Crist: Race Motivates GOP Opposition to Obama

[Dos Equis]

 

Crist: Race Motivates GOP Opposition to Obama
JORDAN FABIAN @jordanfabian
Posted 05/06/2014

Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (D) said Tuesday that a “big reason” why he left the Republican Party was because many in the GOP were hostile to President Obama due to his race.

Crist, who is running for his old office against Gov. Rick Scott (R), said in an interview with Fusion’s Jorge Ramos that he felt uncomfortable with his previous party affiliation. Republicans are perceived as “anti-women, anti-immigrant, anti-minority, [and] anti-gay,” he said, and they refuse to compromise with Obama. The ex-governor said he feels, “liberated as a Democrat.”

“I couldn’t be consistent with myself and my core beliefs, and stay with a party that was so unfriendly toward the African-American president, I’ll just go there,” he said. “I was a Republican and I saw the activists and what they were doing, it was intolerable to me.”

Crist left the GOP to run as an independent during his failed 2010 Senate bid, when he lost in a GOP primary to Marco Rubio. He officially joined the Democratic Party soon after the 2012 elections, and before that, he supported Obama’s reelection bid.

“I am liberated as a Democrat, my true soul is able to be seen, and I couldn’t be happier about it,” Crist said.

He holds a double-digit lead in at least one poll over Scott, who suffers from poor approval ratings.

Ramos challenged Crist on his motivation for leaving the party, questioning whether his loss to Rubio played a bigger role. Crist responded it was because Republicans had become too radical.

“No, I left the Republican Party because the leadership went off the cliff,” Crist said.

Republicans pushed back against Crist's claims of racially motivated hostility toward Obama.

"Being a flip-flopper is bad enough, but playing the race card to win over voters is pitiful," Izzy Santa, a Republican National Committee spokeswoman, wrote in an email to Fusion.

The Republican-turned-Independent-turned-Democrat has taken heat for flip-flopping on many key issues, including the Affordable Care Act, in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants and the U.S. embargo against Cuba.

Crist admitted to Ramos that he “modified a little” on healthcare reform.

“All of us in the beginning of something big like that happening, until you can get really comfortable with it, it’s hard to embrace,” he said. “But I fully embrace it. I know it’s the right thing to do.”

On the immigration issue, Crist said he tried to be a “good team player” and accommodate Republicans who were against the tuition proposal at the time he was governor. But he now supports it. Last week, the GOP-controlled Florida legislature passed an in-state tuition bill and Scott is expected to sign it into law.

The ex-governor said he switched his position to oppose the embargo on Cuba because he believes it has been ineffective in dismantling the Castro regime.

Crist said he still admires some Republicans who understand that the party has changed, like another former Florida governor: Jeb Bush.

“He would be a good president,” he said of the potential GOP candidate. “I think Hillary would be a great president.”

Even though he has fond feelings for Bush, he said he won't be changing parties again any time soon.

“I’m a Democrat for life, now,” Crist later added, in case there was any doubt.

See the full interview with Crist here:

Here are some more notable quotes:

On Jeb Bush: “He understands what’s happening in the party. He said himself not long ago, my father probably couldn’t win a Republican primary today.’ And then he took it one step further and said, ‘not even Ronald Reagan could win a Republican primary today with this Republican Party.’"

On political changes: "Oh, we're always evolving. But I'm a Democrat for life, now. A Florida Democrat."

On the show's graphics: (Pointing to the "Political Crist-Cross" graphic wall) "I love the cross .. It's wonderful."

http://fusion.net/america_with_jorge_ramos/story/charlie-crist-race-motivates-gop-opposition-obama-657265

[240 is Back]

Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (D) said Tuesday that a “big reason” why he left the Republican Party was because many in the GOP were hostile to President Obama due to his race.

there's no denying there were some racist elements in the repub party.  Both parties have that.  They were pretty vocal during the tea party early days, misspelling the n-word on signs at one point.

However, Crist left the party because he was a RINO and RINOS weren't winning then.  Now they're winning again.  He'll probably win again, and it'll be a pretty big sign that the tea party has run its course. 

[Soul Crusher]

F crist

[Dos Equis]

The opposition to the president is not race-based.  It is based on issues and performance.  Crist is wrong.

