| As the popular governor of Florida and a Republican known for supporting relatively progressive causes, you are often mentioned as a possible running mate for Senator McCain. It’s been said that you could deliver Florida for him in the November election and lend him some overall centrist appeal. It’s very flattering that people would even consider that a notion. Is it fair to describe you as socially progressive? I think it is fair to describe me as a common-sense Republican. Which implies that some Republicans lack common sense. That’s possible. You have supported stem-cell research, unlike most Republicans. I do support that. I think it is common sense to pay attention to what is happening in science. My father is a physician, my sister is a physician and I try to be enlightened on things that might extend and create productive life. This Wednesday, you’ll be hosting your annual climate-change summit meeting in Miami, and you have already signed an executive order to reduce the state’s greenhouse-gas emissions, which is not a traditional Republican goal. Yes, but it should be, in my view, much in the mold of Teddy Roosevelt. Here’s a guy who founded our national parks system and obviously cared about the environment and preserving it. But didn’t he shoot elephants and other big animals? Yes, he did that too. Being a hunter and being a conservationist are not mutually exclusive. One of your first acts as governor was signing a bill requiring paper receipts on electronic voting machines. You know who convinced me of that? Congressman Robert Wexler, the great Democrat of Southeast Florida. Your predecessor as governor, Jeb Bush, was content to have touch screens with no receipts. My view of it is, my goodness, you go to an A.T.M. machine, you get a receipt. You go to a grocery store, you get a receipt. Why not have a paper record for the most precious thing we do as citizens? Where were you during the Florida recount of 2000? I was on the ballot in 2000. I ran for education commissioner that year. And won. No recount! The novelist Carl Hiaasen has publicly asked that you excuse yourself from the vice-presidential sweepstakes, since you have been governor for only 17 months and haven’t accomplished much, in his estimation. I appreciate his counsel. If you became vice president, he wrote in The Miami Herald, you would be better remembered for your tan than for your leadership. I hear that too. And that’s also very flattering. I trust you use self-tanning lotion and stay out of the sun. No. It’s the sun. And it’s my heritage. I’m of Greek descent. What was your family’s original name? Cristodoulos. My father changed it when he was in high school. Your personal life is not that of a typical Republican candidate. For starters, I hear you’re not a property owner. It is true. I do not own property. I just never found a need for it. Now I have the Governor’s Mansion, and I rent a condo in St. Petersburg. You were married nearly 30 years ago, but the marriage lasted less than a year. Do you prefer living alone? I got married and divorced because it didn’t work out. I haven’t found the right one since. It’s really that simple. You can’t find one woman in all of Florida? Maybe I have. Stay tuned. Do you have any advice for your fellow Republicans in the meantime? Just lead with common sense. Do what you think is right. And treat others well. http://youtube.com/watch?v=_eX8rQ98Zh8 I've got to say... I laughed out loud when Crist revealed the only song he can play on the piano is... Midnight Cowboy. Wow. |
