If the Obama campaign prevails in Florida, where polls show him clinging to a narrow lead, a crucial factor will be the high volume of early votes cast. Which, in turn, could make the state’s Republican governor, Charlie Crist, a bit of a hero for the Democrats. (It was Crist who ordered that early voting hours be extended to accommodate what looks to have been record turnout.)
According to one of Obama’s advisers in Florida, who spoke to me on background, Crist’s behavior is a very good sign for the campaign’s chances there. The adviser subscribes to the Crist-as-barometer theory of Florida politics. Which means that the governor’s Obama-friendly position on the voting, along with his less-than-full public embrace of the McCain campaign’s tactics, is a sign of the way he see things going.
As the adviser put it: "They call him a popularist, not a populist.”
