TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist defends his evolution from a Republican to Democrat in a memoir discussing how an appearance with President Barack Obama helped change his political future.
“The Party’s Over: How the Extreme Right Hijacked the GOP and I Became A Democrat,” co-written by Crist and Ellis Henican, awaits scheduled February release.
Florida’s governor from 2007 to 2011, Crist defends a decision to give a hug to the Democrat Obama at a 2009 event though it alienated GOP voters. The Republican turned independent in 2010 and became a Democrat in 2012.
“I didn’t think a thing about it about it as it was happening,” Crist writes. “But that simple gesture ended my career as a viable Republican politician.”
The Associated Press obtained a copy of the book Wednesday.