Joe Henderson
It wasn’t always clear throughout Monday night’s Florida gubernatorial debate whether we were watching an exchange of ideas or a pep rally.
Note to future planners: It’s time to ditch the live, partisan audience at these encounters.
However, when the one-hour exchange between Democratic challenger U.S. Charlie Crist and incumbent Gov. Ron DeSantis ended, we had a clear dividing line from where the two men stood. And so did the statewide audience.
The question is, did it convince any undecided voters one way or the other?
Crist attacked DeSantis on multiple fronts, most notably abortion rights. He kept turning every question back to his fundamental point that women should control their bodies. Crist was composed and not combative, forceful, and at times persuasive.
But so was DeSantis.
The Governor defended his stance about limiting what young school children can be taught about sex and gender. He stood by his decision to keep schools open despite medical advice to the contrary during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
So who won probably depended most on who you supported going into the night. And that brings us back to the pep rally feel about the debate.
Despite what I might personally agree with, I thought both men made their points persuasively. However, we often lost both candidates’ points when supporters on both sides cheered over their words, which must stop. This isn’t a TV show, folks. It’s a serious exchange of ideas between two opposing sides that, for a change, actually seemed to have some substance as these things go.
Crist, a former Governor of Florida, repeatedly referred to DeSantis as Ron. He questioned several times whether DeSantis would commit to serving a full four-year term if elected, but never got a direct answer. The inference was clear: the 2022 gubernatorial race, Crist implied, is merely a staging ground for DeSantis to mount a campaign for President in two years.
That could well be the headline of this debate.
But with DeSantis well ahead in the polls, and Floridians appearing satisfied with his performance, was that enough for Crist to move the needle?
So far, polls show it’s not.
Crist attacked the 15-week abortion ban DeSantis signed, but that issue doesn’t seem enough to carry him over the goal line. He didn’t seem to land enough points on the economy to make Floridians say Tuesday morning that it was their main takeaway from this debate.
Crist attacked one of the big complaints about DeSantis.
“You don’t have the temperament to be kind and decent to people who don’t look like you, act like you, or contribute to you,” he said.
The studio crowd went wild.
But did it move the needle for the challenger?
We won’t know that for sure until Election Day, but it’s doubtful DeSantis did anything in this debate to hurt his reelection chances. And, seriously, wasn’t that was this exercise was all about?
13 comments
Charlie Crist
October 24, 2022 at 9:12 pm
I annihilated Ron in the debate. He was defamed, duped, humiliated, embarrassed, trounced, and struggled to breathe afterwards. Even if I lose the election, it was worth it. Epic roast.
Jose
October 24, 2022 at 9:16 pm
Crist got the better of DeSantis but, you are right it will not matter.
The pep-rally aspect hurt Crist more than DeSantis because he could not finish his points.
Don’t worry about 2024, after this debate Trump will destroy him.
Tom
October 24, 2022 at 9:31 pm
Two meaningless assholes.
Clueless, in your observations.
At best it was a draw for Chameleon.
The key is the Gov used my recommended reference calling Charlie, “chameleon” which he is.
Charlie Crist
October 24, 2022 at 9:48 pm
I won. DeSantis was roasted, BBQ’d, cooked, burned, toasted, flame thrown, torched, scorched, and fried. He threw chairs and screamed back stage. It was a historically epic body slam.
Tom
October 24, 2022 at 9:31 pm
Two meaningless assholes.
Clueless, in your observations.
At best it was a draw for Chameleon.
The key is the Gov used my recommended reference calling Charlie, “chameleon” which he is.
Charlie Crist
October 24, 2022 at 9:40 pm
👆 Double post. Incompetent to work a device = incompetent to vote.
Brandon
October 24, 2022 at 9:34 pm
Earth to Charles (R-I-D), women have the to choose and they will choose to re-elect Gov. DeSantis.
Connor
October 24, 2022 at 9:51 pm
Being honest, Charlie started strong and it quickly faded as we got into more controversial subjects. It became clear Charlie did not have a proposal or a vision for Floridians and was only there to attack DeSantis. DeSantis ran away with it at the end.
The debate was never really going to change anything but it may have ended up helping DeSantis in the end and the post debate poll on WFLA here in Tampa confirms that. They show 19000 votes with DeSantis winning the debate by a 66-34 margin.
Remember “Jefferson has beliefs, Burr has none”
Jerry
October 24, 2022 at 10:08 pm
I agree. Ditch the audience. What the heck was that? It was nothing but a distraction.
By the way, the focus on abortion isn’t working. Polls show voters are not going to the polls because of abortion rights. They are going to the polls because of the economy. Charlie Crist and Val Demings focused their entire campaigns on abortion, and polls show its not moving the needle at all. Crist constantly bringing up abortion over and over again likely did him nothing.
Hope
October 24, 2022 at 11:48 pm
Charlie’s coveted fan brought back PTSD for Republicans being reminded of all Charlie’s former political dramas (and there were many). The best line of the night was when DeSantis referred to Charlie’s “six political parties ago”. Charlie knew there was no way he could make any gain so he threw in the towel by asking questions, thereby, breaking debate rules.
FP Legend Tom’s coining the phrase Chameleon, which DeSantis used very effectively (and shows that he listens). A win for Tom and a win for DeSantis!
William Dail
October 25, 2022 at 6:00 am
Why wasn’t Hector Roos invited to the debate? Roos is on the election ballot for Florida Governor he should have been in that debate. Apparently Crist & DeSantis are too chicken to debate him.
Fred
October 25, 2022 at 7:10 am
The Gov comes off as a space cadet. He could never hold his own in a presidential debate. Lacks empathy.
Chuck Bass
October 25, 2022 at 8:28 am
While I agree that the debate was a political Rorschach test, there were some things that for me made DeSantis stand out over Crist
> DeSantis made the debate about his accomplishments, and Crist followed his lead.
> hammered home Crist’s brand as a flip flopper
> Crist appeared to be floundering towards the middle of the debate, resorting to violating debate rules, underscoring his retreat on the issues
> Crist’s broken record point of him being on the side of “woman’s right to choose”, despite his history of being against “women’s right to choose”.
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