[240 is Back]

The opposition to the president is not race-based.  It is based on issues and performance.  Crist is wrong.

for 99% of voters, this is the case.

There's no denying SOME people decided they were going to vote for Obama on the day he was born.

But not a major %.

[Dos Equis]

for 99% of voters, this is the case.

There's no denying SOME people decided they were going to vote for Obama on the day he was born.

But not a major %.

That's not what Crist said.

[JOHN MATRIX]

"And here we have a newly minted Democrat using his brand new Race Card for the very first time!!!"

[MCWAY]

Crist, a white guy,  gets destroyed by a CUBAN; then, word gets out that he tried to get Bill Clinton to have the BLACK man (who won the Democrat primary) drop out and endorse him instead.

Yet, the GOP is racist? RIIIIIIGHT!!!!

The GOP is "anti-gay"; yet, Crist fully endorsed Florida's marriage amendment (Amendment 2) which passed 62-38.

Crist is a joke. He simply sees FL's gubernatorial seat as a springboard to DC. That's why he was so steamed when Rubio crushed him.

[240 is Back]

How is Crist a joke? He's the former AG and governor of one of the most populous states in the country. What are your credentials?

Crist lost in 2010.   in 2010, the Tea Party was effective.  FOX news was helping them a great deal lol.

FOX abandoned them, and suddenly they were a non-issue overnight. 

Crist might be completely wrong on this issue, and he might be a joke, but he's leading the polls right now in a big way.

[240 is Back]

So what if he lost in 2010? When you're out in the world actually doing something there are occasional set backs. Maybe he'll never get to the Senate but he's still more successful than anyone posting on this board.

Oh, in life, Crist is a winner.
In politics, he's a winner too.
He lost in 2010, but he'll probably win this next race and could very easily be a VP selection in 2016.

He's popular with hispanics.  He brings FL with him.  He's very experienced.  Hot wife.  He has great hair & presidential look.  Now that the tea party madness has passed, a lot of repubs sitll like the dude.

[24KT]

The opposition to the president is not race-based.  It is based on issues and performance.  Crist is wrong.

Stop lying to yourself. You give no credence to Crist's statements because somewhere in the back of your mind you are fearful that any opposition you feel towards the POTUS will automatically be chalked up to "opposition to a Black POTUS'. Don't fall into that trap. I can guarantee you that Allen West doesn't.

Yes, there are a lot of people who are opposed to the POTUS based upon nothing more than his policies, and his record, ...but you'd have to be Stevie Wonder, or a turnip to not see or understand that for a lot of people, his racial ethnicity is the root cause of all the animosity. So much so, that in their folly, they choose the sole objective of seeking to ensure the President's failure.

They've lost all objectivity or touch with reality... ie: Benghazi.

[Soul Crusher]

Stop lying to yourself. You give no credence to Crist's statements because somewhere in the back of your mind you are fearful that any opposition you feel towards the POTUS will automatically be chalked up to "opposition to a Black POTUS'. Don't fall into that trap. I can guarantee you that Allen West doesn't.

Yes, there are a lot of people who are opposed to the POTUS based upon nothing more than his policies, and his record, ...but you'd have to be Stevie Wonder, or a turnip to not see or understand that for a lot of people, his racial ethnicity is the root cause of all the animosity. So much so, that in their folly, they choose the sole objective of seeking to ensure the President's failure.

They've lost all objectivity or touch with reality... ie: Benghazi.

Bullshit.   Clinton and W were both hated just as much.  Its only the gay boy wonder commie who wilts and cries over it

[Archer77]

Race is part of it but not for every Republican.  One could easily argue that the democrats are just as motivated by race.

[240 is Back]

Race is part of it but not for every Republican.  One could easily argue that the democrats are just as motivated by race.

THIS.

For some dems, race matters.  For some, it doesn't.
For some repubs, race matters.  For some, it doesn't.

Crist was correct that SOME activists were holding up racist signs, yes, that absolutely happened.
“I was a Republican and I saw the activists and what they were doing, it was intolerable to me.”

He didn't say ALL activists.  And yes, it would have helped if he said "SOME ACTIVISTS are being fccking racist, but not all". 

We saw the idiots with N-word spelled wrong on signs.  Yes, they were 100% racist.  But that's only a small % of repub activists. Crist never says "ALL", however.

