Gov. Rick Scott’s sudden absence at the start of a statewide TV debate reshaped the governor’s race Thursday as event sponsors accused Charlie Crist of breaking the rules and Scott’s side fretted over whether he damaged his re-election prospects.

Meanwhile, Nancy Smith works hard to explain Rick Scott's side of "fangate, writing that: "Charlie Crist didn't have to answer a single question to win the gubernatorial debate Wednesday night. All he had to do is break the rules and take advantage.""Charlie Cheated ... Quick! Look the Other Way!." More: "Fact check: Did rules of debate say there would be no fan?." See also "Backroom Briefing: Fanning the Controversy" and "Yes, Charlie Crist Did Break the Debate Rules, Organizers Say."

"Mutual smear job"

The Miami Herald editors write that "Rick Scott and Charlie Crist deserve a D for their media campaigns in the race for governor: D for dismal, dispiriting, discouraging and downright disappointing. The campaign has been a downer."

Both candidates have spent tens of millions of dollars on negative ads. Thanks to the mutual smear job, the public is turned off. Negative ads are a common feature of campaigns, but nastiness shouldn’t dominate a race.

Both Mr. Scott and Mr. Crist have spent most of their resources disparaging each other, or arguing over silly matters, like the fan at Wednesday night’s debate. A brief review of their records may remind voters that the candidates have a positive side.

Scott musta gave at the office

"According to tax returns he released this week, Gov. Rick Scott and his wife gave 0.8 percent of their $8.2 million income in 2013 to charity, a significant drop over the previous three years." "Charitable giving by Scott, wife, drops significantly."

"Financing Kept Suspiciously Secret"

Nancy Smith "All Aboard Florida's New Financing Kept Suspiciously Secret, Attorney Says."

Crist has a history (with his fan)

"The fan that created a nationwide uproar in Wednesday’s TV debate is never far from Charlie Crist, who keeps a portable fan handy whenever he knows he’s going to be on camera." "Charlie Crist and his portable fan have a history together." Meanwhile, "Fan friction propels Crist at Pasco rally."

Bondi cruising

"From her unwavering defense of Florida’s ban on gay marriage to her outspoken opposition to the Affordable Health Care Act, Attorney General Pam Bondi is known for setting off critics." "Incumbent Pam Bondi cruising in attorney general race."

Amendment 3

"Florida voters will be asked to decide which governor has the right to replace retiring justices on the state Supreme Court during a change of administrations." "Politics, power play role in Amendment 3."

HD 36

"Anyone who paid attention to last year’s state House District 36 special election might have expected a repeat of Pasco’s most expensive — and perhaps nastiest — campaign." "Murphy, Gregg vie for District 36."

They wish

"The campaign of Republican congressional candidate Carol Platt has released internal poll results that show her 5 points down in her effort to unseat Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Orlando."

The poll, by Republican pollster Data Targeting of Gainesville, finds Grayson leading Platt 40 percent to 35 percent, with independent candidate Marko Milakovich getting 7 percent and 18 percent unsure or refusing to answer. . . .

The make-up used by the pollsters included 41 percent Democratic respondants, 39 percent Republicans and 20 percent "other." The actual voter registration in District 9 includes 42 percent Democrats, just 25 percent Republicians and 33 percent other.

Child protection a political football

"During the first two debates in Florida’s hard-fought gubernatorial race, Republican Gov. Rick Scott said child protection has improved on his watch — especially compared to the record of his challenger, former Gov. Charlie Crist." "Crist, Scott trade barbs over child protection."

Write-in candidate reinstated in HD 64 race

"A write-in candidate will be reinstated in the race for Florida House District 64, now held by Republican Jamie Grant, an appellate court ruled Thursday." "Court ruling will likely delay House District 64 election."

HD 63

Jeff Henderson: "HD 63: Can Mark Danish Beat Shawn Harrison Without Obama's Coattails?."

