Here is how the Tampa Bay Times reported on the incident now referred to as, of course, "Fan-gate:"
In the weirdest start of a gubernatorial debate, Florida Gov. Rick Scott initially refused to take the stage Wednesday night because Democrat Charlie Crist insisted on using a fan to keep him cool.
The Republican governor finally emerged at least six minutes late as flummoxed moderators struggled on live TV to figure out what to do with a bemused Crist standing solo on stage at Broward College.
A Crist adviser tweeted this out early this morning making the case that Crist was in the right.
Debate "organizers" are wrong. Rules were settled two days prior to the debate. pic.twitter.com/JIRbWAsxdr
— Kevin Cate (@KevinCate) October 16, 2014
Hell I don't know if Charlie Crist pulled a fast one, or if Rick Scott is really this petulant, but either way it is never a good thing for the state, that you are asking to elect you to their highest office, to see you throwing a tantrum and threatening to take your ball and go home over something so incredibly trivial.I think if Crist wins this election that he should get that fan plated in gold and put it up on a display case in the Governor's mansion.
For whatever reason it really unnerved him. Wolf Blitzer could not not get a cohesive answer from him about it.
ReplyDeletePat Padrnos
What most people don't know, especially those out of state, is that Scott was once the CEO of the Columbia/HCA hospital chain. During his time Columbia/HCA received the largest Medicare fraud fine at the time if $1.7 billion dollars, that's a B and not a M. Scott claimed he knew nothing about the fraud time, but the evidence clearly shows he was not only aware of it, but was actually responsible in directing the crime. During one inquiry into the fraud case Scott actually plead the 5th 75 times. He is one politician you can actually call a criminal and not be wrong.
ReplyDeleteI've included a link below that goes more in depth about the fraud case if your interested.
http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2014/mar/03/florida-democratic-party/rick-scott-rick-scott-oversaw-largest-medicare-fra/
Thank you for this. He's always seemed like a fraudster to me, and your comment shows that he is. What a jerk! How did he get elected?
DeleteMy brother did his Master's thesis on Columbia/HCA Hospital, and you are exactly right, M Baker. If he were not a billionaire, he would have been put behind bars long ago. Shame on our 'legal' system that says, "one set of rules for the uber-wealthy, and one totally different set for everyone else".
DeleteAfter the debate, Rick Scott's explanation was that Charlie Crist said he wasn't going to debate, so Scott did not want to go on stage if Crist wasn't going to show up. The guy's eyes are so big and vacant, they might as well be spelling Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire. If Florida reelects Scott, maybe Florida deserves him.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Florida deserves Scott if the reelect him. After his debate performance I think he has serious mental issues.
Delete@6:39 PM
DeleteMost current Republicans have serious mental issues.
I think it's like a badge of honor for them.
Maybe it's just me, but I take "electronics" to be what we also commonly refer to as electronic devices, meaning cell phones, tablets, and the like, NOT a fan.
ReplyDeleteI agree. A fan is mechanical, not electronics. Remember when sister Sarah was clearly reading from something in her now infamous debate? Sadly, she couldn't even do that right.
DeleteNo electronic devices? No microphone. Get those TV cameras out of here.
DeleteCrist has used that fan in previous debates.
Am I the only one who gets all these jokers confused? We have Scott Brown in NH; Scott Walker in WI; Rick Scott in FL; and Rick Perry in TX. All first class douchebags.
ReplyDeleteYes, but only one of them looks like Skeletor.
DeleteI thought he looked more like Voldermort. And Anon 6:37 along with Scott and Walker running for re-election as governors, lets add John Kasich from Ohio, Sam Brownback from Kansas, Rick Snyder from Michigan, Tom Corbett from Pennsylvania, and Paul LePage from Maine into the dbag group. They have all managed to screw up their states in one way or the other and are up for re-election. Their states get what they deserve if they re-elect them.
DeleteThank you for saying that, anon@637. Although I can keep Rick Perry straight cause he's a douche among douches
Delete@2:37, Voldemort, Ha-ha!! LOL. He certainly does. He's certainly creepier without all the studio makeup experts that turned Ralph Fiennes into Voldemort- he could be presented just as he is!
DeleteR in NC
Rick is the one with Shelly Bachmann eyes.
Delete2:37, unfortunately, it looks as if Kasich will be re-elected (and is already setting himself up to run in 2016- he recently reiterated that he supports the state's ban on gay marriage). I don't think Nov. 4th will be a good day for Dems in Ohio :(
DeleteScott's team thought they'd ambush Crist with the fan issue, but Crist jammed up their plan by walking out on stage and taking the podium. Instant change in the entire scenario and put Scott on defense. The bigger story here ought to be that Scott's team is too inept to have anticipated Crist's response of just taking the stage and that it took them almost seven minutes to figure out how to respond....which they pretty much muffed as well.
ReplyDeleteYep. Also, I read that later Scott said that Crist was throwing a tantrum about the fan and refusing to go on stage without the fan, and he was merely waiting backstage till he was called to the stage. Ok....
