Crist’s Senate Choice Reflects What Is Best For Charlie, Not Florida

The news that Florida Governor Charlie Crist (R) had picked his former Chief of Staff George LeMieux to fill the US Senate seat vacated by Mel Martinez (R) had the political chattering classes in overdrive on Friday.

Karen Thurman, the former Congresswoman who chairs the Florida Democratic Party, was decidedly critical. "This glaring example of political cronyism is the last thing Florida needed," Thurman said in a statement. "In appointing LeMieux, someone who has made
millions...selling access to Crist...Crist once again put his own political ambition above doing what is right for Florida." Surprisingly enough, many Republicans agree with Thurman, if only in private.

Republican Party leaders throughout Florida seemed to have resigned themselves to the prospect of Charlie Crist as the state's next Senator. It's not something that thrills them---particularly when they know Crist has loftier ambitions and no real commitment to serving the people of Florida for any length of time. At the same time, they don't see what other option they have.

Many Republicans, who view themselves as moderate conservatives in the mold of former US Senator Connie Mack III, are uncomfortable with the overly heated rhetoric of Marco Rubio, the former Speaker of the House who is challenging Crist in the GOP primary. While Rubio has charisma and passion, he is considered far right on many issues---too conservative for many moderates within the party---and his personality and healthy ego hasn't always gelled well with party insiders. Further complicating matters, a sitting Governor is almost always the favorite in any primary, and thus without a more high-profile challenger such as Jeb Bush, party insiders have reluctantly endorsed Crist's candidacy.

The circus of Crist's Senate interviews; however, surprised even some of the most veteran Crist observers. Most political insiders had long predicted that, if Crist could have his way and was comfortable that there would be no political backlash, he would appoint LeMieux, his long-time aide, to the Senate as a "placeholder." While those predictions were made early on, few thought that Crist---someone who has always shown keen political skill---would actually do it.

During the weeks of "interviews", Crist travelled the state, sitting down with such high-profile public servants as Jim Smith (the former Attorney General and Secretary of State), Clay Shaw (the long-time former Congressman), Lou Frey (also a long-time US Congressman), Daniel Webster (a former Legislator and one of the state's most prominent conservatives), Jennifer Carroll (the state's first African-American female Legislator), U. S. Rep. C. W. Bill Young and John Delaney (the former Jacksonville Mayor, UNF President and Florida University Chancellor). The interviews drew a significant amount of press coverage and were strategically positioned throughout the state---allowing the Governor face time on the local news in every major television market in the state.

Crist's demand for applications from these individuals, many of who had spent a lifetime in public service, was seen as an insult by many. Some, including former Lt. Governor Toni Jennings and U. S. Rep. Bill Young, declined to complete the 10-page form.

In the end, Crist's pick has to be seen as a slight to many of these individuals. After all, some of them have decades of Washington experience and could have easily stepped into the interim role with no need to learn the ropes. Others are widely-respected leaders who have shown an impressive ability to reach consensus during their time in public service. LeMieux, while an admirable man and loyal staffer, will undoubtedly be on a learning curve during much of the year and a half he will serve in the Senate.

One has to look at some of these candidates and ask a rather glaring question---what makes LeMieux a better candidate than them?

John Delaney is a great example of that. Delaney was a popular Mayor of Jacksonville, the largest city in the state and the region that the Republican Party consistently relies on to secure victory in statewide elections. While previously rumored to have Senate ambitions, Delaney appears to have become quite content serving as the President of the University of North Florida, spearheading impressive capital campaigns to take the University to new heights. Despite previous experience in leading an institution of higher learning, Delaney has so distinguished himself that he was asked to serve as Interim Chancellor of the State University System. Delaney is widely admired, well-travelled in DC circles and would have been a smart choice to serve the state on an interim basis. With this choice, Crist would have certainly endeared himself to many Republicans in North Florida who consistently feel taken for granted.

Former US Representative Clay Shaw is another example. Shaw was a consistent conservative voice during his years in the House, so it's hard to imagine how conservative primary voters could have found fault with this Crist pick. With his decades of Washington experience, he could have hit the ground running on Day 1.

Former Florida Legislator Daniel Webster, while having no previous experience serving in Washington, is no stranger to the Capitol. He is widely admired throughout the state and his choice would have thrilled the party's conservative base.

In the end; however, Charlie Crist demonstrated that his pick wasn't about who would best serve the State of Florida---it was about who would best serve the political ambitions of Charlie Crist. LeMieux will be expected to set up a "Crist Office-In-Waiting" in Washington. His votes will undoubtedly mirror the ever-changing political stances that are Charlie Crist.

Perhaps, in the end, those personal political ambitions were why Crist wasn't comfortable with the other candidates on the list. Despite their unquestioned support for the Governor and his 2010 candidacy, each of them has a distinguished political career with a history of independent thought. For a politician who has repeatedly demonstrated that what is best for Florida will never stand in the way of his personal ambition, that was a risk Crist was unwilling to take.

Tags: C. W. Bill Young, Charlie Crist, Clay Shaw, George LeMieux, Jeb Bush, Jennifer Carroll, John Delaney, Lou Frey, Mel Martinez, Toni Jennings

This entry was posted on Friday, August 28th, 2009 at 1:34 PM and is filed under 2010 Races, Local Politics, State Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.