Charlie Crist is attempting to do something that’s been done very few times in the history of this nation: Run a state as a member of one political party, and come back and run it again with a different party. Take that, and the fact that he is being outspent on a relatively large scale, and you could say it’s miraculous that he’s tied or maybe even ahead in his race against Rick Scott.
But Charlie Crist is a unique man. And while some Democrats have had a difficult time warming up to this lifelong (until four years ago) Republican, many, many more realize he’s their last best hope to avert another four years of the Rick Scott regime. CL spoke to the once and possibly future governor this past Monday, just as he was preparing to take the stage with Vice President Joe Biden in a campaign appearance in Boca Raton.
CL: You’ve always been known as a happy warrior — yet this campaign is gaining national attention for its unrelenting negativity. Do you worry about that? That the constant character attacks on yourself and Governor Scott will ultimately depress turnout and hurt your chances?
Charlie Crist: I don’t think it’s going to depress turnout. It’s disconcerting to me, because I think people want to hear a vision for the future. The reality is that his negative is false, and our negative, if you want to call it that, is accurate. I mean these are things this man did, so what I’m looking forward to is Election Day [laughs] and these ads being behind us and being able to work across the aisle with Republicans and Democrats to do good things for Florida.
CL: We have had one-party rule in Tallahassee for 16 years now. For four of those years, you were part of that one party — the GOP. Has that been bad for Florida’s progress?
Crist: It’s certainly been bad the last four years. Whether you’re talking about utilities or property insurance companies or what have you, they’re all doing great and making big money, but everybody’s bills are going up, you know? And people’s pay has actually gone down. Wages are down since I was governor, bills are up since Rick Scott’s been governor, and that’s a problem.
CL: When you were governor, you directed the Florida Public Service Commission to develop a state renewable portfolio standard policy, but the Legislature didn’t approve it. Will you push for that again?
Crist: Yes, absolutely. I think renewables are a very important component of a better job scenario for Florida. Good paying jobs. And if we’re going to have those and create them, we have to have innovative new industries come to this state. But we have policies on the books under Rick Scott that make it pretty difficult for solar energy companies to do well or wind energy companies to develop.
CL: When you were in charge, you named Nancy Argenziano to chair the Public Service Commission in 2010. She was later ousted, in part because she didn’t do the utilities’ bidding. Last year in an op-ed she wrote, “Legislative leaders don’t want a fair PSC, they want a kept whore.” What about that? There’s been so much talk about the PSC recently, even among Republicans. You have to have your nominees approved by the Legislature, so how much can you really change the culture there?
Crist: I think it [the PSC] can be effective, and you mentioned it earlier in your question when you said that even Republicans are talking about how these utility issues are problematic, and frankly I think our campaign has brought that to light, specifically talking about Duke [Energy Florida] and how horrible they have been to consumers and that Rick Scott has let them. And finally I think we have an electorate that understands what’s going on, and I think that we have a Legislature that’s starting to get the picture, too, regardless of party affiliation. So I think that we can be successful in getting new members on that Public Service Commission. It’s going to be in those [legislative] members’ own best interests to do so and not try to stop it.
CL: Some of the biggest policy changes you’re proposing — like Medicaid expansion or a higher minimum wage — are going to require you and the Legislature to see eye to eye. If you win, it will be different than 2007-2011, in that the Legislature will be dominated by a political party that opposes your new party. Have you thought about how you’ll address that?
Crist: The way I would approach it is to look them in the eye and say, “The election’s over. It’s time to put the partisan labels behind, and time to get to work for the people of Florida. And do what we need to do, in order to have Medicaid expanded — a million Floridians are counting on us to do it.”
CL: Unlike Governor Scott, you had to govern during one of the worst recessions this country has ever encountered. Do you worry that Scott can throw out statistics like the fact that unemployment was much higher when you were governor? Do you worry that’s a winning argument for him, because the numbers are what they are?
Crist: Anything’s possible, of course, but the reality is: I think he’s out of touch [slight laugh]. You know, he cites those statistics like they’re widgets. You know, they’re not. We’re talking about people. And a lot of those people are working two or three jobs, and he doesn’t seem to grasp that fact. That the middle class is getting squeezed. And the reason they’re getting squeezed is precisely because of his policies. He’s not regulating the utility companies, he’s not regulating the property insurance companies, he actually signed legislation to say that insurance companies cannot get regulated by the Office of Insurance Regulation. I mean, all these bills are going up because of him. Because of his flawed policies. And the cause and effect of that is the consumer has less in their pocket. And it’s his fault. And we can fix it. With one election.