[Dos Equis]

Stop lying to yourself. You give no credence to Crist's statements because somewhere in the back of your mind you are fearful that any opposition you feel towards the POTUS will automatically be chalked up to "opposition to a Black POTUS'. Don't fall into that trap. I can guarantee you that Allen West doesn't.

Yes, there are a lot of people who are opposed to the POTUS based upon nothing more than his policies, and his record, ...but you'd have to be Stevie Wonder, or a turnip to not see or understand that for a lot of people, his racial ethnicity is the root cause of all the animosity. So much so, that in their folly, they choose the sole objective of seeking to ensure the President's failure.

They've lost all objectivity or touch with reality... ie: Benghazi.

Oh stop with the exceptionally poor Hollywood script.  I'm not lying to myself.  I'm looking at the man's record, what comes out of his mouth, and the state of the country under his watch.  That's what people are criticizing. 

I think far more people voted for Obama because of his race than voted against him because of his race.  You should look at the demographics from 2012.  Over 90 percent of black women voted for him.  You telling me that isn't race-based?   

President Obama has been too lousy at his job to try and claim people criticize him because of his skin color.  Ridiculous.  Crist is being dishonest.   

[24KT]

Oh stop with the exceptionally poor Hollywood script.  I'm not lying to myself.  I'm looking at the man's record, what comes out of his mouth, and the state of the country under his watch.  That's what people are criticizing. 

I think far more people voted for Obama because of his race than voted against him because of his race.  You should look at the demographics from 2012.  Over 90 percent of black women voted for him.  You telling me that isn't race-based?   

President Obama has been too lousy at his job to try and claim people criticize him because of his skin color.  Ridiculous.  Crist is being dishonest.   

If you're not lying to yourself, ...then it must be the readers of this board to whom you're lying then?
Either that, ...or you're a total fool. Which is it? Are you a liar, ...or a fool, ...or simply a combination of both?

And you're telling me it is? What some refer to as a race-based vote, others may refer to as effective campaigning that resonates with the voter. You have a "privileged", bumbling idiot, who can't even remember how many homes he has... who sings songs & makes light about sending more troops to bomb another country, vs. a energetic young man who speaks to the issues of most concern to them, ...and for you that's race based? What it is, is what 333386 so very much longed for two years ago... a LANDSLIDE!

People continually refuse to recognize or even acknowledge the GOP's role in getting Obama re-elected in 2012. Republicans handed the election to Obama the day they disenfranchised Ron Paul supporters and instead fielded the stuffed sock puppet Romney.

[Dos Equis]

If you're not lying to yourself, ...then it must be the readers of this board to whom you're lying then?
Either that, ...or you're a total fool. Which is it? Are you a liar, ...or a fool, ...or simply a combination of both?

And you're telling me it is? What some refer to as a race-based vote, others may refer to as effective campaigning that resonates with the voter. You have a "privileged", bumbling idiot, who can't even remember how many homes he has... who sings songs & makes light about sending more troops to bomb another country, vs. a energetic young man who speaks to the issues of most concern to them, ...and for you that's race based? What it is, is what 333386 so very much longed for two years ago... a LANDSLIDE!

People continually refuse to recognize or even acknowledge the GOP's role in getting Obama re-elected in 2012. Republicans handed the election to Obama the day they disenfranchised Ron Paul supporters and instead fielded the stuffed sock puppet Romney.

What kind of stupid question is that?   

One thing is clear:  you are a few fries short of a Happy Meal.  That might explain why you think over 90 percent of black women voted for Obama in 2012 because of "effective campaigning."  lol 

But the issue is whether Republican voters oppose Obama because of his race, as alleged by Crist.  Absurd. 

[Soul Crusher]

I oppose obama because he is gay - not because he is black.   

[Straw Man]

I oppose obama because he is gay - not because he is black.  

you are such a self loathing closet case that it's not even funny anymore

Is some homophobia self-phobia?

