Oh, don’t worry, the Democratic Party is happy to welcome all the GOP’s exiles, embittered moderates or not. Send us as many as you’ve got!
Crist is the elder, actually.
Jon Huntsman’s campaign died for your sins.
If we really, really sin like a motherfuck, will it happen to Romney?
The votes to pass a public option were never there, with or without Lieberman. And you should be more grateful. He WAS there when it counted. He could have scuttled the whole thing, and if he was vindictive like a Crist or Specter he would have. Lieberman’s been remarkably kind to liberals despite how he was treated in 2006.
Cite for Crist turning into a “moderate Democrat” and what the difference is?
When Democrats leave the fold to become Republicans, I tend to think, “Good riddance!” I don’t think worse of them for joining the Republican party. On the contrary, I think that if they’re going to spend all their time advocating conservative principles, that’s where they ought to be.
The reverse applies to Crist et al. I welcome them.
As for whether it helps, I wonder whether he’ll provide cover/modelling for Republicans in a similar boat, i.e., folks with some conservative views who are freaked out by the hyperconservative bloc that’s taken over the party. They may be feeling bad about casting a vote for a Democrat, but seeing Crist endorse him might make it easier on them to do what they kind of wanted to do anyone.
Sheer speculation, of course.
Crist’s endorsement might persuade a few independents, since his last race for US Senate was as an independent. He also was elected to three different statewide offices (Education Commissioner, Attorney General, and Governor) as a republican. On the other hand, Jeb Bush has come out for Romney (although he has also commented on the need for republicans to be a more inclusive party).