Don’t believe any of the Democratic and Republican comments about the possibility of Governor Charlie Crist running for the United States Senate as an Independent candidate.
Both major political parties are saying that Crist will die a political death if he chooses to run as an Independent. Republicans and Democrats are both saying they will vote party lines and Crist will be alone in the political wilderness.
Liars, liars, pants on fire!
Let me explain. In the State of Florida, more than in any other state, it seems that members of political parties never vote a straight party ticket. If they did, Republicans could never win a rat race in Florida because the number of Democrats and Independents in the Sunshine State outnumber the Republicans.
It was Democrats voting for Republicans that that put Jeb Bush, Charlie Crist and other Republicans in the Florida Legislature and Cabinet.
Also, only the political party puppets are hog tied to the parties of their voter registration. In other words, many people just register under the party affiliation that will allow them to vote in most local elections in Florida’s partisan political primaries.
In counties where you have more Democratic candidates you will have more registered Democrats. In Republican counties, there will be more registered Republicans.
But they still don’t necessarily vote down party lines.
Leon County, for instance, is overwhelmingly registered Democratic but nearly every local office has some Republican on those Boards, Councils and Commissions. In the Stuart-St. Lucie part of Florida, there are many Blacks registered as Republicans but those same Black Republicans voted for Democrat Barack Obama.
If you listen to the political liars, all Democrats will vote for Kendrick Meek and all Republicans will vote for Marco Rubio for US Senate and no one will vote for Charlie Crist. They say all labor union members will vote for Meek.
If labor loves Meek, why have the teacher’s unions been buying TV ads thanking Crist for vetoing teacher accountability legislation? Why have groups like police and firefighters continued to support Christ despite his indecision about an Independent candidacy?
Don’t listen to the selfish political liars. The view from the Florida streets shows that most voters are inclined to vote for the best candidates regardless of their party affiliation. If voters perceive Crist to be the best candidate, they will vote for him regardless of the political tags placed on him.
Questions? Do labor union members always vote for candidates endorsed by union leaders? No! Do Black voters sometimes vote for white candidates that run against Black opponents? Yes! Are more voters politically independent than Democratic and Republican political pundits think they are? Yes!
The Gantt Report thinks an Independent attempt by Charlie Crist to win the US Senate race will scare both Democrats and Republicans to death!
Charlie Crist, more than any other Senate candidate, has sought to broaden his base, diversify his staff and listen to the voice and will of the people.
Could the other Senate candidates be merely sucking up to party leaders, selling their souls to political devils and ignoring the hopes and aspirations of the voters?
Time will tell but never say voters are so stupid that they can’t recognize desirable candidates on their own without being led like sheep by corrupt, insensitive political parties.
By Lucius Gantt
