Tampa Bay teachers shifting political loyalties to support Charlie Crist

[DonCoquixote]

Link Here:

http://www.tampabay.com/news/tampa-bay-teachers-shifting-political-loyalties-to-support-charlie-crist/1091233

Comment:
A) this is either fake news meant to support the idea that we should all jump to Charlie's aid all because he did one decent thing.
B) Maybe some teachers are falling for Charlie.

I will admit, Obama supporting Arne Duncan is a kick to the gut, but are people so desperate that they will support a person that up until recently was a card carrying GOP? I really hope people do not drink the Kool aid, or else the message that will be repeated again is "see, we really ARE a center right nation!" If Crist gets into the senate, expect a lot of support from his fellow "independent" Joe Lieberman!

[Pirate Smile]

1. It will be interesting to see how he deals with the "who will you caucus with" question.

[LakeSamish706]

2. I actually kinda like Crist and have wondered why he was a Republican.

This would be much like Chuck Hagel IMHO.

[Dappleganger]

4. Funny, that crossed my mind too...

but IMO Hagel was a more stand-up guy who didn't tend to pander to anyone. Crist has a history of doing whatever is politically expedient.

BTW, the teacher's union produced a great commercial thanking Gov. Crist for his veto of SB 6--it was very touching and a great message. The teachers of this state were VERY grateful for Crist going to bat for them w/the veto. They will not forget that!

[LakeSamish706]

8. I think it would be more like getting rid of Jeb Bush in this State that would do the most good. n/t

[LiberalAndProud]

24. If so, that doesn't recommend Crist.

at all.

Hagel was against the Iraq war, and said so out loud -- for all the difference that made. This was the single good thing he did during his tenure in DC. Good he said the right thing once.

Great.

[JI7]

3. i think it's more about stopping Rubio than anything else

if it came down to Crist vs Meek i'm sure they would support Meek

[flyarm]

16. Bingo!!! Meeks is known only to the south east of Florida..he is hardly known on the west coast or

to the Dixiecrats..

as stated on Tampa Tv tonight ..Charlie is still governor and he will get the biggest share of media time..Meeks is hardly ever talked about in the West Coast of Fla

There have been tons of commericals for Rubio and Crist in SW Fla..

Zero by Meeks...zero..nada..none.

Meeks was in Clearwater 1 1/2 weeks ago..hardly anyone was at his fund raiser..

I went to a luncheon fundraiser for Meeks..3 people showed up..I was one of them.

We Dem's here in Fla see the writing on the wall.

[SoCalDem]

33. Two young guys running against a seasoned pol

One, white & far right
the other black and to the left

It's easy to see how Crist wins.

I like Meeks, but I think he ran too soon. He needed more nurturing in the house and should have run when a sitting governor was not making the switcheroo.

If he loses, he will have not only lost his chance at the senate, he will also be out of office in the house. The next time he tries to run he will be just another ex-congressman.

Crist may be pissed off enough to NOT caucus with the repubs, since he would like a committee assignment, and Obama is likely to "woo" him a little.. I see Joe Lieberman quitting, so Crist may be the only independent there for the latter part of his term.

The next Florida senate race should be run by someone with a higher profile.. kendrick needs to go back to the house (or try to) the next cycle

[DonCoquixote]

5. I am worried here

Yes, I hate Marco Rubio, but if Crist gets elected, the message you will hear over and over is that the "center-right is the heart of the nation, and many of the Dixie-based Blue Dogs will get the message that they can just run as independents and be as big of a d*ck/diva as they want to be. This is dangerous, because, let's be honest, the GOP, for all their sound and fury, is not the real threat to the left at this point (save for teabaggers with guns); the real threat comes from Blue Dogs that are seeking to enable the selfishness and prejudice of their voters.

I also have to say that if the teachers do get behind Crist, what does that say about them? Yes, I know Arne Duncan is the anti-christ, but do Florida's teachers forget who is what that kept Jeb Bush's educational policies alive, and who only changed his stripes when Jeb decided he wanted to move on to younger meat? The last thing we need right now is a bunch of articles that say "people switch to the GOP" because we all know who will benefit from that badly needed blast of air.

[Dappleganger]

10. True, but...

have you seen what's on the agenda for Sen. Thrasher and his ilk? Those assholes are preparing to send us back into the Dark Ages!

http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/criminal/florida-senate-steers-hard-to-right-as-session-nears-an-end/1091186

"Abortion. School prayer. A lawsuit over President Obama's health care plan. A race-related measure dividing Democrats.

These proposals gripped the Florida Senate on Wednesday in a sign that the once-moderate body is shifting ever more rightward under the leadership of future Senate President Mike Haridopolos."

