Charlie Crist's Act of Desperation

Florida Senate candidate Charlie Crist has taken the unusual step of abandoning the GOP's nod for his bid for the U.S. in favor of a run as an independent.

The mainstream media seems to suggest this poses a potentially troubling sort of groundshift for Republicans.

" But Crist's move does pose some tougher long-term questions for today's GOP. Can Republican moderates withstand the pressure of similar challenges from activists on the insurgent tea-party right? And if that answer is "no," how will Republicans fare in general-election ballots, where centrists and independents often supply the margin of victory in hard-fought battles between the major parties?"

In reality, this is nothing more than an act of desperation by a big-government favoring candidate who knows he is in for a rude awakening in the general election come November, and potentially signals that the GOP is starting to truly embrace fiscally conservative candidates over their more traditional, 'mainstream' and 'electable' country club Republican challengers.

Tea Partiers from all states should celebrate this latest development in Florida, as it means we're that much closer to getting one of our own in the U.S. Senate.