Two More Democrats Line Up for Crist as Republicans Say Good Riddance

Are any Republicans planning to vote for Charlie Crist this November? If so, they're keeping a low profile.

Not so for Democrats, however. State Sen.-elect Maria Sachs of Delray Beach and state Rep. Darryl Rouson of St. Petersburg -- both Democrats -- endorsed Crist's U.S. Senate bid this week.

And little wonder. Crist has tacked leftward on virtually every issue since bolting the Republican Party in April (though he still seems confused about his position on Obamacare).

Crist's maneuvering is bad news for Democrat Kendrick Meek, who is running a distant third in the three-way race. Polls show Marco Rubio and Crist trading leads in the contest, but Crist can't win by splitting the Democratic vote with Meek.

And, according to 2008 Obama campaign manager Steve Schale, Rubio is limiting Crist to 20 percent of the Republican vote (a liberal estimate, by many other accounts).

Ultimately, Crist's stand in the mushy middle isn't likely to generate much enthusiasm or trust among voters, More likely, it will sink him.