The debate was over before it started.
When Gov. Rick Scott didn't immediately come out on stage in Wednesday nights debate against former Gov. Charlie Crist at Broward College due to concerns about the Democrat using his ubiquitous fan, the governor lost the debate right off the bat. The Crist team quickly took to Twitter, insisting under the agreed-upon rules their candidate was allowed to have his fan.
Crists campaign and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) sent out emails before the debate was over, mocking Scotts decision.
Something crazy just happened, Omar Khan, Crists campaign manager, emailed supporters on Wednesday night. Moments before the debate was scheduled to begin, Rick Scott decided he wasn't going to participate. Why? Because there was a fan at Charlie's podium. A fan.
For a few incredible minutes just now, Charlie stood all alone at the podium while Rick Scott threw a temper tantrum backstage, denying the people of Florida the chance to hear from their gubernatorial candidates because of -- literally -- a breeze, Khan continued. Scott finally caved and decided to join the debate. But the fact that this sideshow happened at all is an embarrassment to our great state and fellow citizens.
Instead of focusing on the issues, the debate became about Charlie Crists fan and Scotts apparent pettiness.
Political debates in this day and age are about moments. Nobody remembers what the candidates actually say at the debates. Were no longer in 1858 when Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas stumped across Illinois to focus on the issues of the day and engaged in long, well-thought-out debates on public policy.
What voters remember from todays debates are the strange moments when the candidates go off-script. They remember Gerald Ford insisting "there is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe" against Jimmy Carter back in 1976.
Voters remember George H.W. Bush frozen in New Hampshire as Ronald Reagan said I am paying for this microphone" during a primary debate in 1980.
They recall the strange moments from the 1988 cycle: Dan Quayle acting like a deer in the headlights as Lloyd Benson told him, Youre no Jack Kennedy. And Mike Dukakis clinical response to Bernard Shaw asking if he would support the death penalty if a criminal raped and murdered his wife Kitty.
The year 1992 was also full of odd moments: Jerry Brown and Bill Clinton clashing over Whitewater and Hillary Clinton; Ross Perots endless array of one-liners; James Stockdale's performance in the vice presidential debate; and Bush looking at his watch while Clinton spoke.
Al Gore might have lost himself the presidency with his sighs and odd attempt to confront George W. Bush back in 2000. Those moments linger longer in the American mind than what is actually said at the debates.
Scott should have known this basic truth about American politics. Back in 2010, in his close contest against then-state CFO Alex Sink, Scott was the beneficiary of one of these moments when his Democratic opponent looked over at a smart phone, violating the rules of the debate.
With his momentary protest over the fan, Scott lost control of the narrative of Wednesday nights debate, no matter what he said about education, the Second Amendment or the economy. Scotts handlers seriously hurt their candidate in what is shaping up as a close contest -- over a fan. This was a major unforced error by the Scott team.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