Scott passes buck on Medicaid coverage to roughly 1 million uninsured Floridians

"Local city officials and health advocates will rally in St. Petersburg to convince state lawmakers to expand Medicaid coverage to roughly 1 million Floridians under the federal health law."

Medicaid expansion has been one of the biggest issues in the tight race between Gov. Rick Scott and former Gov. Charlie Crist. Crist says he'll call a special session or pass it through executive order. Scott says he'll let the Legislature duke it out and only supports it as long as the federal government pays 100 percent of the bill.

Brain Trust

"Incoming Florida House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, named some of his leadership team on Thursday as he readies to take the gavel." "Steve Crisafulli Starts to Name Florida House Leadership."

Does this really help?

"Post-Debate, Former Opponent Marco Rubio Tears into Charlie Crist."

Scott talks Ebola; really?

"After ‘Fangate,’ Gov. Rick Scott shifts the conversation to Ebola." See also "Rick Scott Wants More Help from Feds on Ebola."

Crist stumps with first lady

"In one of his first public appearances since Charlie Crist’s trusty fan took center stage during a debate, the Florida gubernatorial candidate made hay of it during rallies with Michelle Obama on Friday in Orlando and Miami Gardens." "Crist stumps with first lady — and his trusted fan." See also "In Orlando, Michelle Obama urges early voting — for Crist."

Weekly Roundup

"Weekly Roundup: The Winds of War." See also "Arrivals and Departures, Oct. 17, 2014."

Looming climate-change regulations

"The guys who want your vote for governor have both made themselves out to be friends of Florida green spaces, waters and environmentally threatened ecosystems. But there's one major environmental issue neither Gov. Rick Scott or former Gov. Charlie Crist has touched: the looming climate-change regulations Washington announced last summer that have the potential to make a big dent in the country's carbon emissions." "EPA's clean-power rules loom over next governor."

"Questions remain" about Scott's tax returns

"Gov. Rick Scott waited until the final day of the extension deadline to file his 2013 tax return, in which he reported $8 million in mostly investment income." "Gov. Rick Scott releases 2013 tax returns; questions remain."

Scott a dead-ender on gay marriage

"Florida Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican, and former Gov. Charlie Crist, a Republican-now-Democrat, take opposing sides whether to strike the state’s constitutional gay marriage ban." "Rick Scott supports, Charlie Crist opposes Florida’s same-sex marriage ban (with debate video)."

Amendment 1

"Amendment 1: Saving state’s beauty or tying budget-makers’ hands?."

The governor said Crist was in violation of debate rules prohibiting electronic devices by placing a small fan underneath his lecturn. Debate moderators initially said Scott had decided he would not appear in the debate at all because of the rules violation.

Some in the crowd at Broward College hooted and booed at the announcement.

Crist was bemused, saying, "That's the ultimate plead of the 5th (amendment) I've heard in my life."

See also "PolitFact Florida reviews debate beyond ‘fangate’," "'Fangate' delays start of Rick Scott, Charlie Crist debate," "Mayo: Forget issues, Crist-Scott now all about the fan," "Florida governor debate reflects nasty campaign" and "‘Fan’ dispute overshadows sharp debate between Charlie Crist and Gov. Rick Scott."

This from the reliably conservative Kevin Derby: "The debate was over before it started."

When Gov. Rick Scott didn't immediately come out on stage in Wednesday night’s debate against former Gov. Charlie Crist at Broward College due to concerns about the Democrat using his ubiquitous fan, the governor lost the debate right off the bat. The Crist team quickly took to Twitter, insisting under the agreed-upon rules their candidate was allowed to have his fan.

Crist’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) sent out emails before the debate was over, mocking Scott’s decision. . . .

With his momentary protest over the fan, Scott lost control of the narrative of Wednesday night’s debate, no matter what he said about education, the Second Amendment or the economy. Scott’s handlers seriously hurt their candidate in what is shaping up as a close contest -- over a fan. This was a major unforced error by the Scott team.

