Video: Rubio uses Crist’s words against him
posted at 1:35 pm on October 28, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
Why, that sneaky, underhanded Marco Rubio campaign! Imagine, using Governor Charlie Crist’s own words against him in a web ad. Crist has belatedly awoken to the threat from the Florida House Speaker in the Republican primary for the open Senate seat, and has begun attacking Rubio to blunt his momentum. Rubio allows Crist to speak for himself for over two minutes in this ad that paints Crist as an Obama man:
The complicating factor here may be that Crist is right — to a point. Any healthy democracy depends on the losing side of elections accepting and adopting the winner as legitimate. The failure of the Left to do that in 2000 created a number of political ills that have not yet disappeared. When Obama won, he became President to all Americans, not just those who voted for him. Unfortunately, Obama himself has difficulty remembering that, especially with his weird war on Fox News and the hackery that his press shop has promulgated in support of it.
Nor is Crist entirely wrong on his role as “Florida’s CEO,” which is to do what’s right for his state rather than worry overmuch about partisan politics. However, it does seem very debatable that the best thing for Florida was to suck capital out of the markets, especially future markets, in order to spend profusely on a stimulus package that was short on stimulus and very long on Democratic Party pork items. It might have helped to withhold his effusive support until Obama forced Nancy Pelosi to give Republicans effective input on drafting Porkulus, which would have allowed many of them to vote for the bill. Crist and others like him put a false imprimatur of bipartisanship on a process that was all sharp elbows from the Democrats, capped by Obama’s proclamation to Capitol Hill Republicans that “I won.”
And, of course, in February Crist wanted to ride Obama’s popularity for as long as he could. Now that Obama has come back down to Earth in polling, Crist will resent the idea that he was a lackey for the administration, the clear thrust of the ad here. However, Crist didn’t stand up when it counted — which is why this ad is so effective. Expect to see 30-second and 1-minute broadcast versions of this later in the campaign.
Update: Fixed the pic. Sorry about that!
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Maybe you should have married Obama then. His worthless wife got her salary tripled while she had no increased hours or responsibilities and the position was not filled after she quit.
alliebobbitt on October 28, 2009 at 3:36 PM
Excellent point, rj! Here’s the quote, from the first debate:
The idiot messiah then went on to babble (in something close to English):
If Bush’s spending was an orgy, then The Precedent’s is nothing less than the worst series of gang-rapes and killings the world has ever seen.
progressoverpeace on October 28, 2009 at 3:38 PM
allie,
Cuban Americans are very good, I have worked with them for most of my life, it does not mean that their politicians are free of corruption. ANY political machine is inherently corrupt, and the Miami one is by far the worst and some of Rubios dealings (particularly his housing deals) reflect that.
Squid Shark on October 28, 2009 at 3:41 PM
Not talking about Obama, but nice deflection, it distracts from Rubio AND implies somhow that I support Obama because I dare reject his republican doppleganger.
Squid Shark on October 28, 2009 at 3:42 PM
Kendrick Meeks is the Dem challenger and at this time doesn’t have a prayer.
And according to a Rasmussen poll from last week, Rubio does better against Meeks than Crist:
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections2/election_2010/election_2010_senate_elections/florida/election_2010_florida_senate
As a 41-year resident of Florida, I’m doing the Snoopy dance with this news!
The day after the Palm Beach County GOP execuive committee straw poll – where Rubio crushed Crist 90-17 – Crist started a radio campaign blitz, trying to convince everyone he’s a hard-core conservative. They’re laughable if you are an informed voter. But he’s trying to reach those unaware of his liberal bent. And the GOP national senatorial committee with its predictable band of RINOs like McCain/Graham/Martinez have endorsed Crist.
Please keep up the support of Rubio. Donate when you can. He’s up against the GOP money machine, and after this mess in NY23 – especially if Doug Hoffman wins – the NRSC will be gunning for anyone who isn’t endorsed by them.
