Charlie Crist formally joins Democrats to make final split from GOP

Dcdrac · 8th December 2012, 07:40 AM

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012...-democrats-gop

Charlie Crist formally joins Democrats to make final split from GOP

Former Florida governor Charlie Crist has completed his political conversion, announcing on Twitter that he has joined the Democrats as a result of the Republican party's swing to the right.

The one-time GOP politician, who ran unsuccessfully for the US Senate as an independent, had earlier signalled his support for President Barack Obama and campaigned on his behalf ahead of the November election.

News that Crist has formalised the move to the Democratic party will prompt speculation that he may lobby for a run at his old seat in the 2014 gubernatorial race in Florida.

The 56-year-old politician tweeted out a picture of him and his wife Carole holding aloft a Florida voter registration application.

The accompanying message read: "Proud and honored to join the Democratic Party in the home of President @BarackObama."

RandFan · 8th December 2012, 12:27 PM

I'm not a Democrat but I certainly can relate.

thaiboxerken · 8th December 2012, 02:00 PM

And the GOP will say "he was just a RINO anyway."

mikedenk · 8th December 2012, 06:22 PM

Well, he does seem like a guy who could play for either team.

balrog666 · 8th December 2012, 06:34 PM

Did anyone notice?

Cleon · 8th December 2012, 06:50 PM

Right now the DNC leadership is looking into whether they can reject his application.

thaiboxerken · 8th December 2012, 07:17 PM

I like how the Conservatives in the thread can't see that this is a symptom of how the GOP is alienating most of the population.

Beerina · 8th December 2012, 07:58 PM

A guy switches parties to join the party in power, as happens commonly.

Let's draw deep, eternal conclusions from this about perma-changes to political landscapes.

UTLonghorn · 9th December 2012, 12:43 AM

Originally Posted by Beerina

A guy switches parties to join the party in power, as happens commonly.

Let's draw deep, eternal conclusions from this about perma-changes to political landscapes.

Yes, it can't have anything to do with his personal convictions or belief that his former party has been take over by a far right ideological purists and demagogues.

Chaos · 9th December 2012, 01:52 AM

Originally Posted by UTLonghorn

Yes, it can't have anything to do with his personal convictions or belief that his former party has been take over by a far right ideological purists and demagogues.

Cut him some slack, okay? It isn´t easy to understand that some people might be motivated by something other than myopic egoism.

Ziggurat · 9th December 2012, 02:07 AM

Originally Posted by UTLonghorn

Yes, it can't have anything to do with his personal convictions or belief that his former party has been take over by a far right ideological purists and demagogues.

His personal beliefs? You mean these ones?

"I'm about as conservative as you can get ... I'm a Jeb Bush Republican ... President Bush is a leader of courage and conviction ... I was impressed at Gov. Palin being picked. I watched her speech today, I was very impressed ... I'm a pro-life, pro-gun, anti-tax Republican ... I think it's important for people to understand who the true conservative is in this race, and it's Charlie Crist."

Yeah, I'm totally sure those beliefs led Crist to become a Democrat.

angrysoba · 9th December 2012, 07:59 AM

Originally Posted by Ziggurat

His personal beliefs? You mean these ones?

"I'm about as conservative as you can get ... I'm a Jeb Bush Republican ... President Bush is a leader of courage and conviction ... I was impressed at Gov. Palin being picked. I watched her speech today, I was very impressed ... I'm a pro-life, pro-gun, anti-tax Republican ... I think it's important for people to understand who the true conservative is in this race, and it's Charlie Crist."

Yeah, I'm totally sure those beliefs led Crist to become a Democrat.

Maybe he's gay.

What?!? Why are you looking at me like that? I'm just saying what everyone else is thinking.

UTLonghorn · 9th December 2012, 08:33 AM

Originally Posted by Ziggurat

His personal beliefs? You mean these ones?

"I'm about as conservative as you can get ... I'm a Jeb Bush Republican ... President Bush is a leader of courage and conviction ... I was impressed at Gov. Palin being picked. I watched her speech today, I was very impressed ... I'm a pro-life, pro-gun, anti-tax Republican ... I think it's important for people to understand who the true conservative is in this race, and it's Charlie Crist."

Yeah, I'm totally sure those beliefs led Crist to become a Democrat.

It's possible that it's purely a political move on his part, but note that I said his decision could possibly be due to the far right shift of the party, which seems to be what he is saying.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics...ow-a-democrat/

Quote:

“I’ve had friends for years tell me, ‘You know Charlie, you’re a Democrat and you don’t know it,’” he told the Times on Friday, adding that his decision was based on the rightward shift in the Republican Party.

“What changed is the leadership of the Republican Party,” he said. “As I said at the convention, I didn’t leave the Republican Party, it left me. Whether the issue was immigration, or education, or you name it — the environment. I feel at home now.”

