In Florida, Orlando Sentinel’s Mike Thomas writes that thanks to his “flipping, flopping, fumbling,” Charlie Crist is “at the end of his political life”:

They say as the body nears the end and begins to shut down, a sense of euphoria takes over that eases the pain. And so I think of Charlie Crist at the end of his political life, almost giddy with his newfound freedom as an independent candidate, proclaiming that these indeed are the best of times… He has four more months to work for the people of Florida. Then he will watch Marco Rubio go to Washington as a United States senator. Charlie will be out of political office, without a political party and without a next race on the horizon… Charlie could not be trusted. He viewed public policy from the sole vantage point of self-promotion, meaning his support for any given position was a moment in time that could quickly vanish. When you have no core beliefs, you have no core support. And shallow support evaporates quickly. A crack in Charlie’s popularity would be like a crack in a dam. Marco Rubio was the crack. And Charlie panicked as the flood was unleashed.

While the Palm Beach Post mocks Crist’s “puzzling number of contradictory statements”:

I think it’s time to de-mystify the decision making process of our beloved governor. Charlie Crist has made a puzzling number of contradictory statements during his quest to be a U.S. Senator. Critics have characterized this as a flaw, while Crist merely calls it “being a free agent for Florida.” I think the explanation is more tangible: Charlie Crist uses a Magic 8-Ball. That’s the only explanation that makes sense to me.