Ohh Charlie: The importance of being Crist

May 1, 2010: Down by as much as twenty points in the GOP primary for Florida's open U.S. Senate seat, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R-Florida) has announced he'll run as an independent.

As my boyhood friend Todd Christianson used to say after he'd hit a home run over his back yard fence, "Ohh Charlie." 

Crist is facing a more conservative challenger in the primary, State Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida) who has won the endorsement of major conservative figures.

Even though polls show Rubio leading Crist handly in the primary, polls also show Crist leading in three way race. A Quinnipiac poll earlier this month found Crist in the lead with 34 percent of voters, ahead of Rubio with 32 percent and Democratic frontrunner Congressman Kendrick Meek with 24 percent.

While running without a party label is extremely hard, if anyone can win that way, Crist can.

Crist will serve out his term for the full six months of the campaign and has banked about $7 million in his political account at the end of March. Crist can compete on cash and as a popular governor and a moderate, Crist appeals across party lines.

Crist's campaign as an Independent is the moderate Republican watershed.

Conservatives back Rubio and criticize Crist because he's not conservative enough. In far too many states, good moderate candidates get thrown out in favor of extremes on either side.

It's because only the warriors (liberals and conservatives) out number all other voters when it comes primary day. They show up and vote for the candidate who they view will best carry their flag into battle. 

In November, the general election attracts a greater number of voters thus a far more moderate crowd including a majority of independent voters who tend to vote for the candidate versus the party.

Crist is a solid candidate with strong name recognition and money in the bank. A win for Crist would send a signal that the best candidate can emerge from a closed primary.

Ohh Charlie!