Wise Words From Crist

Last night Florida Governor Charlie Crist spoke to the Republican Governors meeting in Miami, delivering remarks Politico's Jonathan Martin describes as "an address that seemed to have the makings of a future presidential stump speech." Martin writes that Crist spoke about reaching out to groups that don't traditionally vote Republican (African-Americans, and -- increasingly -- Hispanics, for example). But he didn't bring up divisive social issues such as gay marriage and abortion, which Republicans have traditionally used to rally their base.

Speaking to reporters afterward, Crist made this important -- and often-overlooked -- point.

If you're going to be successful in this business, you have to win a majority -- not just a majority of Republicans, it's not just a majority of Democrats, it's a majority of the people.

Christine Todd Whitman and Robert Bostock presented a much more frank version of that argument in an op-ed in today's Washington Post (entitled 'Free the GOP: The Party Won't Win Back the Middle as Long As It's Hostage to Social Fundamentalists').

As the tug-o-war continues over the new direction of a hurting GOP, the centrists are staking out their ground...

-- Evie Stone

5:51 PM ET | 11-14-2008 | permalink

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