The subject of Florida Gov. Charlie Crist’s impending nuptials drew snickers from the crew at “Left, Right and Center,” my favorite weekly political chat show, which is produced by KCRW-FM, in Santa Monica.
The topic was “veep stakes,” and the moment of mirth came after guest host Lawrence O’Donnell, who represents the political center, asked Tony Blankley, the former editor of the Washington Times and the show’s token rightwinger, whether Mitt Romney had made a “downpayment” on the vice presidency by opting to eat his $45 million campaign debt.
Arianna Huffington, who represents the “independent progressive blogosphere” on the show, noted, “Well Gov. Crist also made a downpayment by announcing he’s getting married … So there are downpayments all around being made.”
Republicans really do think people are stupid. Honestly, who really thought this would work — a sudden announcement of marriage that appears to be, because it is, hastily arranged to make Crist a palatable candidate for vice president? It reminds me of George Bush Sr. saying he picked Dan Quayle to be his running mate because Quayle was good-looking and so would get the female vote.
A rough transcript of the exchange follows…
22:35
O’DONNEL: Mitt Romney made a $45 million downpayment on the vice presidency by saying that he would eliminate his own campaign debt with his own money, therefore not threatening to take any money away from the campaign of John McCain with what otherwise would have been a fundraising attempt to retire that debt. Tony Blankley, is $45 million enough?
BLANKLEY: Enough for what? Not for me! I can live comfortably on it.
O’DONNEL: Will that buy one’s way onto the vice-presidential presidential ticket in Minneaoplis?
BLANKLEY: No. I don’t think it has anything to do with McCain’s decision.
O’DONNEL: It has to have something to do with it.
BLANKLEY: McCain will make some sort of quirky decision based on his personality.
O’DONNEL: But you do agree it was a good maneuver for Romney to clean up how he looks as a possible vice presidential candidate.
BLANKLEY: I suppose. I don’t find him to be a very attractive vice presidential candidate.
O’DONNEL: Why not?
BLANKLEY: Because the reasons he lost the primary are the same reasons he won’t be useful in the general. He’s not seen as authentic. And for some evangelical Christians, he’s not seen as a Christian, because he’s a Mormon. Those two reasons explain why — although he was right on all the positions for the majority of the Republican primary electorate, he couldn’t win. And I don’t see how he adds much to the ticket in the fall.
O’DONNEL: Arianna?
HUFFINGTON: Well Gov. Crist also made a downpayment by announcing he’s getting married… So…
O’DONNEL: Oh, there’s that.
BLANKLEY: What a price he’s paying!
[Laughter]
HUFFINGTON: So there are downpayments all around being made.