**********************

^^^^^^^^^^^^There are many more things to be worried about than our blue dog Dems! Just how entrenched is Jebbie still in the FL legislature? If these FAR RW idiots are from his era, we have to do whatever it takes to not just vote them out, but protect whatever reasonable laws are left wrt education, women and gay rights, etc. These fucktards are trying to take us back to the Dark Ages!

[SwampG8r]

18. i took a class taught by haridopolis

he is about 5 foot 2
i took a us history class
he used his poli/sci class to run his campaign on school time
we found out later

[Dappleganger]

26. He's scares the shit out of me.

If people like him are at the wheel in FL we are doomed.

[SwampG8r]

29. i am surprised

he didnt run for governor
he craves power and that alone should be a reason to keep him from power

[flvegan]

6. A good number of them are just living up to their word.

They said they'd do it for the favor of a veto, which he did.

[DonCoquixote]

7. To clarify

I am not slamming the people who would simply vote independent, though my vote still goes with Kendrick Meek. What I do worry is that people who would otherwise NEVER vote GOP are willing to wear the elephant. This is exactly the sort of thing the Grover Norquists and Karl Roves know how to exploit.

[madfloridian]

9. It's more about stopping Rubio for many teachers...

Meek doesn't have much chance unless he becomes a stronger campaigner, and Rubio is too dangerous for this state.

I think that since Obama chose Duncan, he made it clear he is going to privatize education. Neither have been respectful to public school teachers, and that is just a shame.

Most I have talked with don't think Crist is the answer, but they fear Rubio more...and fear that Meek won't win.

[Dappleganger]

11. Where was Meek during the SB 6 crisis?

I didn't see hide nor hair of him up here in NE FL nor active on the SB 6 Facebook Group. We DID see a lot of communication and activity from Alex Sink, however.

[DonCoquixote]

14. here's a link or 2

http://kendrickmeek.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=30§iontree=6,30&itemid=675
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2010/04/kendrick-meeks-urges-crist-to-veto-teacher-bill-.html

The problem is , the Florida democrats are pishing sink, who sadly, is another damn Blue Dog.

[flyarm]

34. didn't see or hear a word from him in SW Florida!..zip..zero..not a word ..eom

[AwareOne]

12. I can live with Crist as a Senator

especially since he is being screwed over and abandoned by the Repubs. He would probably be a moderate and vote with the Dems just out of spite. We can not let 38 year old Marco Rubio, the right-wing zealot get into the senate.

[Bozita]

13. Teachers everywhere are looking for political allies. Obama/Duncan ain't allies.

They're still looking.

Maybe I'm not too smart, but I'm guessing the overwhelming teacher vote for Obama will not be there in '12. Some will switch. Some will go third party. Some will simply stay home.

Will it make a difference? I don't know.

I apologize for feeling the need to post this.

[flyarm]

15. Great Charlie commericals started running tonight ..by Teachers, students..paid for by Education

group!

Great commerical..saying ..Thanks Charlie

Charlie and Lieberman are as different as Oil and water!

Charlie is no Lieberman!

Not even close, and many many Fla dems love Charlie..in fact I know many, many dems lining up to work for Charlie. And that includes precinct leaders ( ELECTED) who will give up their seats to work for Charlie..because they know without a shadow of doubt ..Meeks will not win..so the choice is pretty clear..Charlie or a fascist Senator..Rubio!

[DonCoquixote]

30. SO

The GOP runs a hyper fascist, and then we, on the left, in order to win, elect someone not so far from the GOP, thereby making sure the right sets the agenda at that the center pulls right.

Is'nt this why people are supposedly mad at Obama in the first place?

[Divine Discontent]

31. I'm here too, and the only way Meeks gets in is if the other 2 split 66% each and Meeks gets 34 &

I really don't see that happening. I think Spray Tan Charlie pulls this out by a few points over Rubio, and Meeks a distant 3rd if he is as mediocre as he's appearing. However, he may go into high gear and spend those millions he's been building and maybe "show up" in this race... I won't hold my breath.

Hi Flyarm! :hi:

[flyarm]

35. I don't see that happening either..I see Charlie more splitting dems ..and getting moderate repukes.

look at the polling now

37% Rubio
30% Crist
22% Meek

Meek has had no challange..and he is polling at 22%..dismal to say the least!

Lest we forget the 2.5 million registered Indy's in Fla..and the pissed off senior women who had their 2008 primary votes stolen by the dem party..maybe the rest of the country has moved on..but those women are vocal and still damn angry!

Hi back at'cha..Divine Discontent :hi: :hi:

[sabrina 1]

17. The Obama administration has betrayed teachers.

All that talk about how Obama would support them before the election, has gone the way of the talk about a Public Option, or no off-shore drilling.