Crist, despite hyping up his "conservatism" during election years, has always been a moderate. And he might have believed the things he said about Palin when she was initially picked as VP. However, he was a major player in McCain's campaign, so I suspect it was probably more of a case of him just paying lip service for the sake of the campaign.

Ziggurat · 9th December 2012, 08:42 AM

Originally Posted by UTLonghorn

It's possible that it's purely a political move on his part, but note that I said his decision could possibly be due to the far right shift of the party, which seems to be what he is saying.

Yes, that's what he's saying now, but before he bailed, he was claiming he was at the far right of the party. His claims are incompatible and he has no credibility.

Quote:

Crist, despite hyping up his "conservatism" during election years, has always been a moderate.

I'm not sure why you think that gets him off the hook. If he was always a moderate then he was lying then, and he could just as easily be lying now.

Quote:

And he might have believed the things he said about Palin when she was initially picked as VP. However, he was a major player in McCain's campaign, so I suspect it was probably more of a case of him just paying lip service for the sake of the campaign.

And you don't think he could be paying lip service to Obama for the sake of his own political prospects?

8th December 2012, 07:40 AM	#1
Dcdrac Illuminator Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 3,674	Charlie Crist formally joins Democrats to make final split from GOP http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012...-democrats-gop Charlie Crist formally joins Democrats to make final split from GOP Former Florida governor Charlie Crist has completed his political conversion, announcing on Twitter that he has joined the Democrats as a result of the Republican party's swing to the right. The one-time GOP politician, who ran unsuccessfully for the US Senate as an independent, had earlier signalled his support for President Barack Obama and campaigned on his behalf ahead of the November election. News that Crist has formalised the move to the Democratic party will prompt speculation that he may lobby for a run at his old seat in the 2014 gubernatorial race in Florida. The 56-year-old politician tweeted out a picture of him and his wife Carole holding aloft a Florida voter registration application. The accompanying message read: "Proud and honored to join the Democratic Party in the home of President @BarackObama."
Dcdrac Illuminator Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 3,674

8th December 2012, 12:27 PM	#2
RandFan Mormon Atheist Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Southern California Posts: 53,217	I'm not a Democrat but I certainly can relate.
	__________________ Ego, ain't it a bitch? It is not very unreasonable that the rich should contribute to the public expense, not only in proportion to their revenue, but something more than in that proportion. --Adam Smith

8th December 2012, 02:00 PM	#3
thaiboxerken Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 20,963	And the GOP will say "he was just a RINO anyway."
	__________________ All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power & profit - Thomas Paine

8th December 2012, 06:34 PM	#5
balrog666 Eigenmode: Cynic Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 2,527	Did anyone notice?
	__________________ A person who won't think has no advantage over one who can't think. - (paraphrased) Mark Twain Diversity--When all colors and creeds believe exactly as liberals want them to. Or Else! -Coyote

8th December 2012, 06:50 PM	#6
Cleon King of the Pod People Moderator Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 20,519	Right now the DNC leadership is looking into whether they can reject his application.
	__________________ "People like me are what stand between us and Auschwitz." - Newt Gingrich

8th December 2012, 06:22 PM	#4
mikedenk Muse Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Midsouth, USA Posts: 790	Well, he does seem like a guy who could play for either team.

8th December 2012, 07:17 PM	#7
thaiboxerken Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 20,963	I like how the Conservatives in the thread can't see that this is a symptom of how the GOP is alienating most of the population.
	__________________ All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power & profit - Thomas Paine

8th December 2012, 07:58 PM	#8
Beerina Sarcastic Conqueror of Notions Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: A floating island above the clouds Posts: 23,835	A guy switches parties to join the party in power, as happens commonly. Let's draw deep, eternal conclusions from this about perma-changes to political landscapes.
	__________________ "Great innovations should not be forced [by way of] slender majorities." - Thomas Jefferson The government should nationalize it! Socialized, single-payer video game development and sales *now!* More, cheaper, better games, right? Right?

9th December 2012, 12:43 AM	#9
UTLonghorn Critical Thinker Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 352	Originally Posted by Beerina A guy switches parties to join the party in power, as happens commonly. Let's draw deep, eternal conclusions from this about perma-changes to political landscapes. Yes, it can't have anything to do with his personal convictions or belief that his former party has been take over by a far right ideological purists and demagogues.
	__________________ Clifford Stern: "What is the guy so upset about? You'd think nobody was ever compared to Mussolini before."

