There are things you see now and then… things you are looking right at… and you just can’t tell for sure what it is. “Pat” from Saturday Night Live for example. Man or Woman?

Hmmm

Maybe we’re asking the wrong question.

It’s like when I was six and I was asked for the first time that time-tested query… “Is the glass half empty or half full?” My answer? “What’s in the glass?” You see, that determines (at least for me) whether or not it’s half full or empty. If it’s something I happen to like a lot… well, it’s half empty because I’d want more. If it’s that chalk stuff they make you drink before that whole Barium nightmare begins… Well, definitely half full… TOO half full…

So, the closer you look at Charlie Crist, the more things seem to get a little foggy. Is he empty… or full of it?

He claims he’s a Republican. He runs for various political offices as a Republican. He seeks campaign funds from Republicans and he has been known to endorse the Republican platform… sometimes… It all depends on which way the majority of his voters (Floridians as a whole) are leaning.

Take the whole Drilling for our own oil in the Gulf thing. Charlie has been all over the map on that one and ironically, his “position” always (magically) coincides with opinion polls of Florida residents when he is asked where he stands on the issue.

In November of 2005 (when he was running for governor and Florida residents were predominantly opposed), Charlie opposed having oil rigs 125 miles off shore, “…I’m a gulf coast guy and I’m against it…”

In June of 2008 (when McCain, who also changed his position on the issue to take advantage of the national panic inspired by sky-rocketing gas prices, seemed to be considering him as his running mate ), that he’s “open minded” about a bill (HB1219, which would repeal the current ban on offshore drilling in waters controlled by the state ) that would “let” him drill TEN miles off shore.

125 miles… Baaaaad

10 miles… Gooood… maybe… I guess he’ll get back with us on that.

Perhaps Crist’s new attitude has something to do with the fact that over 73% of Floridians are in favor of drilling. He campaigned on the promise of significant reductions in the out-of-control costs of homeowner’s insurance and vowed to drop property taxes “like a rock”… He gave us a joke.

He promises much, delivers little, has few if any of his own ideas, has difficulty committing to something… Even personal relationships seem to confound him… He marries a woman and divorces her less than a year later… asks another woman to marry him… twice… backs out both times… then meets another woman and proposes in 10 months… But, in spite of his embarrassing performance (like Barack Obama) people seem too distracted by his dapper appearance and his ability to say things with a convincing voice that few seem to notice his failures and broken promises and his approval ratings stay amazingly high.

Charlie Crist is like a gallon of milk a week past the expiration date. We just aren’t sure, even when he doesn’t pass the “smell test”… Hell, there is even a fierce debate on whether or not he’s gay.

Well… now Charlie has his eye on the Senate… and (as highlighted in Erick’s post about Charlie and voting to raise taxes…) he’s breaking promises again.

So, Is Crist a Republican… a Democrat… or a RINO?

Crist is “None of the Above”. He more dangerous than any of those. Charlie Crist is an opportunist… Since the age of 10, Crist has been honing his skills as a Professional Politician, a loyal member in the rapidly growing party of Self Interest seeking not to represent “We The People” but to acquire power. His allegiance is to himself alone and he believes in whatever he thinks will get his foot a rung higher on the political power ladder.

It is the Charlie Crists of politics who are the problem with our government.