Charlie Crist is Now A Democrat

[BlueDemKev]

Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist sent out a tweet earlier today announcing that he has officially changed his party registration to the Democratic Party.

Welcome to the 99%, Governor!

[pnwmom]

1. I wouldn't be surprised if he has national ambitions. nt

[FLAprogressive]

2. How do you spell opportunist? C-R-I-S-T.

Is Closet Case Charlie gonna be for marriage equality?

[RBInMaine]

8. How about a moderate who would like to be with a SANE party? So enough of the purist SHIT !

[FLAprogressive]

10. Do you think he'd be switching parties if he survived the Senate primary? I don't.

[Chan790]

44. A right-of-center moderate is one we can do without.

We're not the party of the center-right and big business.

Charlie Crist is the new Arlen Specter. It's all about themselves for these kinds of right-wing "me first" political narcissists.

A sane party would have told him that changing his registration meant nothing if he wasn't willing to move his positions.

[mgcgulfcoast]

18. his only loyalty is to crist

he wants power and do anything it takes to get it. he is a jackass.

[Maximumnegro]

27. If he only wanted power he would not have left the GOP

back in the day. Sorry but that makes no sense, unless you're also saying that he was smart enough and forward thinking enough to see that Dems would be gaining control by now. In which case we can use someone that smart on our side for sure.

So which is it.

[mgcgulfcoast]

31. he left because he was defeated

not because he was a democrat. he is a weasel.

[pbrower2a]

38. Give him some credit

Democrats have been gaining voters as the old "Eisenhower/Rockefeller Republicans" have abandoned an increasingly superstitious, bigoted, corrupt, and intolerant Party that serves the economic interests of only a small cadre of tycoons, executives, and big landowners. Countries have been run on principles that the GOP now offers... and they were monstrosities.

We have won some elections in recent years because of that exodus from a Party that Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and Dwight Eisenhower would now consider disgusting. We can't be purists, because if we are we end up with leaders like Governors Scott Walker, Rick Scott, and now Rick "Quisling" Snyder. At least we aren't getting the hucksters of fundamentalist religion. Please welcome these new Democrats; we need them.

We need to protect the working people of America, women's rights, the public sector (from raids by profiteers), educational quality, and the environment. Scum like Karl Rove, Grover Norquist, and right-wing fronts for the GOP like Americans for Prosperity (only for 5% of the public), Doublecross America, and Fascism Works. It is far better that we get some people with a respect for human dignity and decency and win some critical elections than that we let this country have to choose between Bolshevism and Fascism.

Charlie Crist is a saint contrasted to the current Gauleiter of Florida.

[DCBob]

21. So you would never accept a former Republican into the Democratic party?

Thats a really short sighted, narrow mentality.

[forestpath]

22. Exactly! I just called him a political opportunist in another thread.

[mgcgulfcoast]

33. i agree

and if he were ever elected he would stab us in the back in a split second if it meant more power for him.

[Robbins]

3. Well guess what this means

He's running for the democratic nomination for governor In 2014 to beat Scott out of the governor's mansion.

[FLAprogressive]

4. we could do a lot better. but if it's him vs. pRick Scott I'll hold my nose and vote for him.

[democrattotheend]

14. He would probably be more progressive as a Democrat

If he was as good as he was as a Republican, I figure he'd probably be better as a Democrat. He was pretty brave for taking a stand in favor of voting rights in his state knowing it would hurt his party's nominee for President.

[LiberalFighter]

24. When he stood against the Republicans trying to suppress voters when he was Governor

I rather have him for our Governor than the one we have now or will in January. We will actually have it worse in Indiana starting in 2013.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

37. +1

Here in the red-state hell known as Indiana as well. I'm glad that President Obama won re-election but disgusted by Pence's win (I knew he was favored to win but Gregg ended up closer than expected). I don't like how our state has gone backwards over the past 8 years and especially the past 2. I have a feeling that, after the next 4 years, we might actually yearn for Daniels. *ugh* It already sounds like, however, Pence isn't going to be able to just ask for whatever he wants from even a Republican supermajority legislature and get it (re: taxes). Hopefully, the Democrats can pick up the pieces and come back stronger in 2014 and get ourselves back in the governor's mansion in 2016 after a (too-long) 12-year hiatus.

[pbrower2a]

39. Oh, yeah?

Michigan in EIGHT DAYS as the GOP has adopted Machiavellian 'principles' as a standard.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

41. ????? I'm not saying that Pence isn't going to try a lot

and the Republicans will probably deliver more often than not for him. They can pretty much push whatever they want and Democrats will have to just sit back and watch. Just pointing out that some Republicans are already starting to grumble about some of Pence's tax plans.

[RBInMaine]

9. That sounds just fine to me. GO CRIST !

[limpyhobbler]

5. If he hasn't changed his views but only his party,

then the Democratic Party just became a bit more conservative.

Not cause for celebration in my book.

[RBInMaine]

7. Please, enough of the pissing on Cheerios purity. Sheesh.

[limpyhobbler]

12. Re: Pissing on the Cheerios

When we can't even trust the national Dems to protect Social Security and Medicare, that's kind of pissing in my cheerios.

