Bye bye RINO, we don't need you. I expect Romney and Christie to be the next ones to join the libs. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...a-gov-charlie-crist-tweets-joining-democrats/ Ex-GOP Gov. Crist tweets he's joining Democrats ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist has announced on Twitter that he's joining the Democratic Party. Crist sent out a Tweet on Friday night that said, "Proud and honored to join the Democratic Party in the home of President (at)Barack Obama!" The Tweet included a photo of a smiling Crist holding up a Florida voter registration application. The Tampa Bay Times reports that the former Republican governor signed the papers changing his affiliation from independent to Democrat at a Christmas reception at The White House. A message left for Crist wasn't immediately returned Friday night. Crist was elected Florida governor while in the GOP. He left the party and ran as an independent for the U.S. Senate, losing a three-way contest to Republican Marco Rubio. Crist is viewed as potential Democratic candidate against Republican Gov. Rick Scott. The announcement fanned speculation that Crist would seek to regain his old job from Republican Gov. Rick Scott in 2014. Steve Schale, a Democratic political consultant who worked on Obama's Florida campaign, called a Crist a "viable Democrat." "He earned his stripes when he supported the president," Schale said. But Schale predicted that if Crist runs for governor, he would likely get a challenge from Sink and other Democrats and would have to endure a hard-fought primary. Republicans in recent weeks have already ramped up their criticism of Crist and have pointed out that in the past he was critical of Obama and once described himself as a Republican in the mold of President Ronald Reagan and Crist's predecessor as governor, Jeb Bush. "Charlie Crist's first official act as a Democrat was to tell a lie about why he is now pretending to be one," the Florida GOP said in a statement early Saturday. "The truth is that this self-professed, Ronald-Reagan Republican only abandoned his pro-life, pro-gun, conservative principles in 2010 after he realized that Republicans didn't want to send him to Washington D.C. as a senator, especially after he proved he couldn't do the job as governor." Rick Wilson, a Florida-based Republican consultant, predicted that Crist would have to spend the next 14 months explaining how his switch to Democrat was something beyond just his own political ambitions. Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...crist-tweets-joining-democrats/#ixzz2ESgTZL9m
Kind of wish he hadn't done this; whatever his political motives he might have mistimed it as the pendulum swings back to Republicans. I kind of think Lieberman made the same mistake by not leaving the Dems in the late '90s so he could have run as an independent in '00 and '04.
In what way is Christie a liberal? It's amusing that the GOP refuses to welcome anyone that doesn't agree with them 100%. And then they wonder why they don't appeal to very many people.
Christie supports Islamic law. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-...-new-jersey-judge-calls-critics-crazies-.html http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/07...nner-quinn-takes-aim-at-gun-control-comments/ Christie supports illegal immigration, ground zero mosque, gun control, etc. http://news.yahoo.com/5-reasons-chris-christie-cant-win-gop-nomination-062000079.html 1. Christie is no hardliner on immigration "The biggest chink in Rick Perry's armor so far has been his record on illegal immigration," says Dan Amira at New York. It's a problem for Christie, too. He has said being in the country without proper papers is an "administrative matter," not a crime. And between 2002 and 2007, as U.S. attorney in New Jersey, he prosecuted so few illegal immigration cases that then-CNN host Lou Dobbs said Christie was "an utter embarrassment." 2. He has a soft spot for gun control In 1995, when Christie was running for state general assembly, he distributed flyers calling opponents "radical" and "crazy" for supporting repeal of the federal assault-weapons ban, says Daniel Foster at National Review. And he still fights any move to let people carry concealed weapons in New Jersey. In 2009, he told conservative Fox News host Sean Hannity that New Jersey had a "handgun problem," and that he supports some of the gun-control measures the state uses to contain it. "Bad idea," Hannity said. 3. Hardliners won't like his stand on the "ground zero mosque" Last year, Christie accused politicians on the Left and Right of using the proposed "ground zero mosque" as a "political football," says Thomas Fitzgerald at The Philadelphia Inquirer, suggesting he thought conservatives were exploiting anti-Muslim emotions stirred up by the 9/11 attacks. This summer, he faced another backlash after appointing Sohail Mohammed, a Muslim lawyer, to be a New Jersey Superior Court judge. Critics were angry that he would appoint a lawyer who had defended a cleric accused of terrorist sympathies. Christie responded: "I'm tired of dealing with the crazies."
Wow - I guess we can add you to the list of people that get your news from crazyville. You really should do some actual research.
OP, you're like the idiots that called McCain a RINO in 2000 & 2004 if you actually believe this about Christie. Forgive me if you are being sarcastic.
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Stuff like this is why people who are not white, not fundamentalist Christian, and non-male are increasingly abandoning the Republican brand.
I don't have much opinion on Crist leaving the Republican party but I kind of wish he would run as an independent.
The 2010 Senate race proved that to be a non-viable strategy. Crist is in no mans land. He has no chance of ever winning a Republican nomination. He's just far too moderate. On the other hand, Florida doesn't have any history of electing independents or third parties. He'll just split the vote like he did in 2010 and keep losing. Crist just figured that his best chance at winning a primary is as a democrat. Although I think there are decent odds that he doesnt win that primary either. Crist isn't the most popular guy among Florida democrats even if he does a good reputation nationally.
I largely agree with you but as someone who would like to see more independents I would like to see more prominent politicians run, and more importantly, govern as independents.
Pipe dream. What can actually happen is more independent-minded Dems & Republicans being elected. It has to work within the dominant two-party system. Unfortunately, the Tea Party aims to politically assassinate any GOPers who don't 100% agree with them. One of these years, maybe enough will be enough.
Keep in mind I live in a state that had an independent governor so I know it is possible. On the Federal level because of the organization of Congress and the amount of organization needed to win the Presidency independents will likely not dominate but on a state level it is certainly possible for independents to win governorships.
On very rare occasions will independents have a legit chance of being elected governor unless they were previously Dems or Republicans. Jesse Ventura's term as governor of Minnesota was a complete fluke & novelty.
You happen to live in the 1 state with any significant history of a third party. Going back to the Farmer-Labor Party and then the Independence Party. The only state that's comparable today is Maine. I think the larger problem is that politicians within the major parties won't govern independently. I would love more independents to get elected but our political system is specifically designed for large tent parties. Until that changes, there really isn't much hope.