GOP recruiting Crist; "seems to be leaning towards running"

[Matt Damon™]

Damn, it's not GOP recruiting Christ? That's a shame. Then again Christ would be too liberal for the modern GOP and since he was jewish that rules him out automatically.

[RIP Robert H Bork]

Crist should stay as Governor.

[The Mikado]

But can he maintain his tan in Washington?

[Rococo4]

But can he maintain his tan in Washington?

boehner can

[justfollowingtheelections]

Being a first term senator and running for president only works for someone like Obama, whose campaign was based more on intangibles than anything else.  Crist would have to build a record in the Senate before he runs for President.  Plus, running for president two years after your state elected you to represent them, would make him look like an opportunist.

Obama had only served as Senator on the national stage. Crist has already been Governor of Florida and executive positions are usually seen as good for running for president. The Senate seat would just be a nice inclusion to the resume.

In fact, 2016 would work less well than 2012 because that would be a reelection year for his seat.

But again, what's the point of running for the Senate seat, and then starting a campaign for president about three months later?  He would have absolutely nothing to show for his time in the senate.  I actually think it would be a net minus, as it would just make the senate run look like a transparent ploy to add another item onto his resume, before immediately moving on to the next job.

If he does run for senate, that's a clear sign to me that he's not going to run for president in 2012.

Exactly.  That's obviously what I meant that he can't run for president when he has just been elected to represent his state.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

But can he maintain his tan in Washington?

Yes, but it will look horribly out of place there.

And yes, I am casting a huge judgment on Florida here.

[Rococo4]

sink out, per cnn

[Sam Spade]

sink out, per cnn

Link is helpful... 

http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20090116/CAPITOLNEWS/90116013

[© tweed]

who is the Dem favorite now?  Kevin Spacey?  Meek?  Wasserman?

[Ogre Mage]

sink out, per cnn

Drat.  That is a major blow to our chance to pick up the seat.

[JohnnyLongtorso]

who is the Dem favorite now?  Kevin Spacey?  Meek?  Wasserman?

Wasserman has already indicated she's not interested.  Meek...just no.

Looks like this could be an easier hold for the Republicans than expected, especially if Crist does jump in.  However, state senator Dan Gelber and US representatives Allen Boyd and Ron Klein are expected to enter now that Sink has taken her name out.

Great, there's two more House seats gone.

[Brittain33]

Great, there's two more House seats gone.

That significantly overstates the case for reasons I could go into but which you probably already know. AL-5, these districts are not.

For me, the best outcome would be Allen Boyd running in the D primary for Senate and losing to anybody else, with both that Democrat winning the Senate seat and whoever from Tallahassee contests the House seat for the Democrats...

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

According to this wikipedia page Crist has declined to run. We all no about how wikipedia can be inaccurate so canyone confirm this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_election_in_Florida,_2010

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20090118/COLUMNIST/901180356/-1/NEWSSITEMAP

Thanks for the info.

[paul718]

Wasserman?

Aahh!!!  Hold on to your nuts, boys!

In all seriousness, I'd like to see Crist remain as governor.  While I can't see him winning a presidential nomination, I could see him as an ideal VP pick and his value might diminish if he's a fresh Senator (though Lunar might disagree).  It also seems that someone like Mack or Rubio would be able to retain the seat (unless my reading of FL politics is wrong).

[© tweed]

that news ever-so-slightly increases the chances of Crist2012.

[BM]

Crist keeps people guessing:

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/story/885007.html

[justfollowingtheelections]

I guess it depends on Obama's performance.  If early in 2010, Obama looks unbeatable, Crist will enter the race for the Senate seat.  If Obama looks beatable, he will run for a second term and then make a run for President in 2012.

[Brittain33]

An article on Connie Mack taking heat from his constituents over his "no" vote on the stimulus:

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-na-district3-2009feb03,0,464463.story

[TheresNoMoney]

If Crist runs, he wins. Simple as that. If not, we're looking at a very competitive race.

[Landslide Lyndon]

If Crist runs, he wins. Simple as that. If not, we're looking at a very competitive race.

I said it to another thread. The Democrats should be rooting for Charlie Crist to enter the race.
Sure, he will probably scare away every respectable opponent, Republican and Democrat, and will be the heavy favorite to win.

But at the same time, there will be an opening for Alex Sink to win the governorship. And with the 2010 census and subsequent redistricting just around the corner, I bet the Democrats would happily trade a senate seat for having a chance to reverse the republican imposed gerrymandering. Now that Florida is projected to gain two more seats, it is even more urgent.

[TheresNoMoney]

[I bet the Democrats would happily trade a senate seat for having a chance to reverse the republican imposed gerrymandering. Now that Florida is projected to gain two more seats, it is even more urgent.

I don't know, Democrats already have a huge majority in the House. Senate seats are much more important to us because of potential Republican fillibusters.

[Lunar]

Cornyn is only letting Crist be such a cocktease because he knows Crist would win so definitively.  If Crist was someone else, then Cornyn would have demanded an answer one way or the other so that the GOP nominee can begin to fundraise and build support.  Meeks is already holding $300k fundraisers

[pragmatic liberal]

I would think he'd run for reelection. But maybe he'll run.

When was the last time an incumbent governor foreswore a second term to instead run for the Senate?

[catmando]

An article on Connie Mack taking heat from his constituents over his "no" vote on the stimulus:

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-na-district3-2009feb03,0,464463.story

This is simply selective, anecdotal reporting. I live in Connie Mack's district and I assure you that most of his constituents oppose this boondoggle.