seem as if this helped him much, considering his approval rating. This defeat  is rather clearly mainly the fault of Crist. I mean, he even looks untrustworthy.

Crist lost a narrow election in a very Republican year against an incumbent in a state with a booming economy.

It's tough to expect the typical Democrat to do better.

[KCDem]

The Democrats ran a Republican.

[Nichlemn]

The environment certainly made a big difference. Rick Scott is one of the luckiest two term governors in American history to run into two Republican wave years and scrape through. If either year was a touch more Democratic, he would have lost.

[ElectionsGuy]

Florida Democratic Party: They're the ones who nominated Crist!

[IceSpear]

The environment certainly made a big difference. Rick Scott is one of the luckiest two term governors in American history to run into two Republican wave years and scrape through. If either year was a touch more Democratic, he would have lost.

I guess criminals have all the luck in the world.

[Bacon King]

Cross posting this

I'm on vacation in Gainesville FL right now visiting my cousin, at a party with his friends, they're all saying they voted to legalize weed but voted for the third party guy in the gov race because "both candidates sucked dick"; like literally ten people now have volunteered this by my prompt "so how bout them elections"

Guys Charlie Crust was a terrible candidate and prob why we lost

[pbrower2a]

So much Koch-aine in the political system.

The American political order is bought, and we got nothing for the sale.

[DrScholl]

Florida's electorate is just more Republican in midterm elections. If Byron Looper was alive, he would have won that election from prison, because Republicans will turn out and vote for anyone.

[jaichind]

I found an interesting possible reason for Crist's defeat.  The AA vote.  And it is not a turnout issue.  It seems going by exit polls Scott actually captured 12% of the AA vote.  Just for comparison.  Looking at the 2008 Prez 2010 Gov 2012 Prez elections the R candidate in each case got 48%-49% of the vote just like in 2014.  But in 2008 2010 and 2012 the R candidate got 4% 6% and then 5% as per exit polls.  So if Scott is held to around 5%-6% vote then Christ would have won. It is not even that the AA turnout was usually low relative to other voting blocs.  In 2008 2010 2012 the AA share of the electorate was 13% 11% and 13%.  In 2014 it was 14% so it is not even the AA turnout fell a lot relative to others.  Perhaps some AA voters still remembers Crist as a R candidate and instead voted for Scott (which is the real R candidate) (I know this logic sounds stupid that that is I have)?

[Maistre]

The obvious answer is that Crist is godawful and a normal candidate would have spanked () Scott, but who in the Dem FL bench would have been that normal candidate? Run Alex Sink again?

[SWE]

Democrats nominated a joke candidate + national environment

[Suburbia]

The Florida Democratic Party is known for being incompetent.

[Recalcuate]

This race should never have been close to begin with. Even with the 2014 election environment, Rick Scott could easily have gone down Corbett-style against a decent opponent.

If Scott had a Penn State scandal to deal with in Florida. This would always likely have been a close election.

The Republicans were able to hold on because -- well -- Crist is defined more of as an opportunist than anything else. Maybe he'll run as a Libertarian next.

[badgate]

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