Why the Republican Party needs Charlie Crist more than he needs them
January 30, 2009 at 1:15 pm by Jim Johnson
The Republicans are one Senate seat away from complete irrelevance in Washington, D.C. One.
Mel Martinez has decided not to run for re-election, and former Republican Gov. Jeb Bush has taken a pass. What’s a Grand Old Party to do?
You see, there are other holes in the Republican dike: Kit Bond of Missouri and George Voinovich of Ohio are retiring, as well.
Ol’ Jim Bunning in Kentucky barely won re-election 2004 when it was still okay to be a Republican – and there are also some popular Democrats who’ve won statewide office in the Bluegrass State eyeing the post.
As if those opportunities for the Democrats aren’t enough, word came this week that Barack Obama is considering Republican Sen. Judd Gregg from New Hampshire as his Commerce Secretary. Gregg’s successor would be appointed by a Democratic governor, leading some to speculate it would be a Democrat and others to point out that the NH gov is very bipartisan and probably would stay with an R. Gregg’s term is also up in 2010, and given the inclination of the Granite State to vote Democrat recently, it’s possible this could be a fifth hole the NRSC has to plug.
One seat. Four to five holes. Yikes!
Can you say no more “cloture votes“?
Cue the Mighty Mouse music: Here he comes to save the day!
Charlie Crist remains über popular. He is on track to cruise to re-election as Governor – so much so that no real viable Democrat will even deign to run.
The only Democrats running for Senate so far are a Congressman and State Senator from South Florida. A mayor from Tampa is considering it.
None of them would beat Charlie. None.
The payback
By jumping into this race, Charlie would earn oodles of political capital. He would make friends in DC, and raise his profile nationally. Then he could decide if 2012 was the time to run for president, or if he wanted to wait until 2016 – when his term and a potential 2nd term for Obama would dovetail together nicely.
Everyone here in Florida knows Charlie wants to run for president. He could do it from the Governor’s mansion easily in 2012. But the gubernatorial term ends in 2014 — and it’s be easier to run for the nation’s highest office when your still in one (see Romney, Mitt or Giuliani, Rudy).
He would not blatantly ask for such a quid-pro-quo… but he would start moving in the right circles and earn the gratitude of many in the GOP. Some might call that “win-win.”
But truthfully, a popular governor from the nations fourth-largest state has the gravitas needed to be serious in the race for President. Charlie could do just as well from Tallahassee as he could from Capitol Hill.
Can he be talked into running? He might just save the GOP.
– Wayne Garcia contributed to this post.
