[captioning made possible by kcet public television] captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- tavis: good evening. a conversation with governor charlie crist. polls show him neck and neck with marco rubio. news has taken a back seat this summer to the devastating oil spill in the gulf. governor charlie crist has this and more. also, lee continue our week of compresses. john mellencamp hit stores on tuesdays. we are glad you had joined this. charlie crist and john mellencamp coming up right now.

>> nationwide insurance is proud to join to improve financial literacy. nationwide is on your side. >> by contributions to your pbs station by viewers like you. thank you. charlie crist is serving his first term as governor of the sunshine state and is now seeking the senate seat. he is now running this race as an independent.

he joins us tonight from miami. it is good to have you on the program. >> as always, it is a pleasure to be with you. tavis: i am doing extremely well. you are, too. the latest polls and surveys i have seen suggest that you have -- you are dead even. other polls, you are slightly ahead. does not the case a few weeks ago. >> things are good in florida. people want an independent voice in the u.s. senate. they are pressured with the gridlock and the arguing they see between the two parties in washington on any given day. i think this is a refreshing change, a different approach, and exactly what the people of florida and america want. tavis: what has happened over the last week that has allowed you to pull even or ahead in certain polls? >> i think what does happen is the realization that the republican party or the democratic party just did not

get things done in washington any more. it is been very difficult on any given issue, immigration reform, what everyone to deal with, try to dig out what to do on taxes tavis: it is hard for them to come to any kind of accord in any way at all to accomplish something for the people. i think reality is that people understand that. they appreciate it a different way. doing something independent credit and thinking what are the republicans expected me to do or the democrats, how about what do the people want me to do any need to do for their best interest? i think that is what is taking hold here. tavis: i hear the loud and clear. that is that a new argument. is there anything you can point is this a degree in the race in florida? -- that happened or is not happen that causes them is to shift? the point is legitimate and real. kenya connected specifically to your race in florida?

something that happened to allow you to connect differently with the voters? >> i think there are a couple of things. as it relates to the education issue, during the session that we have that concluded not that long ago, there was a bill going through that really started out as a pretty good reform bill. as the prices continued to go and the issue continue to evolve, it became something that was much for punitive as it related to teachers than originally envisioned by anybody. i'll get to the point of how it affects the polling. if a teacher got a master's degree, there is been no additional compensation or recognition or even if they got a ph.d.. or even if they were naturally board certified. for me, as someone who'd have to either sign the bill or veto it, the straw that broke the back for me really dealt with special

need teachers. it said in this legislation that regardless of whether a teacher was teaching special needs children, it the way they would be evaluated for their compensation would be the same as any of their teacher. that is the straw that broke the camel's back. i decided to veto the bill. it resonates with people across the state of florida. if you are an independent and you just try to do what you believe is right in your heart for the people of your state, whether they be teachers are the children or their future, that is something that really hit a nerve with people. i think that is what started and is continuing here in florida. tavis: president obama happens to be in miami today where you are tonight. i will call it the hon. did you ever imagine that an embrace would come back to haunt you the way it did? >> not in a million years. i will tell you why. the way i was raised with my three sisters and my family was

to respect others. to have that kind of mutual respect everybody deserves. let alone the president of the united states of america. when the hug occurred, it is in the president came to fort myers about not long after he had been sworn in, maybe a month that the most. when he came there, he is coming there to talk about the economic recovery act. it was the first time he had come to florida after becoming president of the united states. as governor, i thought a duty and obligation on behalf of my fellow floridians to be respectful to the president of the united states. i greeted him. it was surprising to me to be honest that some ticket issue with it but that it was inappropriate or wrong. it was how i was raised. the respectful. the civil. what was once may be a deterrent

has now become an advantage. being associated with the president and many of the democrats fear of the state of florida, i was faint again today -- i was faint again today for respecting the president and being decent. tavis: let me start with the issue of all, personally. there are a number of candidates around the country, a democrat, who do not want to stand too close to this president. they do not want to campaign with them. they do not want to be around when he shows up. that is the trouble when you are headed to a midterm election cycle. what is your sense if the radioactivity because it would be redirected to you? >> i do not feel that way at all. numbers add and flow. we all know that. it goes back and forth. i think what people appreciate someone trying to get the job done. i think the man in tavis: sincere.