Rubio will be a prime target.
Marybeth on October 28, 2009 at 3:47 PM
Do you feel that way about Reid, Dodd and Obama?
Johan Klaus on October 28, 2009 at 3:49 PM
OUCH!!!!! Crist campaign may have been busted by Redstate for “fake” website.
Desparation is in the air…it smells like defeat.
Nelsa on October 28, 2009 at 3:51 PM
REC Polls are bunk, almost all of them had Romney destroying McCain. And ghallager destroying Crist.
Rasmussen was poor in FL in 2008, holding Romney McCain in a tie the day before and McCain up by one on 11/02.
Squid Shark on October 28, 2009 at 3:53 PM
100% which is why I dont want to send a Republican version to the Senate.
Squid Shark on October 28, 2009 at 3:55 PM
Well … I won’t deflect the conversation. I’ll just say this … the “Stimulus” that Crist endorsed didn’t do anything to stimulate the economy and most economists admit that. The jobs it created? About 30,000 nationwide at a cost of about $500,000 each. We’d have done better to make that number government employees and hired them on as GS-15 (which is like a very senior rank). We would have saved a lot of money that way.
Rubio was against the stimulus.
If Rubio is guilty of something as you seem to assert – I’m sure there’s plenty of time for the authorities to charge him.
But they won’t – and you know it.
Nothing to see there.
HondaV65 on October 28, 2009 at 3:57 PM
Sounds like alot of speculation and wishful thinking. Good for them, at least they are consistent.
Squid Shark on October 28, 2009 at 4:00 PM
He is as guilty as his sucessor was, he is no longer in office and can no longer be hit with an ethics complaint.
Squid Shark on October 28, 2009 at 4:02 PM
Okay … I’ll say this again real slow …
Nothing
To
See
There
I can make all kinds of wild charges Squid – against any man or woman I want to. Don’t make ‘em true. If the guy broke the law – then tell it to the authorities. We don’t do law enforcement here on Hot Air.
HondaV65 on October 28, 2009 at 4:04 PM
So you are OK with that kind of business? Sounds great, I am glad that your standards remain high.
Squid Shark on October 28, 2009 at 4:05 PM
2 words for FloridaMarco Rubio
Lisa on October 28, 2009 at 4:05 PM
His ethics have never been in doubt for me, he is a typical Miami pol. Nothing to see here.
Squid Shark on October 28, 2009 at 4:10 PM
Funny how did not post what I said this time. If the Crist Campaign is behind the website that Restate is reporting on then it will be a BIG story.
Nelsa on October 28, 2009 at 4:10 PM
I live in Clearwater Florida and Charlie is a fraud. Nothing conservative about him.He is running ads on talk radio stations to remind us how well he’s been for this state. He is a total loser!
Marco Rubio is for real.
Lisa on October 28, 2009 at 4:11 PM
Looks like the Crist team yanked the site.
From Redstate:
Now who is it that isn’t playing fair and running is running scared?
Nelsa on October 28, 2009 at 4:22 PM
We shall see, but even if it was, I dont see how it is a “big” story for anyone but Rubio supporters.
I am not necessarily a cheerleader for Crist in this one either.
Squid Shark on October 28, 2009 at 4:22 PM
I went to try to find out what you’re talking about.
Apparently you’re complaining that a politician helped fund a public university, and then accepted a position as a part-time instructor.
I see absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Chris_Balsz on October 28, 2009 at 4:23 PM
They have no proof Crist was involved but they state their speculation as fact a sentence later. Sound Obama-ey to me
Squid Shark on October 28, 2009 at 4:24 PM
Apparently someone thinks it is wrong, his sucessor was indicted for it.
Squid Shark on October 28, 2009 at 4:26 PM
Here is the long and short from where I sit:
Rubio is not the guy I want representing FL. I dont think that he has the ethics, legislative fortitude, or record to make me think he will do what is best for Florida.