See also "Fangate Flap Stirs a Chill Wind in Charlie Crist-Rick Scott Debate" and "Top 10 Tweets from Rick Scott-Charlie Crist Debate."

"Communications breakdown"

"A communications breakdown between state and county elections officials looks like it will cost more than $13,000 in unanticipated expenses that will be picked up by Brevard County Supervisor of Elections Lori Scott out of her taxpayer-funded budget."

The glitch was the result of Kourtney Ann Waldron, a write-in candidate for Florida House in District 53, dropping out of the race last month.

Waldron on Sept. 11 notified the Florida Department of State's Division of Elections of her decision to withdraw.

But the state did not pass the information on to Scott's office before ballots were printed a week later. So the local ballots, including absentee ballots, included a line for a write-in candidate in the District 53 race.

Will the South save the Dems?

The Miami Herald editors: "Could the South save the Democrats?."

"How journalism in the capital of the fourth-largest state in America ends"

Adam Weinstein: "The capital of Florida used to have a good newspaper, I’m told. It’s hard to know, because by the time I started working there — 2006 — Knight Ridder had sold the Tallahassee Democrat to Gannett, the cigarette-perfumed, drunken used-car salesman of media corporations, and the paper was a ghost of itself."

There was always a handful of talented, dedicated writers and reporters who dodged each successive set of layoffs and furloughs and dumbing-downs of stories (which came to be called “content,” in the newsroom, which came to be called the “information center”). But their number was constantly shrinking.

Three or four of those good people, but no more, even survived the latest and worst bloodbath: On Tuesday, cost-conscious Gannett ensured its profit margins with stealth layoffs. It had made the existing staff compete for a limited number of new jobs with Orwellian titles (“content coach”?) and sent the rest packing.

This is how journalism in the capital of the fourth-largest state in America ends: in a corporate game of musical chairs. But the story of the Democrat’s decomposition is a deeper cautionary tale on how monopoly media can turn a vibrant, growing community into a cloistered cultural backwater.

As I’ve suggested before, if you’re jonesing for the Seminole Boosters party line, Comcast cheerleading, godawful grammar, action shots of the Florida State cowgirl’s cleavage, or good birdcage lining, you’ll love the Tallahassee Democrat.

If you have enough brain cells to rub together, you won’t love it — and for that, you should blame the musical-chairs maestro: Executive Editor Bob Gabordi, who carpetbagged into town in 2005 and set about turning a once-mighty community and state news organization into a clearinghouse for deep-pocketed flacks and hacks.

Scott's Lt. Gov. family profited from statehouse campaign

"Relatives of Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera formed a political consulting business and collected a total of $37,500 in 2008 and 2010 from his campaign for the statehouse — and it was perfectly legal." "Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera’s relatives profited from his statehouse campaign."

If only the rules allowed

The Miami Herald editors: "Debates may help voters decide which gubernatorial candidate to vote for, instead of against — if the rules allow." "Scott/Crist debate could clarify issues for voters, if rules allow."

Another Herald editorial: "A classical guide to debate."

Crist holds a consistent, but very slight edge

SurveyUSA 10/14/2014 poll: "Charlie Crist is 4 points in front of Rick Scott, according to WFLA-TV's weekly tracking poll conducted by SurveyUSA. Crist today gets 45%, Scott 41%. On 09/30/14, Crist led by 6 points. On 10/07/14, Crist led by 2 points. Today, Crist leads by 4 points. In 8 tracking polls going back to August 2014, Scott has led 4 times, Crist has led 4 times. Week-on-week, favorable and unfavorable opinions of the two candidates are unchanged." "For 3rd Consecutive Week, Democrat Crist Atop Incumbent Republican Scott in Florida Governor's Contest."

Real Clear Politics' poll average: "Crist has bounced back in recent polling, and now holds a [very] slight edge in the RCP Average." "Florida Governor - Scott vs. Crist." See also Huffington Post's poll average: "2014 Florida Governor: Scott vs. Crist" and "Rick Scott and Charlie Crist Locked in the Polls."

