A smart Republican consultant shares an assessment that sees Charlie Crist’s departure from the party as near-inevitable, given the course of events so far: “I don’t think this is entirely Charlie’s fault. He was promised something by the National Republican Senatorial Committee. It didn’t work out and Senatorial blinked. He’s [ticked]. Now wants to screw ‘em all; that’s a perfectly natural reaction for a politician scorned.”
With races looking good in Arkansas, North Dakota, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Nevada, New Hampshire, Delaware, Illinois, and California, the NRSC could end up having a phenomenal year. But presuming Crist bolts, this cycle will probably still be remembered as the year that not one but two of their early endorsements left the party.