DeleteMeanwhile, Charlie Crist is already on the stage, smiling!
If I didn't know anything about these 2, I would be able to make my mind up on who I was going to vote for after this. Scott came off (after his "explanation") as looking like a liar, a fraud, and a weasel.
A win for Crist will be a "breeze".
ReplyDeleteScott will get a "cool" reception at the voting booths.
ReplyDeleteI'd go for petulant.
ReplyDeleteI think Crist is going to win , but this seals the deal.
ReplyDeleteRick Scott= frickin' Voldemort
ReplyDeleteGood list of gop douchebags. Not to forget about the Paul branch of the gop family - Paul Ryan and Rand Paul. And, of course, Mitt stands alone.
ReplyDeleteHe should have started the debate w/o the idiot.
ReplyDeleteWhen Terri Lynn Land( K-teabagger) didn't show up for the debate here in Michigan the opponent Gary Peters debated an empty chair a la Clint Eastwood. Of course even if she did show up, it would still be debating an empty chair. Surprised $arah hasn't endorsed her.,
Aw, this video doesn't have Scott's mind-blowingly lame explanation for why he didn't come out! That's really the damning part, he tries to blame Crist claiming he was waiting for Crist to "get ready" or something. You know, despite the fact that the video clearly shows Crist at the podium waiting for Scott. But as we all know, reality is just a liberal conspiracy.
ReplyDeleteReality has a well-known liberal bias - Colbert
DeleteOh, Boscoe, LOVE your last sentence. What a hoot, and so true.
DeleteNow I'm wonder: what meds is Scott on? No, seriously; this guy strikes me as a few Cokes short of a case. Was he projecting when he ordered all the 'welfare recipients' to be drug-tested (even though less than 2 percent of them tested positive)?
You know it, Boscoe, doesn't all the "news of the weird" come out of Flor-i-DUH? You watch, they'll re-elect Scott. If only $arah wasn't 4-pee, she have her endorsement all over him. She luvs her some ID-10-Ts.
DeleteYou said "Was he projecting when he ordered all the 'welfare recipients' to be drug-tested "
DeleteNo, he was looking out for his wallet. The company that got most of the contracts for that testing belongs to . . . his wife. No surprises there, right?
The fan has fans.
ReplyDeleteRick Scott is an idiot. No one knows what the debate was about, but everyone knows about the fan. Not a smart move when polling shows the race in a dead heat.
ReplyDeleteI hope Scott's pettiness contributes to his loss on November 4. And while I don't want to jinx the Alaska election, the latest polls are very encouraging for Walker. I sure hope that Sarah's butt boy also loses. And let's also put some positive thoughts to oust Walker in Wisconsin, LePage in Maine and Deal in Georgia.
Did no one see the documentary Outrage?
ReplyDeleteCrist may have turned to democrat, but his private life is straight outta the repubs playbook. He is gay, his wife is a beard. I wish he would just be true to himself.I guess he is safe, despite the documentary, because if the repubs focus on it, they would need to focus on all the other men in that documentary.
Crists people are rewriting wiki. Although he is featured in the documentary, his name is not mentioned in the wiki link. Sorry Charlie, some of us have a memory. I like the man, I do, but sad that he can't be truly honest in his life,so he can play politics.
ReplyDeleteI have the same fan under my desk.
ReplyDeleteI love the announcer's attempt to cover up his laugh at 1:50. He's pretty good, because if that were me, I'd be laughing through the whole explanation! I also noticed Crist "coughing" during that explanation when the camera was on him. Looks like he was also trying to cover a smirk or a laugh.
ReplyDeleteWhen it's that ridiculous, why bother to be polite? Might as well laugh openly at crap like this. Being polite only helps to cover what laughingstocks these people really are.
Colbert: Fangate Really Blew For 'Python On Ecstasy' Rick Scott (VIDEO)
ReplyDeletehttp://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/stephen-colbert-rick-scott-fangate
Stewart On Fangate: Charlie Crist Just Needed To Cool His 'Sweaty Balls' (VIDEO)
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/jon-stewart-charlie-crist-fangate
The Florida GOP Is Really Trying to Make Charlie Crist’s Fan a Thing
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mediaite.com/online/the-florida-gop-is-really-trying-to-make-charlie-crists-fan-a-thing/
Come on...
ReplyDelete"no electronics" means no communication devices (like George W Bush used to wear under his suit jacket with a wire running to an earpiece) or iPads that could be used to quickly Google an answer.
Batboy is a dick and a perfect representative of the Republican Party.
Crist's use of a fan during public appearances is well known, he's done it all his career. This wasn't a surprise or a secret. I'm amazed at how stupid Scott was.
ReplyDeleteIt's always petty nonsense that trips these assclowns up. They spend hours beforehand ironing out the details of what's allowed and what's not, and some poor schmuck somewhere has to put it to paper and have them both agree.
ReplyDeleteSoo the way I see it, Crist's fan isn't the issue, someone wasn't prepared to debate and was looking for an out. Apparently it backfired and he looks like more of an ass for it.