Florida GOP Gov. Charlie Crist’s decision to leave the Republican Party was blasted Thursday by analysts and pundits across the political spectrum who say Crist has little chance of capturing a U.S. Senate seat from Florida in a three-way race. One prominent Florida Republican called it “the biggest betrayal in American history since Benedict Arnold.”

By: David A. Patten at Newsmax

Analysts and pundits across the political spectrum blasted Florida GOP Gov. Charlie Crist’s decision to leave the Republican Party Thursday, saying he  has little chance of capturing a U.S. Senate seat from Florida in a three-way race.

One prominent Florida Republican called it “the biggest betrayal in American history since Benedict Arnold.”

Reaction to Crist’s decision to bolt his own party, which he is expected to announce at 5 p.m. Thursday in St. Petersburg, came fast and furious.

Fox News commentator and Newsmax contributor Dick Morris, who previously had said a Crist independent bid would be “disgusting,” told Newsmax in an exclusive interview: “It’s irresponsible of Crist to do this. It’s an act of egomania. It’s an act of putting himself ahead not only of his party, but of his country.”

Crist believes he’s so important to America that he’s willing to endanger not only a Senate seat but also GOP control of the Senate, Morris says. Crist’s independent bid will make GOP hopes of capturing the Senate more problematic, he says.

A host of experts in media and politics belittled Crist’s chances:

• “I don’t think his chances of success would be very good at all,” Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn told the Miami Herald.
• Roll Call political columnist Stuart Rothenberg recently reported that Crist’s base in the GOP is “virtually nonexistent.” “Running as an independent would confirm the line of attack that Crist’s critics have leveled at him – that he is an opportunist who will do or say anything that he needs in order to further his personal goals.”
• Although Crist has big campaign coffers, his GOP funding will dry up immediately. Not only will GOP donors stop writing checks but also some who have donated to Crist’s campaign are expected to demand their money back. “Charlie seems to have burned a lot of bridges, and I don’t see him hurting our party if he drops out of our Senate primary and runs on his own,” a former state party official told the Washington Times.
• Florida GOP Chairman John Thrasher told the Miami Herald’s Naked Politics blog that he won’t “whipsaw” top Republicans in the state to force them to shun Crist. A lot of Republicans, however, will feel that Crist has betrayed them, Thrasher said.
• Florida State Rep. David Rivera, who is running for Congress, likened Crist to Benedict Arnold and said he will not join Crist for the state Legislature’s traditional photo op with the Florida governor that had been scheduled for Friday.
• A Crist independent bid will be met with furious, unequivocal opposition from the grass-roots conservative, tea party movement. “I think his chances are slim,” Florida Tea Party Patriots leader Everett Wilkinson tells Newsmax. “We’d like to see tax-and-spend politicians just retire, but if Charlie Crist wants to run as an independent, or on the socialist ticket, it’s a free country.” Wilkinson adds that “the polling has shown America is against tax-and-spend politicians like him.”

FULL STORY

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