First Man to Throw His Hat in the Ring

Now, we all know that former Speaker Marco Rubio is just waiting for Crist to pick what he’s going to run for and then run for the other seat (though some have suggested he could primary Charlie for the U.S. Senate and challenge the sometimes moderate GOP’er from the right), but no one has openly said, “If Crist runs for the U.S. Senate, I will run for Governor.”

Until now.

Charles Bronson has officially said, “If Crist runs for the U.S. Senate, I will run for Governor.”

I know what you’re thinking – “I love it when TNT shows the Death Wish movies, but isn’t Charles Bronson dead?” or (if you are my mother and like to unnecessarily share these things with your son “I would vote for him in a heartbeat, because he was shirtless and gorgeous during the entire running time of Chato’s Land” or (if you’re me), “though his performance was not so revelatory as that of Henry Fonda, Once Upon Time in the West, Bronson’s appearance is still a masterpiece of restrained, yet operatic dignity.”

Of course, all of these would show just what a nonentity Charles Bronson is, because after eight years in statewide office, we are still not sure that we didn’t vote for the guy in Death Wish (sort of like the people who vote for Connie Mack IV, thinking that they are voting for his father, former Senator Connie Mack).

Why is Bronson to first one out of the gate, the first one to say, “If Crist runs for the U.S. Senate, I will run for Governor”?

Easy, because making a statement like that is an amazing admission of weakness.

Rubio is trying so hard not to say those words that he would rather not even say what he is running for (the only clue we get is that MarcoRubio.com does say it is paid for by his Senate exploratory committee – the emphasis is mine) than say those words.

So let me be the first to congratulate Mr. Bronson on what I can only assume will be a dignified and graceful concession speech sometime next year.