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After the debate, candidates and their handlers spilled out onto the covered breezeway outside the News Center to offer their spin on tonight’s debate.
First on everyone’s mind was tonight’s surprise: Just minutes before cameras rolled, Max Linn, the Reform Party candidate, won a court challenge and gained access to the debate.
Previously, organizers at WFLA planned to have only the mainstream candidates, Republican Charlie Crist and Democrat Jim Davis, appear in the debate, which was moderated by “Hardball” host Chris Matthews.
Linn was the first to grasp for the spotlight. Grinning, gutsy and clearly gobbling up the attention of reporters, he insisted his performance would make him Florida’s next governor.
But maybe he already has the victory he craves.
“I threw them for a loop by coming in at the last minute,” Linn said. “They’ve been trying to keep me out all year long!”
Governor Jeb Bush, who handed Linn a Sharpie marker on the way into the debate and wished him good luck, said he actually thinks the third-party candidate shouldn’t have shared the stage with Davis and Crist.
“It wasn’t fair to the people that spent a lot of time and money organizing this,” Bush said.
For their part, the two mainstream candidates stuck mostly to their messages afterward, offering few comments about the gadfly in their midst.
Crist, who was the target of most of Linn’s attacks, said the often-lively discussion was “a different kind of debate” and that he “had fun” with it.
As for Davis, he also seemed skeptical of the process that landed Linn, previously best known for making an emergency landing on Interstate 4 in his single-engine plane, in the spotlight.
“Democracy is a beautiful thing,” Davis said. “But it’s a little sloppy.”
Bush states Max Linn’s presence at this debate wasn’t fair to the people who spent a lot of time and money organizing it. What he really meant is it wasn’t fair to the lobbiests and the special interest groups who paid for it. Max Linn was the proverbial party crasher and I’m glad he was there to stir the pot. Clearly Davis was the winner in this debate. And Max was an easy second. Charlie’s done.
Gotta admit, I’m on the fence now. Was for Crist prior to the debate, but he seemed like such a dim bulb. Don’t like voting for Democrats, but Davis is, frankly, the better man.
Changed my vote as well. I was Christ, but now i’m with Davis. I just don’t understand what the heck Crist stands for or what he’s talking about. He’s SO out of touch. Davis is from here, has kids in public school here and relates better to Floridians from what i’ve seen in the two debates.
I am a registered republican, and coming into this debate I was planning on voting for Crist. I noticed that both Crist and Davis were dodging questions left and right. I am glad that Max Lynn was allowed to participate, he was the only one who answered all the questions head on. I get the feeling that Lynn is like many republicans like myself that are fed up with the behavior of our fellow republicans. This is Florida, we are in an insurance crisis, and anyone who accepts Insurance companies money, isn’t really out for the best interest of Floridians. Why don’t the insurance companies take that money they donated and apply it to lower the premiums!
Enjoyed it immensely changed my vote from Crist( and his robotic answers ) to Davis as he would be my 1st Dem vote in my LIFE
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Posted by CurtisAHolmes, Largo on 10/31 at 01:08 PM
Oh please…if you’re going to be a political operative at least admit it. If last nights fiasco changed your mind…heaven help us all. Oh wait…I’m missing my opportunity…“I’m a democrat but after watching the hideous performances and meaningless attacks by Davis and the other guy…why, I’m voting for Charlie Crist.”
All I can say about last night…a somewhat entertaining waste of time. A void looking for any substance but alas all three missed, thanks to the host and an idiotic format.