9th December 2012, 01:52 AM	#10
Chaos TAM Chocolate Dispenser Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: The Heart of Old Europe Posts: 9,778	Originally Posted by UTLonghorn Yes, it can't have anything to do with his personal convictions or belief that his former party has been take over by a far right ideological purists and demagogues. Cut him some slack, okay? It isn´t easy to understand that some people might be motivated by something other than myopic egoism.
	__________________ Grand Master, Knights of the Question Mark Illusion: too good to be true - Reality: too true to be good Authors build castles in the sky, readers live in them and publishers collect the rent. - Maxim Gorki Folks enjoy a witch-hunt as long as they are on the blunt end of the pitchfork. - Suezoled You can't use logic to talk a man out of a position that he didn't use logic to get himself into - passed down by Nyarlathotep Kids these days are better than their parents since they constitute the newest edition, the beta version of our societies - Cleopatra YouÂ´ll have to accept the fact that some people are just plain nuts. - Paul C. Anagnostopolous

9th December 2012, 02:07 AM	#11
Ziggurat Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 26,195	Originally Posted by UTLonghorn Yes, it can't have anything to do with his personal convictions or belief that his former party has been take over by a far right ideological purists and demagogues. His personal beliefs? You mean these ones? "I'm about as conservative as you can get ... I'm a Jeb Bush Republican ... President Bush is a leader of courage and conviction ... I was impressed at Gov. Palin being picked. I watched her speech today, I was very impressed ... I'm a pro-life, pro-gun, anti-tax Republican ... I think it's important for people to understand who the true conservative is in this race, and it's Charlie Crist." Yeah, I'm totally sure those beliefs led Crist to become a Democrat.
	__________________ "As long as it is admitted that the law may be diverted from its true purpose -- that it may violate property instead of protecting it -- then everyone will want to participate in making the law, either to protect himself against plunder or to use it for plunder. Political questions will always be prejudicial, dominant, and all-absorbing. There will be fighting at the door of the Legislative Palace, and the struggle within will be no less furious." - Bastiat, The Law

9th December 2012, 07:59 AM	#12
angrysoba Philosopher Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Osaka, Japan Posts: 8,523	Originally Posted by Ziggurat His personal beliefs? You mean these ones? "I'm about as conservative as you can get ... I'm a Jeb Bush Republican ... President Bush is a leader of courage and conviction ... I was impressed at Gov. Palin being picked. I watched her speech today, I was very impressed ... I'm a pro-life, pro-gun, anti-tax Republican ... I think it's important for people to understand who the true conservative is in this race, and it's Charlie Crist." Yeah, I'm totally sure those beliefs led Crist to become a Democrat. Maybe he's gay. What?!? Why are you looking at me like that? I'm just saying what everyone else is thinking.

9th December 2012, 08:33 AM	#13
UTLonghorn Critical Thinker Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 352	Originally Posted by Ziggurat His personal beliefs? You mean these ones? "I'm about as conservative as you can get ... I'm a Jeb Bush Republican ... President Bush is a leader of courage and conviction ... I was impressed at Gov. Palin being picked. I watched her speech today, I was very impressed ... I'm a pro-life, pro-gun, anti-tax Republican ... I think it's important for people to understand who the true conservative is in this race, and it's Charlie Crist." Yeah, I'm totally sure those beliefs led Crist to become a Democrat. It's possible that it's purely a political move on his part, but note that I said his decision could possibly be due to the far right shift of the party, which seems to be what he is saying. http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics...ow-a-democrat/ Quote: “I’ve had friends for years tell me, ‘You know Charlie, you’re a Democrat and you don’t know it,’” he told the Times on Friday, adding that his decision was based on the rightward shift in the Republican Party. “What changed is the leadership of the Republican Party,” he said. “As I said at the convention, I didn’t leave the Republican Party, it left me. Whether the issue was immigration, or education, or you name it — the environment. I feel at home now.” Crist, despite hyping up his "conservatism" during election years, has always been a moderate. And he might have believed the things he said about Palin when she was initially picked as VP. However, he was a major player in McCain's campaign, so I suspect it was probably more of a case of him just paying lip service for the sake of the campaign.
	__________________ Clifford Stern: "What is the guy so upset about? You'd think nobody was ever compared to Mussolini before."

9th December 2012, 08:42 AM	#14
Ziggurat Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 26,195	Originally Posted by UTLonghorn It's possible that it's purely a political move on his part, but note that I said his decision could possibly be due to the far right shift of the party, which seems to be what he is saying. Yes, that's what he's saying now, but before he bailed, he was claiming he was at the far right of the party. His claims are incompatible and he has no credibility. Quote: Crist, despite hyping up his "conservatism" during election years, has always been a moderate. I'm not sure why you think that gets him off the hook. If he was always a moderate then he was lying then, and he could just as easily be lying now. Quote: And he might have believed the things he said about Palin when she was initially picked as VP. However, he was a major player in McCain's campaign, so I suspect it was probably more of a case of him just paying lip service for the sake of the campaign. And you don't think he could be paying lip service to Obama for the sake of his own political prospects?
	__________________ "As long as it is admitted that the law may be diverted from its true purpose -- that it may violate property instead of protecting it -- then everyone will want to participate in making the law, either to protect himself against plunder or to use it for plunder. Political questions will always be prejudicial, dominant, and all-absorbing. There will be fighting at the door of the Legislative Palace, and the struggle within will be no less furious." - Bastiat, The Law