Charlie Crist’s running mate Karla Hernández-Mats has reportedly brought a cardboard cutout of Joe Biden to campaign stops.
The DeSantis War Room first tweeted the revelation, along with a picture of Hernández-Mats and the Biden cutout.
Charlie Crist’s running mate @KarlaforFlorida brings a cardboard cutout of Joe Biden to campaign stops. @CharlieCrist has begged Biden to come to Florida and campaign with him, despite the fact that Biden’s approval rating is underwater by double digits in Florida.
Charlie Crist's running mate @KarlaforFlorida brings a cardboard cutout of Joe Biden to campaign stops. @CharlieCrist has begged Biden to come to Florida and campaign with him, despite the fact that Biden's approval rating is underwater by double digits in Florida. pic.twitter.com/3t1SUawlF3
— DeSantis War Room 🐊 #FloridaStrong (@DeSantisWarRoom) October 13, 2022
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As the tweet notes, Crist has been asking Biden to campaign with him for months. One joint event was even slated but got canceled due to Hurricane Ian. Crist has been campaigning on issues and priorities that mirror Biden’s. Even Crist’s approach of posing as a decent, experienced statesman standing up to a ‘right-wing bully’ is pulled from Biden.
“We have to have that kind of courage and just tell it like it is. I’m gonna be a happy guy. You know, I’m a nice fella. But don’t ever confuse my kindness with weakness. We’re gonna take it to them,”
But Crist’s love of Biden has been anything but implied. Crist praised Biden’s controversial MAGA-demonizing speech, saying he’s “so damn proud” of him. In that speech, Biden went so far as to say, “Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic…” These MAGA Republicans apparently included anyone who was pro-life, pro-constitutional originalism, or pro-traditional marriage.
Crist continued to layer on the praise for Biden.
“God love him. God love him, and I do. And he’s told it straight. Democracy is at stake. … Our freedoms are at stake. And the president laid it out, and he couldn’t hold back, and I’m so damn proud of him for it.”
Charlie Cringe worshipping Joe Biden again: "How many of you saw Biden’s speech last night on national TV? God love him. He told it straight… The president laid it out, he didn’t hold back and I am so damn proud of him for it.” 🙄 pic.twitter.com/uFlcaUMtiO
— DeSantis War Room 🐊 #FloridaStrong (@DeSantisWarRoom) September 6, 2022
Republicans also pointed out the similarities between Biden and Crist, leveraging them as negatives, especially on border policy.
Riding the coattails of more well-known politicians is nothing new for either party. Endorsements, speaking opportunities, praise, and policy similarities are all par for the course, even if Crist may be a bit overzealous. But what’s not common is bringing cardboard cutouts of those politicians while campaigning. Whether the prop indicates adoration or desperation as the midterms near is anyone’s guess, but it’s unlikely to help.
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