Does marital status matter?

From the Sarasota Herald-Tribune

TALLAHASSEE -- It doesn't sound like an ideal résumé for a job applicant hoping to lead a state of 17 million-plus.

Single with no children at the age of 50, he is a renter who has never had a home mortgage or property insurance to pay. His work experience is largely limited to government. He drives a Jaguar but has few investments.

Even with a background that may seem foreign to most people of similar age, Republican Attorney General Charlie Crist is waltzing toward victory in the GOP gubernatorial primary on Sept. 5.

Polls show Crist up by 20 or more percentage points in his race against Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher. That lead is slimmer in presumptive races in November against either Democratic opponent, U.S. Rep. Jim Davis, D-Tampa, or state Sen. Rod Smith, D-Alachua.

Democrats are already teeing off on the topic, tying Crist's personal history to remote issues such as this week's news report that Crist was unaware of the dates and scoring of the FCAT.

"Let's see. He doesn't own a home, doesn't pay property taxes, doesn't understand windstorm insurance, and doesn't know simple facts about the FCAT, so how can Crist expect Floridians to elect him governor?" Florida Democratic Party Chair Karen Thurman said in a statement last week. "There's a basic level of knowledge a governor must have, and Crist doesn't pass the test."

Crist, with his trademark smoothness, dismisses such criticism with statements like, "I don't need to have children to know they're wonderful" and "I don't need to have cancer to know that it's bad."

Charlie has a good point. His political resume and stand on the issues confronting Florida should be the key considerations. If this is an attempt by Tom Gallagher supporters to drum out doubts about Crist, should I remind them of their own candidate's past? Hypocrisy thy name is politics.

Who knows maybe Crist is..... LOL, I could say the word but then I may start a rumor.(Though it could do wonders for my blog traffic) Some people would wonder about Crist at his age but TFM could care less.

I'm not real enamored of Crist, but I like him better than Gallagher. The same goes for Rod Smith on the Democratic side.(Where I'll be voting in next month's primary) Both Gallagher and Jim Davis have won knucklehead awards from TFM, Smith and Crist have come very close. Its going to come down to who I dislike the least. Probably Charlie Crist unless something changes between now and November.

Two side notes- Crist if elected Governor would be the first unmarried Chief Executive in Florida since Claude Kirk(1967-1970).

The Palm Beach Post came out with their endorsements. Rod Smith and Charlie Crist. Should the far left Post be endorsing a Republican at all?

Linked to- Bright & Early, Bullwinkle Blog,