Coming on Sunday from the New York Times: Charlie Crist's Personal Life

With Florida Governor Charlie Crist now being seriously floated as a VP candidate for John McCain, all those old rumors that the longtime bachelor may be gay have gained new currency -- along with reports about Crist dating several women. For this Sunday's New York Times Magazine, Deborah Solomon coyly sort of raises that issue at the very end.

Solomon kicks it off by stating, "Your personal life is not that of a typical Republican candidate. For starters, I hear you're"-- wait for it -- "not a property owner." Crist replies, "It is true. I do not own property."

Solomon then moves on to, "You were married nearly 30 years ago, but the marriage lasted less than a year. Do you prefer"-- wait for it -- "living alone?" Crist: "I got married and divorced because it didn't work out. I haven't found the right one since." Of course, the use of the word "one" will be parsed for days.

"You can't find one woman in all of Florida?" Solomon helpfully asks.

Crist: "Maybe I have. Stay tuned."

Before all that, Crist claims than when people say he will be remembered as much for his tan as for his accomplishments, he says, "that's very flattering," hastening to add that he does not use self-tanning lotion, "it's the sun" -- and his Greek heritage. Crist also calls liberal Florida Rep. Robert Wexler "great," for pushing bill that gives Florida voters a paper trail.

<em>Greg Mitchell's new book is So Wrong for So Long: How the Press, the Pundits -- and the President -- Failed on Iraq. He is editor of Editor & Publisher.

Comments

[Northlite]

My folks have been spending time, more lately, in West Palm for nearly thirty years as they ran out their garment business. Though they are far from radicals or even liberal, from their business they have ancient gay friends and know lots of younger gays, both up here and down there, a couple of whom, to their shock, are relatives. A few of the guys, extremely successful businessmen and very sharp people(neither my folks nor I talk politics with them, so I have no idea where they stand), told my folks that Christ had a pretty "normal", ie. active gay life, but that he had really cleaned up his act and was no longer into the "steam room" and tea dances. They believed that he had been in a sustained if deeply cloaked relationship with one man for the last several years. These are good friends of my folks, not just chitchat at a bar.

[Witchitalineman]

And the "gossip" just continues.

[coba]

a republican thats not married hum... makes you think

http://sensico.wordpress.com/2008/06/20/dwc-checklist-4-change-part-2/

[4wehttam]

For the love of God, I wish our country would just stop all this outrage about gays. If society didn't make it so abhorrent, Crist would have come out a long time ago instead of living in secret..........IF he's gay that is. People should just be able to live their OWN freaking lives. Don't judge my personal life, I won't judge yours.

[Nolewoman]

So totally agree! I live in Florida and don't know and don't care if he is gay or not. I have not followed his career since I am a yellow dog democrat and did not vote for him but him being gay or not had nothing to do with it. I am not interested in his bedroom and I can assure you he is not interested in mine.

[rowzeer]

When u say society do you mean Republicans? Because they are the ones demonizing gays...that's why people consider Republican gays hypocrites.

Most people don't care if he's gay...but the Republican leadership will. The Democrats would be more supportive than the Republicans but then he could be into abuse.

[conniedogs]

I'm no fan of Charlie Crist and I have my own personal thoughts about same sex relationships, but this is low. It's nobody's business if he's gay or not.

[RedDogBear]

What do you think the republicans would do if Obama chose a gay person for his VP? Do you think for a second that they would hesitate exposing him in the most tawdry way possible? OK, so I know we shouldn't stoop to their level but you know what? I'm tired of being on the side that is right and looses all the time. But the real issue is that its not all that unethical to out him. He belongs to a party that has homophobia built right into their platform. That makes him (if he is gay) a hypocrite of the worst kind.

[buckbuck11]

Except when you represent a party that continually denies equal protection, equal rights and equal responsibilities under the Constitution to gay people. Then, it's bald faced hypocrisy.

[ReadyNow]

Another sex slime from the New York Enquirer....What ever happened to that NYT smear on McCain...that one faded away as the smear job it was. The Times has ZERO credibility

[desertdweller]

If you have to eat those words, as Crist's closet secrets are revealed, I would suggest adding some "W" ketchup. I suppose you think that the NYT invented the Mark Foley and Larry Craig scandals...

[cmdrgmh]

It is common knowledge here in Florida that Crist is Gay. It's known through out the state. No big deal.

[FLindependant]

True.

[napoleon68]

no problem with him being gay, if he is. just that he belongs to a party that has in its platform that he is a second class citizen. heck, if can not get married, he should not pay taxes! equal rights for all!

[SoFlaJet]

and he's still a pretty decent Guv-you know, for a republican

[DennyCrane]

So which is more politically damaging? A president who's thought to be Muslim or a VP (who'll become President once McCain dies) who's gay.

[desertdweller]

Gay, straight, or whatever, I have never heard of Crist attacking gays in the way that most Rethugs do. But his personal life will be fair game nevertheless...

[GolfingDevil05]

Even though I'm a Democrat and would never vote for Charlie Crist, I would hope that his personal life wouldn't be fair game. It shouldn't matter whether he's gay or straight. His policies and stances on issues should be enough to say no to him. Hell, there's a lot of rumors that President Lincoln was gay, and Crist clearly is no Abe Lincoln.

[hopeless277]

Why does it seem that all Republicans are self-hating gays? I mean how many Democratic members of congress have been exposed? How many Republicans? There is definately much wrong with the Republican authoatarian facist mind. And of course as we have seen, Republicans are projectors. Whatever they say about their opposition is really about them. And I'll say it one more time, to be a Republican now, you're either a criminal or a fool. Now I'll add or a self-hating gay.

[RedDogBear]

You know back in the 70's when my gay friends started talking about homophobia I thought it was just more pop psycho-babble. But the more I see of these gay hating politicians like the Chrystal Methodist and Senator Wide stance and also look through history (J. Edgar Hoover, Roy Cohn) the more I realize how right they were.

[SonnyBono]

He is so NOT gay - there are no gays in the Republican Party - the Log Cabin dudes are just some frat boys having a little fun - the Republicans are all god fearing flag loving Americans just like Mark Foley, Larry Craig, Ken Mehlman, Mitch McConnell, Ralph Reed, Lindsey Graham and David Vitter. Oh, wait, Vitter likes girls, sorry about that, Dave - omit Vitter, my bad.

Like I was saying the Republicans are all manly men who love wars just not fighting in those wars themselves - that's what the hired help is for.

[Sparty1]

SonnyBono this was a great post. I'm sick today and this put a huge smile on my face.

[BADEN]

Hail, GOOGLE:

"The GOP staffer, 21-year-old Jason Wetherington, told friends at separate social functions in August that he had sex with Crist, according to two credible and independent sources who heard Wetherington make the claim first-hand.

Wetherington, who recently worked as a field director for U.S. Senate candidate Katherine Harris and currently works for state representative Ellyn Bodganoff's reelection campaign, also named a man whom he said is Crist's long-term partner, a convicted thief named Bruce Carlton Jordan who also recently worked for Harris in her long-shot Senate bid. "

http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/2006-10-26/news/crist-denies-trysts/

[BADEN]

Bruce:

http://media.newtimes.com/id/146844/Story%20Photo