Could Crist switch teams?

From GOP to Democrat, I mean.

Crist is a moderate, and now is likely to face a primary challenge from the far right, in the form of Mark Rubio, for the 2010 Florida Senate race. Rubio is already accusing Crist of betraying Republican principles.

This has an eerie similarity to Toomey's threat to blow Specter out of the GOP primary for the Pennsylvania Senate race. The result? Specter said screw you and switched parties.

Some of the same conservatives who went gunning for Specter, like the Club For Growth, are now gunning for Crist.

Could lightning strike twice? Could Crist run as a Democrat next year?

Politically Crist is not far from where Obama stands. Crist supported Obama on the stimulus plan, he vetoed GOP budget cuts, he wants to cut pollution, he opposes offshore drilling, he fought against insurance companies, he fought for a compromise health-care plan, he has good relations with the black community, he supports civil unions but not gay adoption, his staff has been talking about reaching out to moderates, he appointed both moderate and conservative judges. He does have conservative positions on capital punishment, “partial-birth abortion”, the Defense Of Marriage Act, school vouchers, school prayer and concealed-carry, but are these issues insurmountable?

Another crazy fantasy: an Obama/Crist ticket in 2012.

Another crazy fantasy: Obama puts Crist on the Supreme Court. He had a solid centrist record as Florida Attorney General.

None of this is likely to happen, but a year ago a switch by Specter sounded crazy too.


**UPDATE** -- Some GOP hardliners are so angry at the prospect of Crist running for the Senate, that when the National Republican Senatorial Committee approved Crist's run for the seat, the loons called for a financial boycott of the Committee itself! They are willing to damage the organization which is designed to elect Republicans to the Senate, just because they like Crist. And if it means the GOP loses even more seats in the Senate, and falls below the 40-seat line, they're okay with that -- their public hissy fit over Crist is more important to them.

http://www.redstate.com/erick/2009/05/13/not-one-dime-to-the-nrsc/


**UPDATE** -- An April poll showed that Crist's popularity among Democrats is as high as his numbers among Republicans. Join the Blue Team, dude!