Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida is planning a run for the Senate in his home state. Crist, a moderate Republican, will opt out of running for re-election to the governorship and instead throw his hat in the Senate race.
If Crist wins -- and he has a good chance of doing so -- it could signal to other Republican candidates that moderation is the way to go. Should he lose, however, the GOP may take it as a sign that moderate candidates cannot win, thus enabling them to run as idealists rather than pragmatists (because what else would they have to lose?).
For Democrats, this situation is not necessarily a "win-lose" -- should Crist win, we won't get that Senate seat we want, which ordinarily would be a losing situation. However, if Crist's victory tells Republicans that moderation is the way to go, it could lead to a less-hostile party for Democrats to work with.
Ultimately, our goal is to win Florida in 2010. But failing that, a Crist victory will move the Republicans to the center, which is still a great outcome for the Democratic Party.
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