An outlier from a reliably FlaGOP poll: "Gravis Poll: Scott up 2."

"Into the full light of day"

Nancy Smith: "The Florida Press Association's questionable alliances were bound to catch up with this once-venerable, 134-year-old organization. I knew it would happen -- just not quite so soon. It took Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Adrian Wyllie to connect the dots and flush them into the full light of day -- something none of the rest of us in the press apparently had the guts to do, even though we all could see what's been happening." "Not Your Father's Florida Press Association."

"What the ads don't say"

"Gov. Rick Scott and fellow Republicans are spending millions of dollars on TV ads attacking Democratic challenger Charlie Crist for raising taxes and fees by $2.2 billion when he was governor, letting state universities raise tuition by up to 15 percent each year and allowing a power company to charge customers billions for a nuclear plant it will never build. What the ads don't say is that Scott's very own running mate, Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera, and other top Republicans voted for all those same policies." "Florida Gov. Scott Blasts Rival Crist With TV Ads" ("The probability that Crist will beat Scott is 50.8%.")

Debate centers on ethics

"Joe Garcia and Carlos Curbelo bickered over ethics and highlighted their differences over Obamacare, the minimum wage and Cuba." "Debate between Miami congressional candidates centers on ethics."

"Republicans are hoping"

Jeff Henderson: "Karen Castor Dentel may come from one of the most prominent Democratic families in Florida but that might not be enough to help her win a second term in the Florida House. Castor Dentel beat Scott Plakon in 2012 but that Republican had moved over from his Seminole County base to HD 30 in order to help Chris Dorworth. Republicans are hoping they can grasp this seat back as Bob Cortes runs against Castor Dentel in November." "HD 30: Can Bob Cortes Overcome Karen Castor Dentel's Name and Cash Advantages?."

"Taxpayers are subsidizing low turnouts"

"Taxpayers are subsidizing low turnouts with spring elections."

Hackery

"U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla., sent a letter to Obama and members of his administration on Tuesday, asking what they plan to do to combat Ebola. Besides Obama, Rooney also wrote U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, U.S Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Burwell, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and CDC Director Tom Frieden on the matter. Rooney ripped Obama’s handling of Ebola and the current crisis in the Middle East and called for Congress to return to Washington to tackle the matters." "Florida Officials Continue to Push Obama on Ebola Readiness."

First lady in Orlando

"First lady to headline Charlie Crist rally."

"Calmer Tone"

"The candidates in one of the nation's most-watched congressional races toned down the rhetoric in their second and final debate Wednesday, as Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Southerland and Democratic challenger Gwen Graham found some common ground." "Debate Brings Calmer Tone to Southerland-Graham Race."

Why is Bucher contracting with a right-wing publisher?

"Two years after Bucher's office sent out judicial-rentention questions without section headings on absentee ballots in 423 of the county's 842 precincts, history repeated itelf ... well ... sort of."

New sample ballots will be in the mail by the end of the week to some 740,000 Palm Beach County voters after another printing company error went undiscovered. . . .

A watermark identifying the ballots as samples was so dark it blocked some text on the ballots and rendered some candidate names and other words illegible. The bad batch went out to every registered Palm Beach County voter who didn't sign up to vote absentee.

The story was reported in the Sun Sentinel, whose parent company -- [the conservative] Tribune Publishing -- also owns Tribune Direct, the vendor Bucher hired to print the sample ballots.

Those hopes faded quickly.

Just two months later, as a member of the Parole Board, Bondi enthusiastically voted to make Florida the toughest state for ex-felons to regain their civil rights. She ignored former Gov. Jeb Bush's Ex-Offender Task Force, which concluded that easier rights restoration would help Florida by motivating more ex-felons to stay straight.

Most recently, Bondi has continued her defense of Florida's same-sex marriage ban, despite five court rulings against it.

