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Charlie Crist: Romney, Ryan 'just aren't up to the task'

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    Former Florida governor speaks out at DNC

  • Duration 6:09
  • Date

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This transcript is automatically generated

Good evening.

Thank you.

What an incredible night.

Optimism is in the air.

And what an honor to be here with you to stand with president Barack Obama.

Half a century ago.

Ronald Reagan the man whose optimism.

Was inspiring to me -- -- politics he famously said at one time.

That he did not leave the Democratic Party but the party left him.

Listen I can relate.

I -- leave the Republican Party it left me.

Then again.

My friend Jeb Bush recently noted Reagan himself would have been too moderate.

Two reasonable.

For today's GOP.

We faced serious challenges in our country.

We must create good middle class jobs so we can have an economy that is built to -- We must rebuild our roads and bridges and improve our public schools.

And particularly important to me and my state -- Florida.

Is the challenge of saving Medicare and Social Security so we can keep our promise to our senior.

But there are.

There are common sense solutions within our reach.

If we only have leaders are -- willing and enthusiastic to find common ground.

No political party has a monopoly on that kind of leadership.

But as a former lifelong Republican -- it pains me to tell you.

That today's Republicans and their standard bearers Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan.

Just aren't up to the task.

There are beholden.

To the my way or the highway bullies.

Indebted to billionaires who bankroll their ads.

And allergic to the very idea of compromise.

Ronald Reagan it would not have stood for that.

Barack Obama does not stand for that.

You and I will not stand for that.

I'll be honest with you.

I don't agree with President Obama about everything but I've gotten to know.

And I've worked with him and the choice is crystal clear.

When he took office the economic crisis had already put my state of Florida on the edge of disaster.

The foreclosure crisis was consuming homeowners the -- we depend on couldn't visit and our vital construction industry had come to a standstill.

President Obama saw what I saw.

A catastrophe in the making and he took action.

One of his first trips and office -- to Fort Myers, Florida.

Where I was proud to embrace him.

And his plan.

To keep our teachers.

Police and firefighters on the job.

That -- Cause me more grief from my party then you can ever imagine.

But even -- the Republican Party fought tooth and nail to stop them.

This president showed his courage invested in America and saved our Florida.

Two years later.

Florida and the Gulf Coast faced the worst environmental disaster in our nation's history.

This time when a ruptured well spilled nearly five million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

President Obama.

Came to our rescue again.

Leading a massive cleanup effort and demanding accountability from those responsible.

My friends.

He didn't see a red state he didn't see a blue state he simply saw Americans who needed help.

And once again.

Once again.

I saw the leader our country needs.

You know.

I used to play quarterback just down the road from here wake forest university and my dad always.

-- -- And my dad always told me he said Charlie.

It takes a cool head to win a hot game.

My friends our country in the middle of -- hot game and we faced serious challenges both at home and abroad.

Meanwhile our politics are defined by discord and discontent.

Never has it been harder for a president to keep a cool head and never has it been more important.

I look around Florida.

I see a state bursting with diversity and opportunity a state that looks like America's future.

When I look at the Republican ticket today I see two candidates.

Who would break -- fundamental promise of Medicare and Social Security.

And cut investments on our middle class that are so important to our recovery.

And then I look at Barack Obama.

I see a leader with a cool head.

A caring heart and an open mind.

A president who has demonstrated through his demeanor his grace and his deeds that he is uniquely qualified to heal our divisions rebuild our nation.

And lead us to a brighter future.

That's the leader Florida needs that's the leader America needs that's the reason I'm here tonight.

Not as a Republican.

Not as a Democrat simply as an American who understands.

That we must come together behind a one man who could lead the -- -- In these challenging times by president.

Your president Barack Obama.

God bless you and god bless America.

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