If or when he is nominated, I will donate and work my tail off for him, despite my personal dislike. Because, no matter how bad a choice I think he is, Kendrik Meeks is soooooooooooooooooo much worse.
Squid Shark on October 28, 2009 at 4:37 PM
I think another HUGE problem is going to be the Florida Governors race. Right now I am supporting Paula Dockery, but CFO Alex Sink is looming large (she is the most popular member of the cabinet). McCollum is a loosing proposition, he is as boring as toast.
Squid Shark on October 28, 2009 at 4:39 PM
How bout this from Redstate:
Rich Heffley is a Charlie Crist appointee to the Florida Sports Foundation.
Heffley is a lobbyist and Republican operative who played a big behind-the-scenes role in Crist’s 2006 campaign and just recently helped secure victory for Amendment 1 and John McCain.
A RedState reader prowled through the source code for the anti-Rubio website and found an interesting file that comes up. Here’s the source code:
img src=”///Users/rheffley/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/moz-screenshot.png” alt=”” /
Heffley has also maxed out to Charlie Crist’s Senate campaign.
I put in a call to Mr. Heffley, but have not heard back from him.
UPDATED: The Crist campaign has now taken down the anti-Rubio site.
———————–
By the way I am glad that you will support Rubio WHEN he wins.
Nelsa on October 28, 2009 at 4:43 PM
OK, so a prominent Crist supporter starts an anti-Rubio site.
Did you think a Rubio supporter started it?
Squid Shark on October 28, 2009 at 4:49 PM
Then I guess it’s a good thing we are a republic!?!
Branch Rickey on October 28, 2009 at 4:51 PM
So, I guess calling him a “shill” (as you did me in regards to Rubio) would be the same thing. Right?
I guess they dont have the guts show their stripes.
Nelsa on October 28, 2009 at 5:05 PM
The story about the anti Rubio website is busting lose on the blogs and in the news. It surely looks like someone has some explaining to do.
They are changing the website as fast as possible.
Nelsa on October 28, 2009 at 5:37 PM
I saw this somewhere; can’t remember where…
D-Democrat
I-In
A-All
B-But
L-Label
O-Only
Fits Mr. Crist to a T…
patch on October 28, 2009 at 5:48 PM
Marco Rubio; Intent on installing another incompetent Cuban to political prominence;
This is worse than installing B. Hussein Obama to the Presidency!
Cybergeezer on October 28, 2009 at 7:03 PM
Oh, yea! it’s RRRAAAAAAACIST!!!!!!!!!
Cybergeezer on October 28, 2009 at 7:03 PM
The story of the anti Rubio website gets better and better by the hour.
So now we have a “no comment” from Heffley and an”I dont know” from Crist.
Charlie also said that he did not know that the president of the United States was in Florida this week…
This is getting sooooo good… Cant wait for the Hotair version.
Nelsa on October 28, 2009 at 7:37 PM
“whatever your ideology … we have to do what’s right for America.”
What an idiot.
1: My ideology says that blowing close to a trillion dollars on Democrat Party pork is not going to help the country. Thus I opposed the “stimulus”, because I thought it would make things worse.
And I was right.
2: So does Charlie have an ideology? Which is to say, does he have a coherent understanding of the world, from which we can try to predict his actions?
Or does he just believe that “whatever looks like it will help me most right now is good”?
3: So, Florida voters, how are you liking that “stimulus”? Did it help you? Did it help you more than it cost you?
Greg Q on October 28, 2009 at 7:47 PM
It is still only “sooo good” to you, I contend that the Florida electorate will remain unimpressed.
Squid Shark on October 28, 2009 at 8:38 PM
When Obama won, he became President to all Americans, not just those who voted for him.
A shame that The Won hasn’t figured that out, yet. Otherwise, he’d be on Fox News instead of fighting a war with them.
I R A Darth Aggie on October 29, 2009 at 9:04 AM
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