MIAMI (Reuters) - Florida's Republican Governor Rick Scott and his Democratic challenger Charlie Crist don't agree on much, not even a podium cooling fan that delayed the start of the second televised debates between the two candidates on Wednesday evening.
For all their policy differences in the battle for the nation's largest swing state, the squabble over a small ground-level fan at Crist's legs will likely be the most remembered moment of an otherwise forgettable debate.
Both candidates seemed more concerned about scoring points against their rival than answering a dozen question from a panel of veteran Florida journalists at Broward College in south Florida.
The debate was produced by a local CBS-TV affiliate and the second of three scheduled between the two candidates, and followed by a Spanish-language debate last week on the TV network Telemundo.
It got off to a bizarre start as only Crist took the stage with the broadcast already live. The moderator announced Scott would not come out due to a disagreement over the fan at Crist's feet.
Scott's campaign said the debate rules allowed for "no electronics on the podium," according to one panelist, presumably a reference to equipment that might be used as cheat sheets or prompts for the candidates.
Crist was asked by Rosemary Goudreau from the Sun Sentinel if he was in violation of the agreement.
"Are we really going to debate about a fan or are we going to talk about education, and the economy and the future of our state. I mean really!" Crist replied.
That prompted cries of "Follow the rules," by some Republicans in the audience.
It got off to a bizarre start as only Crist took the stage with the broadcast already live. The moderator announced Scott would not come out due to a disagreement over the fan at Crist's feet.
Scott's campaign said the debate rules allowed for "no electronics on the podium," according to one panelist, presumably a reference to equipment that might be used as cheat sheets or prompts for the candidates.
http://www.tampabay.com/topics/specials/governor-scott-jobs-for-florida.page
http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-the-rick-scott-record-an-environmental-disaster/2196359
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/rick-scott-reelection-education/2014/08/21/id/590211/
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/florida-governor-campaign-attacks-backfire-article-1.1862518
if questioned on any of this it could create a sweat tide guilt tends to do that to you. still trying to figure out why they elect guys like this and millionaires will not support legislation that helps the people if it infringes on their pockets over half of congress are millionaires, makes good legislation like all the agencies republicans want to kill that protect us from them.
a fan, really????