Same-sex marriage, however, is just one of many issues where Bondi has acted against the interests of the state and its people. In February, she joined a lawsuit opposing cleanup of the Chesapeake Bay. Despite the urgency here of restoring the Everglades after decades of abuse from agricultural runoff, Bondi sided in that case with the American Farm Bureau and the Fertilizer Institute.

Last year, she talked about joining a lawsuit against Donald Trump's online university. Later, the Trump Foundation donated $25,000 to a committee supporting Bondi. She has not joined the lawsuit.

Bondi waited eight months before visiting the Miami office that is the center of the fight against Medicaid fraud. And two years after she took office, the fraud unit had 23 vacancies. Yet Bondi has found time to argue against the Affordable Care Act before the U.S. Supreme Court. She lost, as she lost her defense of Gov. Rick Scott's efforts to drug-test welfare recipients and the Legislature's stealth attempt to privatize prisons through budget language, rather than legislation.

Bondi demonstrated similar poor judgment last September when, to accommodate her campaign kick-off event, she asked the governor to postpone the execution of double-murderer Marshall Lee Gore, delaying justice.

"Far right froths"

Daniel Ruth: "the pillar of salt community, like the Florida Family Policy Council's John Stemberger, argue [that] lifting the gay marriage bans "dilutes and devalues marriage." But how?" "Far right froths as rest of nation yawns."

"Easier said than done"

"As outrage increases over electric rates, particularly in Charlie Crist’s home county of Pinellas, Crist is promising that if elected governor, he’ll 'completely overhaul' the state Public Service Commission that regulates them." "Crist ‘overhaul’ of utility panel easier said than done."

All this and no surprises . . .

The Tampa Trib editors surprise no one with this: "Editorial: Re-elect Rick Scott." Oh yeah, the other FlaGOPers are just fine too: "Tribune endorsements: Bondi for attorney general; Putnam for agriculture commissioner; Atwater for CFO."

Equally unsurprising, the Tampa Bay Times editors like Mr. Crist, writing that "Charlie Crist understands this state and cares about its people and their aspirations, their struggles to make ends meet and their dreams for the future. His return to the Governor's Mansion would advance Florida's best interests and send a message that the concerns of average Floridians are more important than big money and rigid ideology." "Charlie Crist for governor."

"Democrats barely bother"

"Despite an electorate split down the middle that voted for Barack Obama for president twice, half of Florida's All-Republican state Cabinet is cruising toward re-election with only token Democratic resistance." "Florida Democrats barely bother with 2 Cabinet races."

Scott slow dancing with FlaBaggers over federal dollars

"Rick Scott and Charlie Crist agree that Florida should accept $51 billion in federal money for Medicaid expansion, but have conflicting ideas on how — and how quickly — it can be accomplished." "Rick Scott, Charlie Crist split on Medicaid expansion." Related: "Scott, Crist weigh in on Medicaid expansion."

"Debate over whether Scott or Crist is better for education"

"There’s been talk of budget cuts and tuition increases, of curriculum changes and pay cuts. And as Election Day nears, the debate over whether Rick Scott or Charlie Crist is better for education continues to drive the discussion." "Testing, not education spending, key in governor’s race."

Funny how that works

"In the heat of a statewide campaign, with a rush of money coming in and going out, it’s not surprising reporting errors happen."

It’s usually nickel-and-dime stuff: A missed address here, a blank for a donor’s occupation there.

Yet none of the Republican candidates — incumbents Gov. Rick Scott, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam — has received a single “error report” from the state Division of Elections, online filings show.

But every Democrat —gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist, Attorney General candidate George Sheldon, CFO candidate Will Rankin and Agriculture Commissioner candidate Thaddeus “Thad” Hamilton — has been dinged multiple times.

Greg Blair, a spokesman for Scott for Florida, declined comment, referring questions to the division. Brendan Gilfillan, Crist’s spokesman, didn’t respond to an email.

The Division of Elections falls under Secretary of State Ken Detzner, a Scott appointee.