A new low speed in political spin

If you are a real fan of politics you might just have a change of temperature when seeing what Florida gubernatorial candidates are squawking over.

A debate between GOP Gov. Rick Scott and Democrat Charlie Crist, the former Florida governor, started about 7 minutes late. But it wasn’t due to a technical glitch. No Scott refused to come about because Crist had a fan blowing on him from below his lectern.

The fan was no stranger to Crist. He wrote in a biography that he had used the cooling appliance for years. As many Floridians probably know, it gets hot there sometimes. After all, its nickname is “The Sunshine State.” And when you are wearing a suit and tie below hot stage lights or in a church that has only a ceiling fan for air conditioner, you might have the tendency to break that famous rule of campaigning: “Never let them see you sweat.”

A Florida TV anchor moderating the debate finally explained the Scott rules for the debate that there should be no fan on the stage. That led to boos from the audience. Then, Crist began mocking such riders.

“Are we really going to debate about a fan or are we going to talk about education and the environment and the future of our state? I mean, really,” Crist responded.

This is what the state of politics passes for these days. It seems like the audience would need a fan of gigantic proportions, more so than the politicians, for all the hot air coming from the candidates.

Of course, the follow-up had the candidates’ flacks spinning faster than the former governor’s fan. Around and around and around we go and where we stop? Well, in this case I suppose it is the Florida statehouse.