Of all the national figures on the GOP stage, Florida Governor Charlie Crist is one of the more moderate. He’s the kind of guy who refused to fill an appellate court opening because the only candidates presented to him were white. (His decision was overruled last week by the State Supreme Court.) He’s also the kind of guy who campaigned for the stimulus bill by actually appearing with President Obama — you know, the guy his party tried to paint as an elitist secret Muslim who wanted to distribute condoms to kindergartners. So, all in all and all things considered, he’s usually an inoffensive Republican, and a step up from his predecessor Jeb Bush. Except he switched his position on abortion, clearly for political gain, which is equally — if not more — noxious than being anti-choice based on principal.
That Crist changed his position is not some breaking story. It’s been reported on since last year. But in the wake of the Sarah Palin resignation, there’s a fresh reassessment of who else will fit the bill of a GOP presidential candidate in 2012, and Crist is part of that pack. He was also mentioned as a potential running mate for McCain, before Mr. Maverick went totally off the political deep end by choosing the thrilla from Wasilla. But Crist seems like a bit of a flip-flopper (or opportunist) on “social issues” like reproductive rights and gay rights. Barred from running for another term as Florida’s Governor, he’s now in the race for one of his state’s Senate seats, another potential resume item to aid him if he does choose to run for the Oval Office in three years.
I’m not naive enough to think that Democrat and Independent candidates don’t do the exact same thing. Still, it’s disheartening when one of the least offensive GOP figures becomes someone who panders as the politicos watch the clock slowly ticks down to the next Presidential season. It remains to be seen whether or not Crist can even land the Senate seat, but the contrast between Crist’s positions 10 years ago vs. what they are now seems a bit like a John McCain ploy after his failed 2000 bid to burnish his conservative credentials. Crist’s changes of heart on social issues may be crucial, or they may be irrelevant (Obama won on issues beyond abortion, gay rights, and gun control). Nevertheless, it may be a signal that more and more moderate Republicans (see also: Jeffords, Jim; Specter, Arlen) figure they can’t hack it in their own party anymore without either leaving or tilting more and more to the right.
Honestly, I’m really fed up with the GOP after the news that they’re trying to keep abortion coverage out of health care bills in both chambers of congress. (Not that I wasn’t fed up before, but this was a bad day for it.) Anyone reasonable should either leave that party or force it to conform to them. No one who stays there and bends to the party’s will is respectable by any measure, for me.
@baraqiel: Oh yeah, that is so horrid. There was a lot of talk after last November’s massive defeat for them that the party would splinter. I think the midterm elections will be a real test of that, and 2012 will be to a lesser extent. But look what happened to false moderates like Giuliani*, who practically radicalized himself in his futile bid — the heart of the party belongs to the extremely conservative wing, and it makes me wonder if Crist’s shift will make a bit of difference in the end. Specter switched parties out of political expediency because even a Senate vet like him knew he had an uphill climb against GOP challengers. Crist faces the same thing now. It’ll certainly be interesting…
*Giuliani and I share a cardiologist. Last January, a day before the NH primaries, he came for an appointment and I saw him in the waiting room. That’s when I knew he was doomed, because he really should not have been in NYC right before the primary. Oh, and he looks even more weaselly in person.
It’s so sad that the Republicans can’t see that they need to become MORE MODERATE in order to appeal to all those growing demographics of voters they can’t touch. I guess they are worried about their base of Conservative Christians who would probably never get out and vote (render undo Caesar what is Caesar’s) if it weren’t for abortion.
Then again I voted for Dennis Kucinich once and he is only a late converter to pro choicedom, and I would not have voted for him otherwise, so I suppose from their view I am just as bad.
This shows us yet again that abortion, glbt rights and so forth have no meaning or importance to any Republicans except those who oppose them. That’s because women and glbt people are not real or important to those Republicans. So if it looks like a sensible, humane policy is going to cost them votes, they drop it without a moment’s hesitation and never look back. There is no-repeat, no-Republican who can be trusted.
Baraqiel, I’m so with you. Obama and the Democratic leadership (yeah, you craven political whores Reid and Pelosi, I mean you) had better make sure we don’t get the same treatment glbt voters have gotten up to now.
Good-ish news! Harry Reid has indeed told Baucus (the Dem senator in charge of drafting health care legislation) to stop chasing GOP votes. He was mainly talking about having a public option, but I am hoping it will get rid of this anti-choice nonsense as well.
Plus, apparently the GOP has decided to appoint Sen. Chambers to head the anti-Sotoyamor effort. This is a guy who called the NAACP un-American and “Communist-inspired” and said he thought the KKK was good until he found out some of them smoked pot. So…great.