Crist's Choice

Charlie Crist is most likely going to be the next Governor of Florida. As a centrist, Crist has repositioned the Florida GOP in the middle of the political spectrum after eight years of the party being pulled to the right by Governor Jeb Bush and his minions in the state house.

Will Crist continue his centrist path by selecting a middle of the road running mate, like Senator Lisa Carlton? Or will he try and appease the party's base by picking a conservative like Rep. Jeff Kottkamp who has sponsored some bizarre legislation during his House tenure?

My thinking is that Crist will either play it safe with someone like Carlton or will try and crush Jim Davis with black voters by selecting Rep. Jennifer Carroll, an African-American with strong conservative and military credentials.

Despite all of the talk that Davis needs an African-American running mate, I would argue he doesn't because despite Crist's bonafide credentials with black voters, chances are they will largely stay in the Democratic column. Secondly, Daryl Jones who is black is probably the best option for Davis anyway, so he can reasonably argue he picked the best person for the position. Consider that of the potential LG candidates on the Democratic side, black or white only Jones has the Legislative background, statewide experience, military background and national connections to actually add something to a ticket that is likely to lose in November. The other potential choices will not do anything to change the race.