Charlie Crist’s Fan and 4 Other Politically Significant Household Items
Charlie Crist’s portable fan nearly ended the gubernatorial debate between himself and Florida Governor Rick Scott (R) Wednesday night, as Scott refused to take the stage for several minutes because he believed Crist’s fan to be in violation of debate rules.
Thus we enter the silly season of midterm politics. But while the dust up over Crist’s fan was absurd, it’s hardly the first time a common appliance has achieved sudden political significance.
Charlie Crist’s Fan
Crist’s fan stipulation wasn’t a one-time thing. The former governor, apparently a sweater, has demanded fans at multiple debate and television appearances dating back to 2006. When governor he stocked his offices and governor’s mansion with fans and had one travel with him. Per the Miami Herald:
He even has a preferred brand, the Vornado. It “actually bends and twists air to produce true whole-room air circulation using Vortex Action, ” according to the product’s official website.
Nor was last night the first time Crist’s fan caused trouble; in 2006 a debate was nearly canceled over its use. Perhaps Crist just likes to keep cool; perhaps he knows that the fan causes his opponents to lose theirs.
Clint Eastwood’s Empty Chair
Clint Eastwood capped a bizarre 2012 GOP primary by acting out a one-person play with an empty chair representing President Barack Obama’s lack of substance (or something). The entire bit was absurd, starting with what an actor with no particular political leanings was doing at a national political convention, and the empty chair prop backfired, coming to symbolize not a lack of Democratic substance but a lack of Republican control.
Mitt Romney’s Binders Full of Women
One of Romney’s many misstatements during the 2012 campaign came when he said that as Massachusetts Governor he had “binders full of women” from which to staff his office; the Associated Press claimed to find the real version. The comments went viral and even led to Halloween costumes.
Barney Frank’s Dining Room Table
After then-Representative Barney Frank (D-MA) told a constituent who’d compared Obamacare to Nazi Germany that arguing with her would be like arguing with a dining room table, Stephen Colbert actually hosted a dining room table to defend its side:
Marco Rubio’s Water Bottle
Continuing the curse of the State of the Union response, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), at the time a rising star in the GOP, came off as awkward and nervous when he tried and failed to smoothly reach for a bottle of water mid-address. Rubio’s water bottle is now enshrined in political lore as the go-to prop for mocking politicians in over their head.
[Image via screengrab]
