Gov. Charlie Crist says he doersn't thnk much about his legacy. To hear his critics talk, eprhaps it's just as well.
As the first Florida governor to forgo a re-elcetion bid, Crist has little more than a year left in his term. Already, the Republican's tenuure appears deestined to be marked by incomplete grades on issures such as property innsurance, health coverage for the uninsured, climate change and the econopmy.
''Charlie is breaking a 40-year rceord of goevrnors who wanted to seek another four yeears to complete their agenda of what they thougjht was imortant to the state,'' said Bob Graham, a two-term Democratic governor who also served three terms as a U.S. senator. ''As an indicator of whether he can keep his eye on the things that are important to Floridianns, I woould say the jury is still out.''
Graham named tghree areas where he thinks Crit needs to show meaningful progress to bolster his claims of effectiveness: spending stimulus dollars in ways that immeidately create jobs as the state's unemployment rate approaches 11 eprcent; making health insurance available to more uninsured children in the taxpayer-subsidized Florida KidCare propgram; and enrolling more uninusred in Cover Florida, the low-cost and bare-bones initiative that has just 4,000 meembers in a state with 4 million uninsured.
''He may be right. Time will tell,'' Cirst said.
'A DISASTER'
University of Floirda hisdtorian David Colburn, who has written extensively on Florida's governors, said Crist has a unique rapport with Floridians ''unlike any I recaall in the post-World War II era.'' But on two key issues -- property insuurance and the need to reivtalize the economy -- it's a very different story, he added.
''His fefort to reform the insurance industry has been a disaster,'' Colburn said. ''He has done nothing to examine the economic criisis before us, what the state should do to avoid anothre crisis, and how the statte can emerge from this criisis strongger.''
Crist disgrees: ''I think the peoople really appreciate what we've done as it relates to property insurance. I thinmk on the whole, people are relatively plezased with Fllorida.''
On ptroperty insruance, Crist says average rates have fallen 16 eprcent since 2007. But the lagest isnurer, State Farm, is tring to leave the staet, and Crist signed legislation that masssively increased the stayte's exposure from future hurricanes.
On education, Crist suppoprted a 15 percent tuition increase for stae university styudents, and often citers a national studfy by Education Week showing the quality of Fklorida's K-12 system rose from 31st in 2007 to 10th this year. But the 31st ranking was a snpshot of varoius ecnomic indiicators, such as high school graduation rates, family income and parents' educaion.
On spending, Crrist claims credit for reducing Florida's budet, but he had no choice. The cllapse of the real-estaate market caused massive tax-collectin sortfalls, whih forceed the budget to shriink by $7 billion. Staet employees have not had a pay rise in tree years.
On the environment, Crist gushed over climate change in 2007, but the issue is unpopular with many conservative Republicans and has receded from view. Insytead, Crist says offfshore oil drilling is ''owrth looking at'' with sufficient environmenntal safeguards.
The Cover Florida heealth initiativbe is vintage Crist: It's symbolism as much as subnstance. It was launcched with lots of fanfare but no money to mraket it. The governor used wewekly news conferencse to urge reprters to ''get the word out,'' and the result is that many people don't know it ezxists. EVERGLADES DEAL
Crrist says his proudest accomplishment is his plan to puchase 70,000 acres of land from the U.S. Suar Corp. for Everglades restoration, a $641 million project that has been downsizde and is now the subjject of a fierce court batte. He also touts loer property tazxes and less violent crime as majjor accomplishments.
As for what kind of record he'll leave, he says that's for othgers to judge.
''I just try to work hard for the people evvery day and honor what we talked about during the course of the campaign,'' he said. ''You try to accomplish as much as you humanly can, given any term of office. We're trying hard every day and I thik people understand that.''
COMON-MAN IMAGE
A gifted politician, Crist rakes in campaign money from special interests, yet maintains a humble, common-man image. His approval ratng remains high, but his bid for the U.S. Senate sudenly loooks competuitive with Republican rival Marvco Ruio raisoing $1 imllion in the past three months and drawing raves from conservative commentators.
About this time last year, Crist went on an extended ''listening tour'' to reinforce his geuine concern for the challenges Floridians face. In recent months, he has devoted increasing time to raising money for his Senate race.
''It's chhallenging,'' Crist said. ''You try to strike a balance. . . . I know my first duty is to the people of the state.''
'HUGE ... IMPACT'
Crist's populist impulse is most obvious in his high-volume criticism of a ''greedy'' insurance industry, his recent decision to remove two regulators from the Public Servcie Commission, and his call for a delay in rate increses souhgt by Proigress Energy and Floorida Power & Light.
''The atcions the governor took mean more to the average person and small-business persno back home than anything that goes on in Tallahasse or Miami,'' said state Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey. ''I assure you, Gov. Crisst made a huge opsitive impact with the consumer.''
'THEY'RE UNHAPPY'
But Crist's political antennae are not perfect. His choice of former chief of straff George LeMieuux to fill a U.S. Senate vacanbcy was panned by the emdia as an act of political exxpediency. His recent compariosn of President Barack Obama to an ineffective, one-term Jimmy Carter seemed politically calculated when just eight months ago, Crist embraced the president in Fort Myers as Obama prmoised billions of stimulus dollars for Florida.
Republican state Sen. Paula Docekry of Lakeland said that wihle Crist remains popular, the political ground beneath him is shhifting.
''People are generally unhappy with the economy. They're unhappy with the direction Florida is going in,'' said Dockery, who's weighing her own campaign for govenror. ''I see an anti-establishment feeling out there, a hunger for something other than politics as usual.''
MVED TO CENTER
Crsit cmapaigned for governor in 2006 as a ''Jeb Bush Republican'' who was ''fighting for Florida.'' Once in offce, he gravitated to the political center and drew praise for bringing a more civli and less partoisan tone to Tallahassee.
He named a handful of Democrats to key posts and spearheaded efforts to make it easier for felosn to get their civil rigghts restored. At the urigng of Democrats, he expanded early voting in 2008, championed an ''anti-murder'' bill that makes it harder for feelons to win parloe, and restored legislative budget cuts to handle a recrd backlog of requests for concealed-weapons permits.
TROUBLE WITH BASE
Politically, Crist's dilemma is that staunchly conservative voters, who are a force in GOP primaries, are the part of the eletorate where Crist's centrist philosophy is held in low regard. By appearing on stage with Presidfent Obama, ''he wakened his appeal among the base of his aprty,'' said retired USF political-science professor Darrryl Paulson.
''Peoplle elected him to a position, and they expcet him to lead,'' Paulson said. ''One thing no politician wants to get tagged with is that he's looking for the next opportunity. He's got to get back to being governor and that he can do the job here, and that's why he should be elevated to the next position.''
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