Josh Goodman is a former staff writer for GOVERNING..
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Charlie Crist: Worth His Weight in Gold?
Later today, I'll preview Charlie Crist as a possible running mate, but let me start by saying that Crist would be worth his weight in gold to the McCain campaign.
Now, you're probably saying, "Josh, couldn't you make your point without using such a hackneyed phrase? I thought you were a professional writer."
However, I'm saying that this is literally true. Crist would be worth his weight in gold.
As of this morning, gold was selling at $974.30 an ounce. That calculates to $15,588.80 a pound. Charlie Crist is a slender guy, but he's pretty tall, so let's say he weighs 170 pounds. That means that Crist's weight in gold is worth $2,650,096.
Combined, the McCain campaign and the Republican National Committee plan to spend $400 million on the presidential race. A large chunk of that money, of course, will go to Florida, the nation's most populous swing state.
Crist is popular back home, so his presence on the ticket might lock away Florida for McCain. At the very least, Crist would be more valuable than an ad buy of less than $3 million. He could be worth ten times that amount if McCain doesn't have to spend money in Florida.
So, being worth your weight in gold really isn't too impressive when it comes to vice presidential candidates. And you wonder why people say that there's too much money in politics.
Twitter: @governing
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