I am not at all surprised that teachers are backing the man who actually did risk his affiliation with his own party to go to bat for them against that vile law, that airc, Arne Duncan supported. Democrats are losing not just teachers, but unions and environmentalists and many other groups as a result of their policies.

People will always vote for their own interests. Crist knew what he was risking when he vetoed that bill. It was a brave decision. When Dems start fighting for teachers as he did, then they will have earned the votes of those teachers. Until then, there's no point in whining about the results of their own action. When that bill passed, I don't recall too many Democrats standing up against it. Crist did, I was shocked I admit, as I never expected him to have the courage to do it. But he did. So, he earned the support of teachers everywhere.

[DonCoquixote]

19. Respectful disagreement

"All that talk about how Obama would support them before the election, has gone the way of the talk about a Public Option, or no off-shore drilling.

OK, I won;t deny you there. Yes, Obama does need to go to the left, even if we do have a nasty habit of not supporting Democrats who do.

"teachers are backing the man who actually did risk his affiliation with his own party to go to bat for them"

In all fairness, Crist was being dumped by his party, outright dumped. He knew that he needed to find a lifeboat quick, and the same teachers that he mistreated all those long years as governor were a perfect chance to do so. This was NOT heroism.

' I don't recall too many Democrats standing up against it."

Well, I provided links in an earlier reply, certainly Meek did, and he is the one running.

Now, here is why I make this point. The main reason we are mad at Obama is because he rows way too close to the center. Well, I will not deny that, but keep one thing in mind. We, as voters, send messages to Politicians, and one clear message has been that while we all talk about wanting leftists, we only elect centrists. If Meek is thrown to the wolves, we will send a very clear message that we will reject anybody who we think is not "winnable", and we all know that the MSM only allows centrists to be seen as winnable, thus the fact that Meek is hidden by his own party. If we support someone who, up until such time as the GOP asked him to resign, supported OIl drilling, supported school budget cuts, supported the gay marriage ban Florida enacted, we will play right into the hands of the MSM that say "if someone is not close to the center, we do not support him!" and then we wonder why we get all the triangulation. If we do not send the message that yes, we will support people who are left of center, then we will never get anybody left of the clintons, and we will have ourselves to blame.

[sabrina 1]

21. Thank you for a very civil disagreement .

You make excellent points, and I completely agree with your point about the perception that we only elect politicians who are in the center. I have to say though, that we do that because we rarely have a choice. Such as the last presidential election eg.

I was not suggesting though, that democrats vote for Crist over a Democrat, just explaining why teachers now find themselves supporting a Republican after being literally thrown to the wolves by the Democratic Party.

If Meek is a real progressive, and I don't know much about him yet, I would love to see him win, for all the reasons you outlined.

I am glad to hear that Meek that did stand up for teachers. Frankly I am in shock over the way the Democratic Party, Arne Duncan in particular with Obama's blessing it seems, has treated teachers. Anyhow, thank you for your post. I can't disagree with anything you said, just wanted to clarify my point about why teachers have ended up supporting Crist.

[DonCoquixote]

27. Your'e welcome

It's nice to see poeple disagree without going for the dueling pistols.

I do agree that we are not given a choice, but if we want that choice, we need to throw monkeywrenches into the media gears, we need to ask "hey, why are all these commericals about Alex Sink and none about Kendrick Meek." If we do not fight the battle that early in the game, then by the time Elections run around, we are dead.

[QC]

22. For Obama to row close to the center would be a vast improvement.

On education policy, his administration is right wing.

[tonysam]

28. Being for public school privatization is NOT the "center"--it is hard right

Obama's beliefs have NO place in the Democratic Party. Period.

[flyarm]

36. don't tell the Education groups that are running commercials non stop in SW Florida that Charlie is

not their hero..their commercials are making Charlie their hero..big time!! as well as students and parents in the commercials!

And the huge crowd at Charlie's announcement was a huge show of support of Teachers constituents and many many Dem's who care about education in St Pete last night.

Charlie had a very large showing last night!!

[JCMach1]

20. In the swamp of politics that is FL often labels are just labels

You have to look very closely at the people involved.

i.e. there are many RINOs and DINOs in Florida.

[QC]

23. It makes sense. On ed policy, Charlie is better than Obama.

It's sad that our party has come to such a pass, but there you have it.

[proud2BlibKansan]

25. Bad idea

Once a repuke . . .

[DCBob]

32. Democrats are a "big tent" and getting bigger while the GOP is shrinking and getting more radical..

But the main reason some Democrats may want to vote for Crist is to keep Rubio from winning since Meek, at this point, appears to be a week candidate.