Crist's Bulldog in Lipstick

Citing a Marco Rubio campaign ad, St. Petersburg Times politics blog Buzz earlier today asked whether Charlie Crist had "pulled a McCain" -- committing a tactical blunder that gives his opponent evidence that he's out of touch and unfit to lead.Purely from the headline, Juice assumed that the paper was...

By Thomas Francis

September 9, 2009

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Citing a Marco Rubio campaign ad, St. Petersburg Times politics blog Buzz earlier today asked whether Charlie Crist had "pulled a McCain" -- committing a tactical blunder that gives his opponent evidence that he's out of touch and unfit to lead.

Purely from the headline, Juice assumed that the paper was referring to McCain's disastrous tapping of Sarah Palin as a running mate one year ago. By selecting George LeMieux for U.S. Senate, Crist made a similarly cynical maneuver that has the potential to backfire. Like Palin, LeMieux's unqualified for the important position he's been handed, a point confirmed in sound bites that display his lack of polish. Yep, Crist totally pulled a McCain.

Of course, the headline is referring to another kind of McCain-pulling, when the Republican nominee said the "fundamentals of the economy are strong" even as banks fell like so many dominoes.

Nice try, Rubio. But the Palin-LeMieux comparison might be the one that gets you traction. Or don't you remember how Florida voters recoiled at the erstwhile Alaska governor? Feel free to borrow the Photoshopped image on the left.

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