Back in Tallahassee, Crist keeps eye on GOP's national outlook

Josh Hafenbrack | Tallahassee Bureau
November 13, 2008
TALLAHASSEE

After a wild ride of an election season that took him from John McCain's Arizona ranch to Old Europe, Gov. Charlie Crist is in the midst of a quick rise to the national stage, proposing a distinctive blend of sunny, pocketbook-driven politics as Republicans plot a way back to power. Could it be the right message for a party demoralized in the election?

With the Republican Governors Association meeting in Miami today, the potential future faces of the GOP, from Crist to Alaska's Sarah Palin, will be on hand weighing how to regain Republican footing in an era of Barack Obama's presidency.

Crist's centrist message, though, might appeal more to independents and Democrats than some Republicans, especially in light of quiet grumbling that's spread through conservative ranks over whether he did enough to help the presidential ticket carry a crucial swing state.



"We just need to be inclusive, we need to reach out, and do a better job leading by approaching issues with a common-sense view," Crist told the (Fort Lauderdale) Sun Sentinel in an interview Wednesday.

"What people care about, first and foremost, is their pocketbook."

The new national profile comes at a dicey time for Crist, with unprecedented challenges waiting in Tallahassee. After cutting $6 billion in state spending in the past year, Florida's budget is leaking billions more.

And the governor's personal life is a public curiosity. A month from now, Florida's first bachelor governor in four decades is planning to marry Manhattan businesswoman and philanthropist Carole Rome, in a small ceremony in Crist's hometown of St. Petersburg. The honeymoon is set for southwest Florida.

Crist, who was on the short list for McCain's vice-presidential slot that went to Palin, has tried to project himself as a leader with reach beyond Florida's borders. During the summer, he took his third trip overseas with a trade mission that included stops in Paris, London and Russia. Last month, he quietly met for dinner with Gen. David Petraeus, mastermind of the Iraq troop surge.

"The governor's not looking to be a national figure," said Brian Ballard, a lobbyist and close adviser. "It comes or it doesn't come based on performance" in the Governor's Mansion.

Still, Crist has a clear vision for a new GOP national strategy, one that pushes divisive social causes to the side and embraces diversity. The party needs to do a better job reaching out to black and Hispanic voters, Crist said. He noted the Republican rhetoric on illegal immigration was "less than friendly, shall we say" -- an assessment that hardly will endear Crist to the party's right wing.

"As the grandson of Greek immigrants, I'm very sympathetic that we're more inclusive, that we embrace others with open arms and continue to lead with a caring heart," he said. "That's what the Republican Party -- the party of Lincoln -- should be all about."

The ever-optimistic governor said the bipartisan spirit he has tried to foster in Florida could be emulated on the national stage, noting that he consulted Wednesday with a leading Democrat, state Sen.-elect Dan Gelber, on education funding.

Florida's budget woes present Crist with difficult choices. He has resisted new taxes; yet without new revenues, public schools could face damaging cuts. Either route carries political risks.

Floridians "want us to work together and do what's right," Crist said of his budget strategy session with Gelber, of Miami Beach. "They don't really care who wins the political battle of the day."

"We might be getting close to 10 percent unemployment in Florida," added Gelber. "We've never had the declining revenues we've had. I think this is really going to be a test for the state."

At the Capitol, Crist faces some tough tests, from fixing Florida's economy to mending a few fences among his party's conservative ranks to positioning for his 2010 re-election bid.

While the governor's loyalists are dismissive of unrest in the party, conservative activists think Crist hurt McCain's chances at key moments in the campaign, like when he extended early voting.

"There's a perpetual struggle between being the governor for everyone and pleasing the base," said outgoing House Speaker Marco Rubio, R-West Miami, a conservative who battled Crist on issues from gambling to taxes.

If Crist manages the minefield ahead, what about a 2012 run for the White House? The governor demurred. "My job is to think about the people of Florida every day when I get up," he said.