Charlie Crist reiterates support for Barack Obama

On the conference call, Crist said there wasn't a particular moment that inspired him to support the president, but said issues like immigration, education and voter suppression ("you can go down the line") were critical in his calculations for making an endorsement. He said the real key was getting to know Obama in 2009 and 2010, as the two interacted on occasion when their terms as governor and president intersected.

Crist remains an unrepentant supporter of the American Recovery Act, aka the stimulus, which he says helped the state immensely in retaining teachers, police and firefighters. "I appreciated that, and was grateful for it."

The former GOP governor also said that he was mightily impressed by the White House's dedication and vigilance on monitoring the Deepwater Horizon disaster back in the spring of 2010 and the deleterious effects it could potentially have on the Sunshine State.

When asked if he was hoping for a Cabinet position for his efforts in campaigning for the president, Crist demurred, insisting that was "the last thing I'm thinking about it," adding it's all about working over the course of the next 19 days to see Obama get re-elected.