Charlie Crist Takes a Swing and a Miss at Ron DeSantis

Rep. Charlie Crist, a Florida Democrat, is the latest to accuse Florida's GOP governor of playing partisan politics in the state’s distribution of COVID vaccine. He joined a chorus of media figures claiming that Gov. Ron DeSantis is prioritizing Republican communities to receive COVID vaccinations ahead of others.

And he’s even calling on the Department of Justice to investigate the allegations.

"I write with concern about reports that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is establishing coronavirus vaccine distribution and administration sites to select locations to benefit political allies and donors, over the needs of higher risk communities and existing county waitlists," Crist wrote on Feb. 21. 

"In several cases, these sites seem to be targeted to wealthy communities with whom Governor DeSantis has clear political connections, allowing some to skip to the front of the line in counties with existing waitlists," he continued.

Crist was repeating the same accusations that news outlets have been making against DeSantis for at least a week.

For example The Washington Post reported that "Ron DeSantis (R) unveiled a 'pop-up' clinic offering coveted coronavirus vaccines in an affluent, mostly White part of Manatee County."

And NBC News reported that the Republican governor "prioritized getting senior citizens—one of Florida’s most potent voting blocs—vaccinated first.”

But these "affluent, mostly White" Floridians who make up the state’s "most potent voting blocs" are also the among the most vulnerable—the elderly.

Calling the NBC claim an "absurd botched hit piece," GOP communicator Matt Whitlock observed that the "Most potent voting blocs..[are] also the most vulnerable to COVID."

If the governor’s critics can accuse him protecting Florida’s most vulnerable population because they generally vote Republican, why don’t they make the same claim in reverse for New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo?

Why don’t they report that Cuomo killed off thousands of the elderly in assisted living facilities because they also generally vote Republican?

It’s a mystery.

Charlie Crist’s latest accusation isn’t unexpected. To call him an opportunist would be understating it.

Crist is a former Republican Florida governor. In 2010, when Floridians expected Crist to run for re-election, he decided instead to be the first to announce a run for a newly-open U.S. Senate seat.

Former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio was Crist’s only Republican primary opponent, but at the time all the smart money was on Crist. That didn’t last long. By March 2010 Rubio overtook him in the polls.

On March 28, "Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace asked Crist if he might drop his GOP affiliation and run as an independent. Crist said no.

"I'm running as a Republican," he said. "I'm very proud to be from the party of Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, others that really have stood up for our party, like Ronald Reagan. This is a great party. It has a great future. We have a great opportunity to win in November. It's important that we put a candidate up that can win in November."

Wallace gave him a chance to reconsider, asking, "So are you ruling out that you will file as an Independent by the April 30th deadline?"

Crist reconfirmed: "That's right. That's right. I'm running as a Republican."

That "party loyalty" didn’t last long.

On April 29, when his poll numbers continued to plummet, Crist announced that he would continue his Senate run as "a candidate without party affiliation."

Rubio trounced him in November, and on Dec. 7, 2012, Crist’s transformation was complete—he announced that he had joined the Democratic Party.

Crist tweeted Sunday, "Why is Governor DeSantis playing politics with vaccine distribution? His political allies & donors should not get to skip the line. Calling for full DOJ investigation."

Crist should take a good look in the mirror if he wants to find the real person "playing politics with vaccine distribution."

He’s been "playing politics" on every issue throughout his entire political career.

Michael Dorstewitz is a retired lawyer and has been a frequent contributor to BizPac Review and Liberty Unyielding. He is also a former U.S. Merchant Marine officer and an enthusiastic Second Amendment supporter, who can often be found honing his skills at the range. Read Dorstewitz's Reports — More Here.