The tea partiers are so confident that they will have a major victory in November by ousting not only Democrats but incumbent republicans.
But what is transpiring in the Florida governor race is revealing a major vulnerability of this movement.
The incumbent Charlie Crist was losing to Mark Rubio for the Republican nomination therefore has decided to run as an independent.
Crist is trailing Rubio by 20 points but if he switches to independent he would take the lead overall.
The Tea Party leaders across the country have all stood up to try to persuade Crist not to run as an Independent because they know that it would be their doom.
But it may not only be their defeat in Florida but a template for how to defeat them in races across the country.
Why?
Moderate common sense conservatives can draw support from conservatives as well as large portion of democrats who either want more conservatives in congress or who want simply the option of defeating the Tea Party movement.

4/28/2010 4:03:01 PM

McCain may get outflanked from the right too. I doubt he'd run as an independent, but still going from presidential candidate to nothing would be a blow.

Scozzafava was a huge deal too. A district that had been Republican forever and would have stayed that way, but a Tea Party type candidate came in, drove out the Republican while trash talking her to the point of endorsing the Democrat, and the Democrat won in an off year special election in this current political environment in a seat that would have otherwise gone Republican.

I posted this in another thread not too long ago:


Some stories from the msnbc politics section
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032553/ns/politics

Quote :

"Could the Tea Party hurt the GOP in the polls? Third party candidates could siphon votes from Republicans in November That's exactly what could be happening in Nevada, where Tea Party candidate Scott Ashjian could upset the GOP's chances of defeating Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in his reelection race. "

Quote :

"McCain enlists Palin in 2010 Senate fight Former GOP presidential candidate faces primary challenge from right McCain is fighting for his political life. Fending off a primary challenge from the right, the four-term Arizona senator is facing the toughest re-election campaign of his Senate career. "

Quote :

"GOP's Bennett battles conservative challengers Utah senator faces wave of opposition from the right in state convention Bennett, who is seeking fourth term, faces a wave of opposition from the right, and describes this campaign as the toughest of his career."

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/03/24/tea-party-candidates-could-play-spoiler-role-says-poll/

Quote :

"Tea Party candidates could play spoiler role, says poll Washington (CNN) - Democrats will get a boost if the Tea Party movement fields its own candidates in this year's Congressional elections, according to a new national poll. A Quinnipiac University survey released Wednesday morning also indicates that the 13 percent of American voters who say they are part of the Tea Party movement tend to be mainly white and Republican."

4/28/2010 4:23:41 PM

Are the tea-partiers not financed and supported behind the scenes by Republican power brokers and strategists?????

4/28/2010 4:25:01 PM

Sure they are. It's called FreedomWorks.

4/28/2010 4:32:43 PM

I think most GOP'ers don't really care about Crist. He's about as moderate as you can be while still claiming to be a Republican. It's about time he paid for it at the polls.

McCain, who knows. He watered down his positions so much when running for president its hard to tell. And a lot of his moves in the Senate have been very moderate.

It shouldn't be a surprise that Tea Party members are against these two when they no longer uphold any conservative idealogy.

4/28/2010 4:38:15 PM

Quote :

"He's about as moderate as you can be while still claiming to be a Republican"

ZOMG a MODERATE republican oh NO I guess any true loyal republican should be of the hooksaw right wing nutjob caliber. I think if McCain
had choosen a more moderate republican ticket mate he may have won the election.

4/28/2010 4:55:39 PM

Its now official, the announcement has been made:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36855039/ns/politics-decision_2010/

Quote :

"Crist announces independent bid for Senate Tells supporters 'I need you more than ever' as he bolts GOP ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Former GOP darling Gov. Charlie Crist defected from the Republican Party on Thursday to run as an independent for U.S. Senate after months of being ripped by conservatives as too supportive of President Barack Obama. "I don't have either party helping me. But I need you. I need you more than ever," the governor said, surrounded by cheering supporters carrying signs that included "Democrats for Crist." Crist was the heavy favorite last year, and was even among the Republican names bandied about in the 2012 presidential race. But the primary campaign quickly became a lost cause as the tea party movement embraced another candidate, Marco Rubio, and held up the governor's literal embrace of Obama last year as evidence that Crist was too liberal. Crist said the election is "not one club's decision or another club's decision, or one club within that club. ... We give you the chance to make that decision." His chances of winning as an independent appear slim. He's burned bridges with Republicans, and Democrats see his announcement as an opportunity for their own likely nominee, U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek."

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/04/29/michael-steele-reacts-to-crist-announcement/?fbid=CeukDESvFZn

Quote :

"With unemployment at an all-time high in Florida, they want a Senator to exercise strong fiscal discipline and be a catalyst for job creation. Without question, the Republican nominee this fall will offer those qualities. Governor Charlie Crist, however, will not be that candidate. Over the years, he has served this party well, which is why his decision to run as an Independent is so disappointing. To be sure, he left this party. This party did not leave him. His decision will in no way impede our path to victory in Florida."

4/29/2010 11:10:17 PM

We need a 3 party system badly. I hope this is a step towards it.

4/29/2010 11:36:25 PM

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/05/03/florida-gop-auctions-crist-painting-on-ebay/?fbid=CeukDESvFZn

Florida GOP auctions Crist painting on eBay

Quote :

"The eBay product listing, which describes the subject as "Untrustworthy, Self-Serving Politician," drips heavily with sarcasm and outright disdain for the first-term governor. "Canvas is naturally sensitive to changes of temperature and humidity, just as the Charlie Crist's political convictions are subject to fluctuations in poll numbers," reads one mock disclaimer on the auction page. Or this: "Ornate gold frame made of manufactured wood, similar to the fabricated conservative values of the politician depicted within.""

5/3/2010 5:16:53 PM