Magazine Preview - The First Senator From the Tea Party? - NYTimes.com The First Senator From the Tea Party?
By MARK LEIBOVICH
Published: January 6, 2010
Charlie Crist?s perma-tanned face bears none of the strain you would expect from the archetype of the embattled Republican. Politicians are supposed to keep up appearances, but Crist is especially convincing, one of the more earnest politicians you will see, whether or not he means it.
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Nigel Parry for The New York Times
Charlie Crist at the Westin Colonnade hotel in Coral Gables, Fla.
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Nigel Parry for The New York Times
Marco Rubio at his headquarters in Coral Gables, Fla. Mike Huckabee says he may be the face of the future of the Republican party.
?Are you kidding? It would be an honor,? the governor of Florida tells a guy wearing a kilt who had asked for a photo.
?Thank you for coming to Pensacola, Governor,? a woman says.
?Call me Charlie,? he insists. ?Please! Just call me Charlie. It would be an honor.?
Many things are an honor to Crist ? if they are not a ?pleasure? or a ?privilege.? On a chilly-for-Florida Thursday night in early December, Crist was addressing the annual Lincoln Day Dinner for the local Republican Party in the northwestern outpost of Escambia County in the Florida Panhandle ? nearly as close to Cincinnati as it is to Miami.
?God bless you here in the Panhandle, for your values,? Crist tells the crowd.
Crist, who is 53, is a compact and sunbaked raisin of a man with a shock of white hair, a beak nose and dark Mediterranean eyes. His grandfather, a Greek immigrant, shined shoes for $5 a day in Altoona, Pa., after leaving Cyprus at age 14; his father, a family doctor, shortened the last name from Christodoulos and settled in St. Petersburg when Charlie was 4. If the Crist family owned a Greek diner, Charlie would be the ma?tre d? who delivers you to your favorite table, asks about your mother and tells you to not miss the rice pudding.
The people of the Panhandle are ?the greatest people I have ever met,? he says. He likes people, no doubt ? ?the people?s governor? is always reminding ?people? how driven he is to help ?the people? of Florida, in accordance with the ?will of the people? who gave him ?the pleasure, the privilege and the honor? to be their governor so he can ?help the people.? As recently as last spring, Crist?s standing in Florida and with Republicans nationally was as golden as his skin. But these days not all of the people are happy with Charlie Crist. And a lot of them are in his party.
To many Republicans, the governor?s biggest sin was his support for the Obama administration?s $787 billion economic-stimulus package. That?s what comes up the most, although a fair number of conservatives also blame Crist for his seemingly decisive endorsement of John McCain three days before the Florida primary in the 2008 presidential campaign, effectively handing the state to an eventual nominee for whom many conservatives had little use. They see Crist?s career as pockmarked with instances of consensus-seeking, deal-making and bipartisanship ? three particularly vulgar notions to a simmering Tea Party movement on the right. Conservatives have tagged Crist as being part of that pariah breed of Republican today: a ?moderate.? Or worse.
Replies
66Beach Fanatic
I thought that was old news.
SoWal Insider
That was a pretty good article on Rubio. There's so little out there on him, nice to see the press digging in a bit finally. The more I hear the more I like. (Seems he would be better for Florida as the governor though, not a senator, we could use another Jeb at the helm to clean up this fiscal mess.)
As far as McCollum and Sink go, I still know so little. Neither candidate addresses any of the pressing issues florida faces on their sites yet.
As far as McCollum and Sink go, I still know so little. Neither candidate addresses any of the pressing issues florida faces on their sites yet.
Beach Fanatic
That was a pretty good article on Rubio. There's so little out there on him, nice to see the press digging in a bit finally. The more I hear the more I like. (Seems he would be better for Florida as the governor though, not a senator, we could use another Jeb at the helm to clean up this fiscal mess.)
As far as McCollum and Sink go, I still know so little. Neither candidate addresses any of the pressing issues florida faces on their sites yet.
I'm all in with Rubio, I think Christ is a complete loser and can't imagine having to claim him for another 6 years. I guess if you are really liberal (see gay boy, alpha crab, bob, etc) then you can only hope for Christ if a Republican is going to get elected, otherwise, Rubio is the obvious choice.
