Following many speculation, Florida Governor Charlie Crist has announced he has dropped out of the Republican primary and can be running as an independent candidate for the U.S. Senate. It has been anticipated for a while that he would do so, so it’s not as though a lot of individuals are really that surprised or are right away going to get cheap payday loans to fill his opponents’ coffers. (Maybe they’ll?) Crist has the advantage of a long service record and greater recognition with the voting public in Florida.
Charlie Crist and also the Republicans have broken up
The Charlie Crist announcement wasn’t unexpected, but other Republicans are asking for campaign funds back. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) made pleas within the press for Crist to return any funds from the PAC (Political Action Committee) which were given for his potential Senate campaign, and any requested funds back to donors, according to USA Today.
Independent is a gamble
Running as an independent can go several ways. The biggest advantage Charlie Crist has, according to the New York Times, is name recognition. Floridians know him better than the other two candidates. The Republican candidate Marco Rubio is a Tea Party favored, but is seen as slightly moderate. He also allegedly used party funds for personal expenses. (Misuse of funds by a Tea Party person? Never!)
Independents don’t have the best track record
So far, independent candidates haven’t had the greatest success. Currently, there are two Independent Senators, Bernie Sanders and Joe Lieberman. You will find only 3 independent governors ever (Jesse Ventura ran with a party and doesn’t count) and one President. (There was no party affiliation of George Washington.) Statistics aren’t on the side of independents. What does fare well is branding – and Charlie Crist is a fairly solid brand in Florida. This will get interesting.
Sources for the article
USA Today
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2010/04/cornyn-to-crist-give-back-gop-campaign-cash-/1
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/29/us/politics/29cristcaucus.html
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