With Florida Governor Charlie Crist now being seriously floated as a VP candidate for John McCain, all those old rumors that the longtime bachelor may be gay have gained new currency -- along with reports about Crist dating several women. For this Sunday's New York Times Magazine, Deborah Solomon coyly sort of raises that issue at the very end.
Solomon kicks it off by stating, "Your personal life is not that of a typical Republican candidate. For starters, I hear you're"-- wait for it -- "not a property owner." Crist replies, "It is true. I do not own property."
Solomon then moves on to, "You were married nearly 30 years ago, but the marriage lasted less than a year. Do you prefer"-- wait for it -- "living alone?" Crist: "I got married and divorced because it didn't work out. I haven't found the right one since." Of course, the use of the word "one" will be parsed for days.
"You can't find one woman in all of Florida?" Solomon helpfully asks.
Crist: "Maybe I have. Stay tuned."
Before all that, Crist claims than when people say he will be remembered as much for his tan as for his accomplishments, he says, "that's very flattering," hastening to add that he does not use self-tanning lotion, "it's the sun" -- and his Greek heritage. Crist also calls liberal Florida Rep. Robert Wexler "great," for pushing bill that gives Florida voters a paper trail.
<em>Greg Mitchell's new book is So Wrong for So Long: How the Press, the Pundits -- and the President -- Failed on Iraq. He is editor of Editor & Publisher.