Florida Democrat Charlie Crist pleads for record voter turnout 'like Georgia has,' on MSNBC

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Charlie Crist says he thinks Florida will have record turnout 'like Georgia has'

Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist said during "Morning Joe" on Tuesday that he hopes Florida will have record voter turnout like Georgia. 

Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist told the hosts of MSNBC's "Morning Joe" that he believes Florida will have record voter turnout "like Georgia has," after casting doubt on the polling industry.  

"All I care about is the poll that happens on Election Day. That’s what really matters in our country, and thank God for that. I look forward to November the 8th. I hope everybody is voting or early voted started yesterday in Florida. I think we’re going to have record turnout like Georgia has because people are passionate. They're passionate, particularly women are passionate in their right to choose," Crist said. 

Crist expressed concern over voter suppression in Georgia in May 2021 and said he was "inspired" by those fighting against the alleged electoral obstacle. Early voting in Georgia shattered records, despite some Democrats comparing the voting laws in Georgia to the era of "Jim Crow." 

"I'm so grateful and inspired by, for the activists in Georgia who are fighting voter suppression. The 2022 election will be a referendum on democracy itself," he wrote on Twitter. During an appearance on CNN on Tuesday, Crist argued that DeSantis was making it "more difficult" for people to vote in Florida and harder for senior citizens to receive mail-in ballots.

Charlie Crist joined the hosts of MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Tuesday after his debate with Gov. DeSantis.  (Screenshot/MSNBC/MorningJoe)

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"Morning Joe" co-host Willie Geist and MSNBC political analyst Elise Jordan noted Telemundo polling that showed 50% of Latino voters supported Gov. Ron DeSantis', R-Fla., move of sending migrants to Martha's Vineyard. 

"I think this is such a confusing issue, Charlie. I really expected for there to be more outcry over taking and using human beings as political pawns, but DeSantis seems to know what his voters want, and he seems to actually have potentially benefited electorally from this stunt in Martha’s Vineyard," MSNBC political analyst Elise Jordan said. 

The Telemundo/LX News poll also showed DeSantis leading Crist among Latino voters by seven points.

Crist said he thought that DeSantis' support from Latino voters was going to "change" because of his decision to send migrants to Martha's Vineyard.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist during the Florida debate Fort Pierce, Florida, US, on Monday, Oct. 24, 2022. (Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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"His stunt that he pulled by sending those Venezuelans, Hispanics, up to Martha’s vineyard was insulting, it was wrong, it was inhumane," Crist said. "And even on conservative talk radio in Miami-Dade county, they were saying on the Spanish radio, they were comparing DeSantis to Castro. That’s not me. That’s the Hispanics in Miami-Sade county. That sinks in and that's going to take a toll. We have two weeks left until this election happens. I think people got a real taste of the different styles of leadership between DeSantis and myself."

DeSantis and Crist engaged in a debate on Monday that covered immigration, COVID-19, Hurricane Ian and more. The two went back and forth about gender transition surgeries for minors as well. 

Ron DeSantis, governor of Florida, at the Florida gubernatorial debate in Fort Pierce, Florida, US, on Monday, Oct. 24, 2022. (Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Towards the end of the debate, Crist pressed DeSantis on his plans for 2024 and about whether he would be serving a full term as governor. 

"I know that Charlie is itching to talk about 2024 and Joe Biden. But I just want to make things very, very clear: The only worn-out old donkey I’m looking to put out to pasture is Charlie Crist," DeSantis said.