Date:  April 6, 2012
Source: University of Rochester

Homophobia is more pronounced in individuals with an unacknowledged attraction to the same sex and who grew up with authoritarian parents who forbade such desires, a series of psychology studies demonstrates.  The study is the first to document the role that both parenting and sexual orientation play in the formation of intense and visceral fear of homosexuals, including self-reported homophobic attitudes, discriminatory bias, implicit hostility towards gays, and endorsement of anti-gay policies. Conducted by a team from the University of Rochester, the University of Essex, England, and the University of California in Santa Barbara, the research will be published the April issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

"Individuals who identify as straight but in psychological tests show a strong attraction to the same sex may be threatened by gays and lesbians because homosexuals remind them of similar tendencies within themselves," explains Netta Weinstein, a lecturer at the University of Essex and the study's lead author.
"In many cases these are people who are at war with themselves and they are turning this internal conflict outward," adds co-author Richard Ryan, professor of psychology at the University of Rochester who helped direct the research.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120406234458.htm

[RRKore]

Oh stop with the exceptionally poor Hollywood script.  I'm not lying to myself.  I'm looking at the man's record, what comes out of his mouth, and the state of the country under his watch.  That's what people are criticizing. 

I think far more people voted for Obama because of his race than voted against him because of his race.  You should look at the demographics from 2012.  Over 90 percent of black women voted for him.  You telling me that isn't race-based?   

President Obama has been too lousy at his job to try and claim people criticize him because of his skin color.  Ridiculous.  Crist is being dishonest.   

BB, what state do you live in again? 

And you do realize that folks in some parts of the country are more openly racist than in others, right?  (Note: I've seen this first-hand, btw;  Just got back to my home state of California after living in North Carolina for 5 years...)

[Dos Equis]

BB, what state do you live in again? 

And you do realize that folks in some parts of the country are more openly racist than in others, right?  (Note: I've seen this first-hand, btw;  Just got back to my home state of California after living in North Carolina for 5 years...)

Like I tell my kids, the only question you are not allowed to ask is one you already know the answer to (or is it too?). 

I've been all over the U.S.  I know what race relations look like in all parts of the country. 

But none of that has anything to do with the statistics I referenced or the fact Crist is an opportunistic politician who pulled those comments out of his rear end. 

[Straw Man]

BB, what state do you live in again? 

And you do realize that folks in some parts of the country are more openly racist than in others, right?  (Note: I've seen this first-hand, btw;  Just got back to my home state of California after living in North Carolina for 5 years...)

Bum is completely unaware of any racism towards Obama which is how he knows that Crist is lying about his own personal experiences

Of course we've all seen the racist signs at Republican/Tea Party rallies but Bum is simply completely unaware of of that and he assumes that everyone else is unaware of that too

[RRKore]

Like I tell my kids, the only question you are not allowed to ask is one you already know the answer to (or is it too?). 

I've been all over the U.S.  I know what race relations look like in all parts of the country. 

But none of that has anything to do with the statistics I referenced or the fact Crist is an opportunistic politician who pulled those comments out of his rear end. 

Curious advice for your kids.  I've read that trial lawyers will advise you to do the exact opposite.

Crist is from a part of the country where folks openly spout racist shit, though, isn't he?  

I agree that he may well be opportunistically taking advantage of the situation but pulling comments about racist feelings among folks in the South out of his ass he is not:  In NC I've been surprised/shocked/amused many, many times by folks saying completely racist shit without even looking over their shoulder in a way that I've only rarely seen in CA.  (I grew up in the SF Bay Area & Sacramento and am now living in SoCal.)

I don't doubt that you've spent time in the South but I'm curious to know how much of that time was spent during Obama's time in office.  

[Dos Equis]

Curious advice for your kids.  I've read that trial lawyers will advise you to do the exact opposite.

Crist is from a part of the country where folks openly spout racist shit, though, isn't he?  

I agree that he may well be opportunistically taking advantage of the situation but pulling comments about racist feelings among folks in the South out of his ass he is not:  In NC I've been surprised/shocked/amused many, many times by folks saying completely racist shit without even looking over their shoulder in a way that I've only rarely seen in CA.  (I grew up in the SF Bay Area & Sacramento and am now living in SoCal.)

I don't doubt that you've spent time in the South but I'm curious to know how much of that time was spent during Obama's time in office.  

Great advice for my kids.  Forced them to be independent thinkers. 

Since Obama has been in office, I've been to North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, etc., etc. 

Nobody is saying racists don't exist in America.  Of course they do.  The question is whether Republicans oppose Obama because of his race.  That is unmitigated horse manure. 

[Soul Crusher]

Name one Obama policy I should support and why.  Lets start there