SoWal InsiderAuthor
I'm all in with Rubio, I think Christ is a complete loser and can't imagine having to claim him for another 6 years. I guess if you are really liberal (see gay boy, alpha crab, bob, etc) then you can only hope for Christ if a Republican is going to get elected, otherwise, Rubio is the obvious choice.keep steering far right....the ditch is over there
SWGB
That was a pretty good article on Rubio. There's so little out there on him, nice to see the press digging in a bit finally. The more I hear the more I like. (Seems he would be better for Florida as the governor though, not a senator, we could use another Jeb at the helm to clean up this fiscal mess.)
As far as McCollum and Sink go, I still know so little. Neither candidate addresses any of the pressing issues florida faces on their sites yet.
That could be because Sink is dealing with the financial crisis on a daily basis. I'd much rather a candidate campaign on weekends and evenings than just leaving things hanging ala Crist.
I'm all in with Rubio, I think Christ is a complete loser and can't imagine having to claim him for another 6 years. I guess if you are really liberal (see gay boy, alpha crab, bob, etc) then you can only hope for Christ if a Republican is going to get elected, otherwise, Rubio is the obvious choice.
Ah Santiago, good to see you crawl out from under your rock. To be perfectly honest I don't appreciate Crist's flat dishonesty. Regardless on your stance of gay rights/issues the fact that the man is not only a liar about his sexuality he's also covering it up by involving a woman and her kids. Boy those Republicans sure know family values.
Beach Fanatic
While I am not necessarily a Christ fan, please provide proof of your allegations above. To paint all Republican family values with such a broad brush is a little over the top.
Edited
SoWal Insider
I'm all in with Rubio, I think Christ is a complete loser and can't imagine having to claim him for another 6 years. I guess if you are really liberal (see gay boy, alpha crab, bob, etc) then you can only hope for Christ if a Republican is going to get elected, otherwise, Rubio is the obvious choice.
As a libertarian, I'm not a huge fan other either. With Crist you really don't get a fiscal conservative, and with Rubio, you likely get all the hate and prejudice that seemingly boils under the hood of the Republican party.
Beach Fanatic
While I am not necessarily a Christ fan, please provide proof of your allegations above. To paint all Republican family values with such a broad brush is a little over the top.
Don't you mean Crist? Just want to make sure we aren't confusing him with the other political messiah.
Beach Fanatic
As a libertarian, I'm not a huge fan other either. With Crist you really don't get a fiscal conservative, and with Rubio, you likely get all the hate and prejudice that seemingly boils under the hood of the Republican party.
now Republicans and Rubio are hateful and prejudice?
SoWal Insider
As a libertarian, I'm not a huge fan other either. With Crist you really don't get a fiscal conservative, and with Rubio, you likely get all the hate and prejudice that seemingly boils under the hood of the Republican party.
Agreed, pretty much - Charlie is utterly untrustworthy, fake and undependable and I disagree with most of the social stances that Rubio takes. His social stances may not matter in the big picture, though. What I thought was weird about Rubio were his out-there property tax proposals from a couple of years ago. It seemed to be just him floating ideas without much backup from experts. I would hope any Senator would not be so reckless.
I know nothing about Kendrick Meek.
Beach Fanatic
Agreed, pretty much - Charlie is utterly untrustworthy, fake and undependable and I disagree with most of the social stances that Rubio takes. His social stances may not matter in the big picture, though. What I thought was weird about Rubio were his out-there property tax proposals from a couple of years ago. It seemed to be just him floating ideas without much backup from experts. I would hope any Senator would not be so reckless.
I know nothing about Kendrick Meek.
Who's Kendrick Meek?
SoWal Insider
The main Democrat in the running. Since Crist and Rubio both have big downsides for many people, I wonder if Meek will win. Yet it is hard to believe that in a polarized year like this, Florida will end up with two Democratic senators. I still think it will be Charlie ... ugh.
Beach Fanatic
Don't you mean Crist? Just want to make sure we aren't confusing him with the other political messiah.Thank you. A misspelling on my part. No, I wasn't confusing him with Obama.
SWGB
While I am not necessarily a Christ fan, please provide proof of your allegations above. To paint all Republican family values with such a broad brush is a little over the top.
I think the most interesting thing was a documentary I watched. It'll be in theaters May 8th.