We need to check out people's positions on these issues people we celebrate.

[Maximumnegro]

28. What are you babbling about

Did I miss the news, cause I don't recall reading anything about SS and Medicare being on the table lately. Or is this just the usual Dem habit of living in the last election, except now it's shifted to 2008 instead of 2004 (progress at least).

[limpyhobbler]

30. babbling?

[pbrower2a]

40. What about Mr. Vulture Capitalist?

Just be glad that Democrats gained some Senate seats -- and re-elected Barack Obama.

Mitt Romney could have sold the assets of Social Security and Medicare to the 'private sector' while letting the profiteers decide what they will give in return to recipients. That is his M.O.

[Chan790]

45. Sanity is not purity.

I'll piss on whatever I'd like, thanks. Charlie Crist is a center-right big-business fiscal-conservative social-moderate narcissist who only swapped parties in order to be able to run for Governor with a major-party nomination; as an added bonus his nomination insures there is no progressive voice in the race. Oh wait, now I see why you're such a big fan.

He's much more likely to beat Scott in a two person race than he is as an independent third candidate; that alone and not platform is what he cares about. That makes him an opportunist, not a real Democrat.

[DCBob]

20. this type of thinking is.....

why we have rubio in the senate.

[limpyhobbler]

29. So maybe Rubio can change parties and become a Democrat and DU will throw a party.

That'll make it all better

[DCBob]

34. If he had some "awakening" and was truly sincere.. why not?

however somehow I doubt that would ever happen.

Crist has had issues with the Republican party for quite sometime so this was not all that unexpected.

[limpyhobbler]

35. cool

Hey it's an open Party, we have to take everybody.

Even this dude:

http://www.youtube.com/user/fladems/videos?sort=dd&query=crist&flow=list&view=0

I wonder if he regrets voting for George Bush.

[BlueDemKev]

46. Crist was a very loyal Republican...

...who tried to pass himself off as a right-wing conservative. Unfortunately, he was way too moderate for what the Republican Party has evolved into.

[treestar]

26. A very tiny bit

Which can be overcome by a new young person who is left of center.

[RBInMaine]

6. WELCOME ABOARD GOVERNOR. Welcome to PROGRESS. Welcome to MODERATION. Welcome to SANITY !

[Jennicut]

11. Not surprised at all. Moderate Repubs really have no place in the modern Republican party anymore.

I think he will run against Scott and most likely win.

[Rowdyboy]

13. Exactly. An ethical, moderate Republican who wants a political career has only one serious choice.

Switch parties. Crist will probably do pretty well for himself as a Democrat but I really hope he positions himself in the center, rather than a conservative Dem.

[LiberalFighter]

25. We need to change the definition of center

to one that is more the left of what they try to tell us.

[Tutonic]

15. Marco Rubio.

[BlueStater]

16. I'm a Floridian and Crist was my governor.

I thought he did a good job in that position even if he was once one of "them". I'll gladly vote for him against the miserable douchebag this state has as governor right now.

[Daniel537]

17. +1

I wish he had just ran for re-election in 2010. He was still very popular as Governor. Either way, he'll get my vote again this time if he runs.

[boingboinh]

23. Not a Surprise -- Democrats of Today are what Republicans were 5-10 years ago

Our party is shifting more to the Right that it is allowing those who are Republicans, who feel their own party keeps going more and more right, to have a place they can call home since our party's new ideals are those rejected republicans.

I'd imagine in 10 years from now people like Bachman and Santorum will be able to join our party too and people will call thim radical liberals.

So welcome aboard.

[CheapShotArtist]

32. "Democrats of Today are what Republicans were 5-10 years ago"

Nope...it's more like what the R's were 30 years ago. Bush was president 5-10 years ago, and they were almost as dangerous then as they are now. I don't see Democrats going around doing things like blowing racial dog whistles and trying to get rid of the EPA.

[great white snark]

42. Are you actually suggesting we not allow people to join our party?

When you joined you did know that we have many moderate members, no?

"since our party's new ideals are those rejected republicans"--complete horseshit. New ideals from raising taxes on the rich to immigrant amnesty never were or will be Republicans'.

[LP2K12]

36. ...

he has my vote.

[NPolitics1979]

43. Imagine in Crist decided to seek re-election for Governorship in 2010 as a Republican

Instead of running for the US Senate in 2010 as an Independent against Rubio-R who was likely to be the Republican nominee and general election winner. Would Crist-R survive in the primary against Scott-R. Democrats would have nominated a second tier candidate to challenge Crist-R(assuming he won the Republican nomination over Scott-R) or Crist-I(Crist-I pulled a Lieberman after losing in the Republican primary to Scott-R). Crist-I wins in the November General Election. 2012-Crist(I-FL) endores Bill Nelson's re-election bid to the US Senate. and Barack Obama's re-election to White House. 2013/2014-toward the end of his term- He becomes a Democrat. 2016- He becomes the Democratic Nominee to challenge Rubio-R.