CL: On your website you say that in your first 30 days as governor, you’ll announce a series of changes to Florida’s voting laws with the singular goal of creating a simpler and more secure method of voting. In years past in Florida we had issues with the voting technology itself. Are you satisfied with how we actually vote here in Florida — that it’s a good system right now?
Crist: No, I’m not. But the dissatisfaction I’m addressing is the suppression. They kind of brought it half back, if you will, some of the early voting opportunities that we had previously in Florida. But it’s not nearly what it should be. I mean, we need to have more days. We need to have more hours. We need to have souls to the polls in the form that it should be on two Sundays, not just one. I mean there’s a lot of things that we can do to repair the harm that has been done to Florida’s voting opportunities. One example is you might have to have the signature matched to the one that’s at the Supervisor [of Elections] office for when you use an absentee ballot. Well, that’s all well and good. But if you’re somebody like my mother, a senior citizen who has had a stroke, that has lost the use of her right hand, and can’t write anymore because she’s right-handed? I mean that doesn’t take into account a lot of people in Florida. We’ve got a lot of senior citizens. Those kinds of laws are pretty cold and callous.
CL: The next governor is going to be naming several justices to the state Supreme Court. You had the opportunity to name four in your initial term in office, and it was really unique what you did. You named two very conservative justices in Ricky Polston and Charles Canady, but also a liberal or perceived liberal in James C. Perry, which inflamed your conservative base. Explain your rationale there, and will you do that the same way this time around?
Crist: What I was looking for was not ideology, that’s what gets reported and people take note of, but whenever I pick a judge, what I was looking for is a good heart, to be perfectly honest. Somebody who would have compassion when there’s a family or a citizen before them in that courtroom. You want to make sure that whoever it is wearing the robe, understands it’s a big deal. It’s important. And they need to be compassionate and a good listener. And that’s what I always look for in appointing judges. Fair-minded, intelligent people.
CL: Regarding abortion rights, during the Democratic primary race Nan Rich said that you have never actually said you are pro-choice. How would you describe where you stand on a woman’s right to choose an abortion?
Crist: Well I’m personally pro-life, that’s what I’ve always been. But I’ve always respected a woman’s right to choose. I don’t think government should impose its will on people on a matter that’s so sensitive and personal. I just don’t think it’s appropriate. I never have.
CL: In the past you’ve praised former Governor Jeb Bush’s education policies. You’ve heard the concerns of educators about the unrelenting focus on standardized tests. What are your thoughts about that?
Crist: The testing’s gone out of control. The bill that I vetoed — SB 6 [in 2010] that would have put more emphasis on testing — Rick Scott signed in his first year, so we’re not back to square one, we’ve got testing on top of testing now and it’s out of control. It drives the students crazy, it’s driving the teachers nuts. This teaching to the test stuff has become a profit center for testing companies. And our schools are not learning centers anymore. They’re testing centers. And it’s out of control, and we need to address it, and address it quickly.
CL: On a personal level, I was at a campaign stop with you when you derided Governor Scott for not being from here. Do you think that makes a difference in how he views Florida vs. yourself?
Crist: I think it makes a difference. I’m not a native either. I was born in Pennsylvania but I moved to Florida when I was 3 years old so I’ve lived here for 55 years now, and Florida really does get into your bloodstream. And when you’ve lived here as long as I have, you know the place pretty darned well. It’s part of my DNA. And I just don’t think it’s the same with him. I know it’s not.
CL: Earlier this summer the Tampa Bay Times wrote an in-depth profile of you. At times it was exceedingly personal. What was your reaction to it?
Crist: [Slight pause} Just kind of mixed. Really. You know everybody has a right to have their opinion and so I kind of leave it at that.
CL: Any last words for our readers?
Crist: I’ll tell you this, if they want somebody who’s got their back, especially if they’re middle class, I would urge them to vote for us, because we’ll have their back and Rick never has. And that’s the difference.