Charlie Crist has picked a running mate.
Word has come down the pipe that, just an hour ago, Republican gubernatorial nominee Charlie Crist selected Cape Coral state rep. Jeff Kottkamp as his Lt. Gov. Not too much of a surprise there. Kottkamp is a far-right legislator, and Crist needs those creds to shore up his base. He went with Kottkamp over Diario Las Americas op-ed editor Helen Aguirre Ferre, state sen. Lisa Carlton, and U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller.
Ferre, a virulently anti-Castro editorialist, would have gained Cuban support -- unnecessary, since hardcore Cuban conservatives will vote for a ham sandwich if it has an (R) next to it. Besides, Ferre is one of the so-called Marti Ten, which more or less doomed what little chance she had. Miller was probably the safest, and most well-known, choice, but I doubt he even wanted the job -- it's a bit of a lateral move for a U.S. congressman. That leaves Carlton, who just didn't bring the same super-conservative record as Kottkamp.
State Rep. Jeff Kottkamp, freaky right-wing Lt. Gov. nominee
Meanwhile, Democratic candidate Jim Davis has to announce his own selection by Thursday. I think I already know who it is.
To repair the damage done by Rod Smith's vicious Davis-is-a-racist slimes in the primary, Davis will probably select a black running mate. All in all, the obvious choice is Fort Lauderdale state rep. Chris Smith. Reportedly, Davis' short list also includes former state sen. Daryl Jones of Miami and Miami state attorney Katherine Fernández Rundle. All of these choices have their pros and cons, but Smith is probably the man for the job. He's a very moderate Democrat who often crosses party lines to side with the GOP, which should help syphon off a few moderate GOP voters, and, right or wrong, race has become an issue for the Democrats, and Davis needs Smith or Jones. Having already failed to pass muster with Congress when Clinton nominated him to be Air Force secretary, Jones may have too many skeletons in the closet. A Davis/Smith ticket is the best bet for Davis, and certainly the most likely come Thursday.
Rep. Chris Smith, alleged Democratic Lt. Gov. nominee
So, in short, Crist has selected an ultra-conservative to shore up the batshit-crazy wing of the Republican Party. Davis will select an African-American to regain the black wing of the Democratic Party. Simple as that.