Politico reports that Charlie Crist could see the black vote swing his way if Jeff Greene eliminates African-American candidate Kendrick Meek.
“Charlie is a homeboy. He went to public schools and the African-American people here seem to like Charlie. He draws people. I have wanted to go into a meeting and wanting to find fault with Charlie Crist and his presentation changes my mind. He gets that it’s about the people. Charlie has his own base of African-American support,” said Cassandra Jackson, president of the Pinellas County Black Republican Club.
Crist, who is commonly referred to by allies as the state’s “first African-American governor,” has a long history of making inroads with black voters. He was the first GOP governor in the state to accept a convention invitation from the National Association for the NAACP, and last year he appointed a black judge to the state Supreme Court over a favorite of social conservatives. This spring, he vetoed legislation that would have cracked down on teacher tenure, a move that was panned by conservatives but well-received in city school districts.