Politics & Government
FanGate: Crist Campaign Broke the Rules, Debate Organizers Say
Organizers of Wednesday's debate say the fan was a clear violation of pre-agreed upon rules.
The temperature on Broward College’s stage was a crisp 66 degrees when former Gov. Charlie Crist stepped out to debate Gov. Rick Scott Wednesday night.
That’s according to debate organizers Leadership Florida and the Florida Press Association.
The two groups issued their own media release in response to a whirlwind of coverage surrounding Scott’s delay of the debate because Crist had an electric fan under his podium.
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Both campaigns, the media release stated, agreed in advance that candidates could ‘not bring electronic devices (including fans), visual aids or notes to the debate.”
Scott’s campaign signed and returned a letter with those rules clearly spelled out to debate organizers Oct. 9, the release said.
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Crist’s campaign also signed and returned the letter, but with a caveat attached. There was a hand-written note along with the letter that said “with understanding that the debate hosts will address any temperature issues with a fan if necessary.”
Press association president Dean Ridings told Crist’s campaign that Broward College’s Baily Hall, a newly renovated facility, would be comfortable.
Just to be sure, at 6 p.m., just an hour before the debate’s publicized start time, organizers took a temperature reading on the stage, under the hot lights. That reading came back at 67 degrees. A reading taken at 6:20 p.m. came back with a stage temperature of 66 degrees.
“Ridings then informed the Crist campaign that there was no temperature issue, and no fan would be needed or permitted.”
Despite that, someone from the Crist campaign put the fan under the podium anyway.
Scott, debate organizers, clarified never stated he would not join the debate.
Rather, “the Scott campaign was waiting on resolution of the rules issue before Scott took the stage.”
Organizers say they “regret that the rules of the debate as discussed with both campaigns were not followed.” They, however, hope that the fan issue doesn’t overshadow “the important debate of the issues discussed by both candidates.”
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