Later today I'll be watching Later today I'll be watching Barack Obama speak at American University alongside Ted and Caroline Kennedy, who, by this point, you already know have endorsed Obama. But the less glamorous endorsement of this past weekend -- though perhaps the more telling one -- was Florida Gov. Charlie Crist's show of support for John McCain ahead of Tuesday's primary in the state. Watching the video of the event, I though Crist demonstrated a charismatic jocularity. Could he be V.P. material? You know, double down on the white hair appeal and potentially bring along a swing state? Seems unlikely. While Crist is a Republican traditionalist when it comes to God, guns, and gays (read: anti-choice, anti-recognition of gay relationships and gay parenting, and an A+ NRA rating), he's also been called Florida's "first black governor" due to his aggressive prosecution of hate crimes and support for voting rights for felons who've served their time. Crist also championed a law that requires a paper trail for all ballots cast in the state, an important reform after African Americans were disproportionately disenfranchised by the hanging chad debacle of 2000. So while Crist matches McCain's record of some (limited) independent thinking, he doesn't really reassure the skeptical corners of the Republican base, which is what the Arizona senator would most likely be looking for in a running mate. That, of course, is why all fingers are pointing toward Huckabee, with his Christian conservative cred. Another factor not in Crist's favor: He's unmarried and has no children, which would likely raise eyebrows among the "family values" crowd. --Dana Goldstein
