Hey, Dems--Don't Be Impulsive With Your Vote

I was perplexed this week to hear several Florida teachers calling into radio shows saying that they are Democrats who are seriously thinking about voting for Charlie Crist in the three-way Senate race because of his "courageous veto of SB 6". They seemed convinced that-- all of a sudden-- Charlie Crist had become a principled advocate for them.

Let's not fool ourselves.

Charlie Crist, is first, foremost--and always--a political chameleon in the worst way--in the "which-way-is-the-wind-blowing-today sense."

Don't be quick to anoint him as a political maverick who somehow now--miraculously-- speaks for you.

Know this--Charlie is always going to do what is best for Charlie, while wrapping it in a big bouquet to make it smell lovely and look appealing.

That's all that Charlie's veto of SB 6 ever was--a purely political decision made by him to do what he felt to be in his best political interest.

Think I'm wrong? Ok. Ask yourself this question.

Do you think Charlie would have vetoed SB 6 if he had been ahead of Rubio in the polls at the time of that veto? Do you think Charlie would have dared jeopardize his lead (and the current ostracizing and expulsion from the Republican party) by voting against the GOP establishment (and with the teachers' union)? No way.

Only after Charlie's popularity dropped in the GOP polls and only after he became a political outcast in the Republican party did he "discover" his newly-found so-called independent streak.

It amazes me that Charlie is being praised so highly for simply doing what he is supposed to do as Governor-- it's part of his job as the head of the third branch of government to veto a really poorly drafted bill (SB 6) that was hurriedly passed without any input or amendments and simply wasn't in an acceptable form to justify its approval. Nothing more, nothing less.

Do you remember that just 4 years ago, when Charlie was running for Governor, he labeled himself "a Jeb Bush Republican." Charlie didn't say that because he truly follows all of Jeb's ideology or even because he even likes Jeb--in fact it's now increasingly clear that Charlie and Jeb don't really care much for each other, especially lately.

But, when running for Governor, Charlie simply did the politically expedient thing that would be best for Charlie--he held his nose and embraced all things "Jeb!" just to get votes.

Four years later, he's cozying up to the teachers simply because it's politically expedient again--just to get votes. Ask yourselves where Charlie has been during the last four years in Leading on educational issues? What did he do to advance the interests of teachers-- as an advocate-- when he was still in good stead with the GOP?

The last time I checked, he was in lock step with them while he was popular in his own Party. Charlie supported the Republican-controlled legislature's annual spending cuts for education every year since he has been in office.

Where was Charlie when he had a chance to really support teachers during the last 4 years?

Where was Charlie when it came to fulfilling any of his other campaign promises?

Didn't Charlie promise to make our homeowner's insurance premiums and property taxes drop like a rock? (Psst....Charlie, we wanted our property taxes to drop, not our property values to drop....)

He has flip-flopped on drilling off the coast. Until this week when he had to retreat and rethink his position on offshore drilling because there is a deadly oil slick about to hit the coast, Charlie had supported the GOP lie that "it's necessary and I'm for it because its safer now..."

Charlie has also labeled himself a "Ronald Reagan Republican" and a Disciple of Connie Mack. Now that the "AmEx Money Changers" have thrown Charlie from "the temple," so to speak, has he disavowed these principles?

If Charlie does or does not disavow them, it tells you all that you need to know about why you should not vote for Charlie Crist if you are a Democrat.

If you are a Democrat, what makes you think that Charlie will be a torch carrier for your values in the U.S. Senate? Has he announced that he will caucus with the Democrats? Of course not, that will alienate moderate Republicans. If he won't caucus with the Democrats, why would you vote for him? If he won't tell you now who he will caucus with, why should you trust him? And if he tells you something this week, why should you trust him 6 months from now?

Will Charlie be a Bernie Sanders type of independent or a Joe Liberman type of "independent" in the Senate? I submit that Charlie is a Joe Liberman "independent." They both love John McCain.

Charlie's an independent politician this week because a filing deadline came up this week and he's a career politician and he just has to run. He loves running for office. He has all this campaign money that he's been raising for the last 2 years (instead of really being our Governor) and just doesn't know what else to do other than spend that money on a campaign.

Hey, Floridians let's not fall for Charlie's charade this time. Let's show Charlie how bad the economy really is in Florida. Let's force him to have to look for a new non-elective job in this lousy economy that he's had a hand in creating.

Sorry Charlie! I've been paying attention. Wake up Floridians.....

P.S. As for those who say they are considering voting for Charlie out of fear that otherwise, Marco Rubio will get elected, don't fall for that ploy either. Vote for the Democrat, Kendrick Meek, and Rubio will lose. There are more registered Democratic party voters in Florida.