-- i think the man is sincere. i think he is trying. people see that. if the economy good? it is not. when you have an economic situation, it is difficult to keep your numbers high. it is almost analogous to being a quarterback for the quarterback probably get too much credit. conversely, when you lose, the quarterback made it is too much of the blame. i think it is the same with what is happening here in florida i do not think he is radioactive. tavis: where is most of your support coming from, republicans or democrats? >> it is really coming form -- from both. i am pleased with that. i think it has become a lot more comfortable or a lot easier for democrat to be more supportive than they were when i was registered as a republican. i did nothing there is any question about that. a lot of the sport has come from

a lot of friends of mine who happen to the democrats. i am honored to have them. tavis: you have been around long enough to know that it is possible in the world of politics to peak too soon. is charlie crist peaking too soon in this race? >> i do not think so. i do not have their primary. our primary for the u.s. senate is next tuesday. there is a lot of focus that really is on the primaries in florida. for the most part, on the republican side on the governors race, and the democratic side on the senate race. that being said, i think that is where the focus is. there is not a whole lot of focus on my candidacy. and continuing to serve as governor. that he is been busy. i can assure you. the focus will shift once we finish our primary. we will get into the traditional kickoff of the general election which is labor day weekend. then i think things will for the start to move.

tavis: we have known each other for a little while. i know you as well as i do. as well as i know you come i suspect i am about to ask a question that you are not on to answer. answer it -- ask it anyway. i will give it a shot. what is your sense of what is going to happen on primary day? what would you like to happen? who would like to see come out on top? >> you are right. i really have not tried to sort of dissected it if you will and determine which candidates would be better in the race. i learned a long time ago that you ought to focus on things you can control and try not to waste too much energy on things you cannot. i cannot control the outcome of the primary. i am focusing my efforts on trying to be the best governor i can for the people of the state

i love. secondly, when we get into the fall campaign into timber and october, trying to present a good incoherent common-sense message that i think people will respond to and reflect what they want in the united states senator. tavis: speaking of the say you love, we know the impact that the oil spill had and might still be having on your state of florida, the sunshine state. president obama is in the state again, encouraging vote to take their vacations down there. his family was recently on vacation there. which saw the photos of him and sasha playing in the water. your sense of what he did it with the issue front and center? >> it was huge. let me express publicly my gratitude for the president and the first lady and their daughter coming to florida when they did. there is no greater single commercial or utilization of the pulpit of them when the president of the united states

comes them. when he comes to the state, he goes in the water, he shows to not only the whole country but the world of florida is clean. we are ready and open for business. our restaurants are great. our hotels are great. the beaches clean. the fish are biting. as we are grateful for his and the first lady coming to florida to get that message across flight nobody else on the planet has the ability and the opportunity to do. it was huge. we are such a tourist driven economy here in the sunshine state. 85 million people a year come to florida to visit. that provides jobs. off tavis: at this point, what is the impact of the impact of the oil on your state? >> we need to be concerned about it more from an economic point did you read it then the environmental point did you ever to live. -- a point of view rather than

diethe environmental point of v. one report said that a lot of it is pretty much gone in terms of being dissipated or evaporated or what have you. then we get at the reports from some of the universities that say that there may be more of a surface. we continue to have to monitor that. while we are grateful for is that very little hit our shores. just a little bit in pensacola beach. nunn and the rest of the state. it did not touch our beaches. it did not affect the hotels or their restaurants. what we do suffer from a little bit is the perception that there was more will here. there really was not. we were very fortunate and blessed. we continue to want to get the message out. people, please, come down to florida. the beaches are clean.