Outrage - In Theatres May 8th
My signature line is from that documentary and a quote from Charlie's second wife.
SoWal Insider
I think the most interesting thing was a documentary I watched. It'll be in theaters May 8th.
Outrage - In Theatres May 8th
My signature line is from that documentary and a quote from Charlie's second wife.
Wasn't there a huge discussion on this here a while back, the gist being it's nobody's business but Charlie's? Or was the consensus that since he is a republican, 'outing him' based on circumstantial evidence was acceptable behavior? I can't remember.
Edited
Beach Fanatic
His sexual orientation is his business and nobody elses unless he wants it to be. It has nothing to do with his ability to do his job. Some wish to be outed, some do not. Its a personal choice.
SoWal InsiderAuthor
As a libertarian, I'm not a huge fan other either. With Crist you really don't get a fiscal conservative, and with Rubio, you likely get all the hate and prejudice that seemingly boils under the hood of the Republican party.with reagan you did not get a fiscal conservative
SoWal InsiderAuthor
[ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marco_Rubio]Marco Rubio - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame] he's been cashing government paychecks his whole young life
SWGB
Wasn't there a huge discussion on this here a while back, the gist being it's nobody's business but Charlie's? Or was the consensus that since he is a republican, 'outing him' based on circumstantial evidence was acceptable behavior? I can't remember.
Yes.
His sexual orientation is his business and nobody elses unless he wants it to be. It has nothing to do with his ability to do his job. Some wish to be outed, some do not. Its a personal choice.
Coming from someone who flaunts his heterosexuality constantly.
If he had remained a "bachelor" and not involved multiple spouses and now children I couldn't care less. That and the fact that he has been consistently anti gay. You can self hate in private all day long, but once you start doing it with government authority you deserve your comeuppance.
Banned
Thank you. A misspelling on my part. No, I wasn't confusing him with Obama.
I believe you're referring to this President:
"I believe God wants me to be president" is a Bush's statement that came during a meeting with Rev. Richard land, head of the public policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, in 1999.
[I was] "chosen by the grace of God to lead at that moment", is a Bush's quotation reported by Michael Duffy in Time magazine immediately after 9/11.
"God told me to strike at al-Qaeda and I struck them, and then he instructed me to strike at Saddam, which I did, and now I am determined to solve the problem in the Middle East. If you help me I will act, and if not, the elections will come and I will have to focus on them" comes from a remark made by Bush to Palestinian negotiator Nabil Shaath, made to and reported by BBC News on Thursday, October 6 2005.
"I trust God speaks through me. Without that, I couldn't do my job" is a Bush's remark to a group of Amish people he met with privately on July 9, 2004, and as published by the Lancaster New Era, July 16, 2004.
Beach Lover
I think the most interesting thing was a documentary I watched. It'll be in theaters May 8th.
Outrage - In Theatres May 8th
My signature line is from that documentary and a quote from Charlie's second wife.
I gotta say, I agree he should be outed. His anti-gay stances make him an appropriate target. I feel for him that he can't be who he really is and stay in the Republican party, but marrying a beard isn't a good solution.
SoWal Insider
I gotta say, I agree he should be outed. His anti-gay stances make him an appropriate target. I feel for him that he can't be who he really is and stay in the Republican party, but marrying a beard isn't a good solution.
Are his stances really anti-gay? I seem to remember him being more understanding. He might have taken a stance against gay marriage.. but pretty much any politician these days that doesn't, doesn't get elected. Obama is the perfect example of this.
(what does "marrying a beard mean"?)
Beach Fanatic
Beard- slang for a a spouse who knows their partner has no interest in someone of their sex/gender but marries them anyway because their partner needed to marry someone of the opposite sex and they enjoy the relationship for platonic or financial reasons.
Beach Fanatic
Beach Fanatic
Yes.It is really great to know you are so sacrosanct, SWGB. BTW, I didn't know I flaunt my hetrosexuality but I am far from being ashamed of it anymore than you are of your homosexuality.
Coming from someone who flaunts his heterosexuality constantly.
If he had remained a "bachelor" and not involved multiple spouses and now children I couldn't care less. That and the fact that he has been consistently anti gay. You can self hate in private all day long, but once you start doing it with government authority you deserve your comeuppance.
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