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Crist avoids snubbing Christian conservatives

The frontrunner in the GOP gubernatorial primary race changes plans and attends an influential group’s event.

By ADAM C. SMITH
Published May 19, 2006

ORLANDO — In the Republican gubernatorial race to win over social conservatives, Attorney General Charlie Crist nearly steered into a ditch.

The Republican frontrunner scrambled to rearrange his schedule to avoid snubbing an influential conservative Christian activist group holding a major fundraiser.

“I’m delighted to be here,” Crist said Friday night as he worked a crowd of 800 gathered for an awards banquet for the Florida Family Policy Council.

Weeks ago Crist cited a prior commitment in declining the invitation of the group, which opposes same-sex marriage, stem cell research, abortion rights and gambling.

The group is affiliated with James Dobson’s national Christian organization Focus on the Family. Crist changed his mind after realizing most other top Florida Republicans, including gubernatorial candidate Tom Gallagher, would be there.

“I make every effort to attend these events because I know how important the moms, dads and community leaders involved in these grass-roots organizations are to defending the foundations of our families,” Gallagher said in an e-mail to campaign supporters Friday.

A spokesman for the Gallagher campaign, Albert Martinez, cited Crist’s recent high-profile fundraiser with Donald Trump.

“Mr. Crist has no trouble rearranging his schedule to get to Mar-a-Lago to raise money with liberal trial lawyers and gambling interests, but he does have trouble remembering if he’s even been invited to meet with a core constituency of our party.”

The mini political tempest reflected the cross-currents in the GOP gubernatorial primary, in which Gallagher has worked hard to cast himself as the true social conservative. He strongly supported intervening in the Terri Schiavo case, says he would like to see Roe v. Wade overturned, and has made passing a state constitutional ban on same sex marriage a centerpiece of his campaign.

“In terms of (Christian conservative) leaders, it’s virtually unanimous in support of Tom Gallagher,” said John Stemberger, who leads the Florida

Family Policy Council but stressed that in backing Gallagher he was speaking for himself, and not the council.

But Crist brushed off any suggestion Gallagher would prove to be the stronger candidate among religious conservatives, who by some estimates could make up at least one-third of the Republican primary electorate.

“It’s hard to get to the right of Chain Gang Charlie,” Crist said, using his old tough-on-crime nickname as a state senator.

Indeed, random interviews among the overwhelmingly Republican gathering for the  council’s banquet found no consensus between Crist and Gallagher.

“Tom Gallagher represents a true leader and a living example for the Florida Family Policy Council,” said Lee Niblock of Ocala.

Nearby, Michael Brigmond of Kissimmee declared himself squarely in the Crist camp.

Assorted statewide GOP candidates, including attorney general candidates Joe Negron of Stuart and Bill McCollum of Longwood and chief financial officer candidates Tom Lee of Valrico and Randy Johnson of Celebration, mingled among the guests.

The Florida Family Policy Council honored state Sen. Dan Webster, R-Winter Garden, by creating an award in his name.

 The first recipient of the Daniel Webster Award was Gov. Jeb Bush.

Bush spoke of empowering individuals and families, school accountability programs and stepped up efforts to encourage adoption and restrict abortions.

Adam C. Smith can be reached at (727)893-8241 or asmith@sptimes.com.

[Last modified May 21, 2006, 19:23:14]