Moving on to something a little less serious, evidently people are talking about Florida Governor Charlie Crist entering the Senate race in his state. Let's just say that I would be surprised if he wasn't getting some significant pressure from the National GOP to run. We know that the GOP is desperate to keep the Dems from getting 60 votes in the Senate. We know that Republicans would perhaps be slightly favored in Florida in a Senate race though not certainly, and we know that the presumptive frontrunner for the Republicans has been unable to raise excitement or money. This in contrast to the presumptive Democratic nominee, Kendrick Meek, who has been raising money like crazy, with generous assists from Bill Clinton.
As it stands, it's difficult to see how the Senate race in Florida would turn out--Rubio hasn't yet set the state ablaze, and it would likely wind up being a close race that hinges on base turnout. That might favor Republicans, but since Obama just won the state last year it might not. Putting up Crist as a candidate all but assures a Republican hold, as he has broad popularity and wouldn't need any additional funds. Crist is of a moderate disposition, though what sets him apart is that he does have some scruples and doesn't indulge the base in stunts like the ACORN nonsense. Crist running for the Senate, though, leaves the race for governor open. And there's a Democrat waiting in the wings for that, too. The implications of a Democrat winning the Florida governor's chair--and it's been about 12 years since the last one, so it might be time--would be huge. There would no doubt be less of Florida's famous gerrymandering in Republican favor, and the end result would be less House seats and less state legislature seats for Republicans. But it isn't inconcievable that Republicans are willing to trade a few House seats for a Senate seat--Republicans have a 70-vote deficit in the House, but they effectively only tied in the Senate. And yes, it's annoying that that's the case and that the filibuster is abused, but it is. My proposed reform would be to put a clock on the filibuster and allow it to expire after, say, three months. Seems reasonable to me. Anyway...
So, this is a theory that just happens to fit the facts. Repubs want to keep the Dems from 60, and they are willing to potentially sacrifice a governorship and elect a more moderate senator and perhaps shred Florida's GOP to hold the Senate seat. They're that desperate. I guess I just don't know what Crist gets out of it. A higher national profile for 2016? Someone with his profile doesn't stand a chance in 2012. I don't know. But it will be fun to watch.
(BTW, as I've said before, Charlie Crist is perhaps the best hope for a Republican renewal, which is something that even this lefty would like to see.)
