The governor of Florida is under a lot of pressure. Republicans want him out. Democrats want him in. It seems the only person who hasn’t made his wishes known is Charlie Crist himself. Now he says that on Thursday, he’s going to make up his mind whether to run for the U.S. Senate as an independent.
People once hailed Crist as the golden boy of the GOP. He’s affable, good-looking, well-liked by voters. His charm, relative moderation and popularity in the perennial swing state that is Florida made many believe that he’d someday be on a national ticket. Then he hugged Barack Obama, and just like that the national love affair was over.
The very qualities that have made Crist a strong governor have now made him anathema to a party intent on rooting out ideological impurities. He has a long history of working with Democrats, and in the midst of a very real recession he embraced Obama’s stimulus money. Whether or not they agree with his policies, Floridians have generally responded well to Crist’s sensible, bipartisan style.
But the Tea Party is in vogue now, and suddenly there’s no room for pragmatism in the Republican Party. A dividing line has been drawn in the far right corner of the ideological sand. Anyone to its left, be he Crist, Obama or Stalin, is a socialist out to destroy the American spirit of capitalism and innovation. Thus, Crist is left fighting off his hyper-conservative, Tea-Party-sanctioned opponent, March Rubio, and the national Republican establishment is calling for him to get out of the race. Democrats who once feared losing the seat can barely contain their glee at the thought of an independent run by Crist splitting the conservative vote.
There was a time not so long ago when words like “moderate,” “bipartisan” and “pragmatic” weren’t dirty. When those politicians who crossed party lines in the interests of the country were considered heroes. It seems those days have passed.
Americans frustrated with the gridlock and posturing that have descended upon their government have no one to blame but themselves. So long as they buy into the rhetoric of fear-mongers on the far ends of the ideological spectrum, polarization will grip the country and nothing will get done.
Floridians should reward Crist for his strength of character in resisting the Tea Party zealots and support whatever decision he makes. Voters in other states should similarly stand behind candidates who show a willingness to work across the aisle in the interests of their state and country. Responsible leaders won’t magically appear to end this country’s partisan gridlock; in fact, they’re disappearing rapidly.
It’s time we showed the few upstanding politicians left that we’ve got their backs.
Nathaniel French is a junior theater major. He can be reached for comment at [email protected].
