This morning the Tampa Tribune's lead editorial is entitled, "Charlie, who are you now?" and reflects on the dizzying level of contradictions that Charlie Crist has made on the campaign trail within just the past week. But part of the traditionally conservative page's ardor is also a manifestation of what they see is an abdication of those some rock solid positions that they thought the governor possessed:
The Crist we used to know was a fiscal conservative who believed in limited government.
He sought to help small businesses and protect the environment. He was tough on crime.
He didn't think he had all the answers. He listened to opposing views, a favorite expression being "God gave me one mouth and two ears." But Crist usually came at issues from a conservative perspective.
Lately it has been difficult to discern Crist's beliefs.
The Trib then lays down the by now familiar flip flops Crist has committed. But the paper seems to come to the conclusion now to what many Republicans came to a long time ago, but could never truly express it until Marco Rubio allowed them to express it, which is:
But the Crist we thought we knew – a pragmatic and fair-minded conservative – is not the one we are seeing on the campaign trail.
Crist, however likeable, can't take a pass on the issues. If he wants to be Florida's senator, he must show voters he stands for something.
The editorial comes after the Miami Herald's editorial board weighed in yesterday on the same topic, writing:
We appreciate nuance. We understand mitigating circumstances. We, in fact, agree with many of the governor's changed positions in Tallahassee based on the way the legislation was pushed through without public input — such as his veto of the controversial SB6 bill to end tenure for new teachers and a bill that would have required women to pay for, and view, an ultrasound if they were seeking an abortion.
Even his position on drilling off Florida shores is confusing — he had been consistently against it until gas prices reached almost $4 a gallon two years ago. He is now solidly against drilling too close to Florida's shoreline — we think.
In these trying times, when Florida's economy is still struggling, the nation is facing monumental debt in the trillions of dollars and the war on terror remains a moving target, this state needs a sensible leader in Washington willing to cross party lines and put the people first. Unfortunately, Mr. Crist has yet to explain what his core beliefs are and how they have evolved since the days he was known as “Chain Gang Charlie'' in the Legislature.
This article appears in Aug 26 – Sep 1, 2010.