tavis: what dimeter different direction, you use the word "perception." the perception is that republicans and members of your own old party forced to you, compelled you come to have to make a decision to leave the party to become an independent. i do not want to, much more than that. walk me through your process for having made that decision and whether or not you felt the impact -- fell compelled to make that decision. >> in some ways, yes. i am not a guy that blames others for things. i really have been asking questions in several ways. did i leave the party or did the party leave me? i think the party left knee. i was proud to be a member of the republican party of abraham lincoln or ronald reagan for teddy roosevelt. lincoln was the great demands a

pager and a man who said the second inaugural address with malice toward none and charity for all. that kind of passionate conservatism appealed to me. there was a level of civility that i think it is very important. it is consistent with the way i was raised by my mother and father. when it got to the point where the party said you are not conservative enough and then to give further and said maybe you are not pure enough, i am like, wait. this is not something i recognize. for want to be careful here. i do not think that is where all republicans are. that is where some activists are. i think that most republicans take that more civil viewed as do most democrats, as do most independence for their -- independents. i think it was an evolution and the more punitive toward school

teachers. that is something that drove me in that direction. it just feels a lot more comfortable being an independent and speaking your mind and a straightforward and the more concerned about the people first and some of the party first. i know that is what the people of this country want. they are tired of that gridlock in trying to think, what am i supposed to do because i am a republican or because i'm a democrat? how about what you should do because you are a public servant for the people. tavis: and ask a question. this is not about casting aspersion on republicans. you suggested that you think the most general election republicans are civil and how they interact and how they think and process. if i had the time, i could argue down on that point with all kinds of evidence that suggests the we are becoming more and civil and our politics and a lot of that is coming from the

right. you happen to be a victim of that. >> yes. there is a lot of truth to that. when you what cable tv and he hears certain arguments that are made and a lot of bickering, you have a great show. you have an opportunity to really reflect and have some thoughtful commentary and it is very refreshing to people. i think it is what drives you were to you. if we had more of that kind of discussion, it to be a healthier thing for not only politics before the country as a whole. when i sit there and see some cable tv shows and they argue who can scream over the other person the most effectively, i have to also think my heart, not only are people in our country watching that -- and frankly, disappointed -- people around the world. the world is watching. there is an old expression " united we stand, divided we fall." i think that is true. we need to come together and be

more united. we have to have a more civil tone to get things done for the future of our country. when on tavis: this said and done -- when all is said and done, what is the net result of the tea party going to be on the republican party? >> that is a great question. i do not know is the honest answer. it is hard to project forward in terms of the objections. i will say this. i think that it is important and productive to have as much participation in democracy as possible. whatever the group may be. i prefer that any group would put their views forward in a way that is of a civil tone, that is respectful, and that respect the other's point of view. i think that the more participation we have, the more views can be brought to bear. and you have greater participation at the ballot box.

mcchrystal blessed to choose our own leaders. -- we are so blessed to choose our own leaders. i would encourage your viewers to get out and vote and exercise that precious right we half. >> speaking of who we pick, i wonder whether you think that if the partisanship continues, if the bickering continues, it instability continues to rise, whether people are going to get sick and tired of our broken two-party system and whether we might see more people of your stature becoming independent. >> i think we will see that. i really do. what happened here in florida and this senate race -- florida is a microcosm of the country. if i have the opportunity to win this seat, i think that sends a message to america about the

frustration people in a state like mine where the fourth largest state in the country. we have 20 million people. where the most perverse fate in the country. if this happens here -- the most diverse state in the country. there is only one way to find out. it'll be interesting to follow. it is kind of you to take the time to share it. tavis: finally, can you give me a sense of where you go from here to election day? wear your campaign is concerned? whites were card. continue -- where your campaign is concerned? >> just work hard. we will be concerned about what is right for the people and try to do what is right for them each and every one. we will make florida a live andr public safety, keep taxes low.

respect of this. simply try to do what is right every single day. tavis: charlie crist, formerly a republican, now running as an independent for the senate seat in florida, the most closely watched senate race in the entire country. it is always good to have you on the program. thank you for your time. >> it is great to be with you. >> next up, a performance from john mellencamp. stay with us. tavis: from his new cd, here is john mellencamp performing. enjoy it. good night from l.a. keep yourself safe. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- -- ♪ just to see my friend hohuse is dark.

his socks are thin look what my old man slaved in the west end. thought the future was bright back then ♪

♪ ♪ now me i don' tthink much of the west wend. and he is going to end up like the old ban it did. i got dreams that are bigger than bigger as far as i'm concerned, you can keep the west anend ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

i guess down here in the west anend broken promises now and then it is not even fair because the west end 8 nothing good ♪ ♪ out there somewhere you know there is got to be a place to where a man can live with a smile on his face and every day something new begins but a down year at the west end captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- ♪

haisomeday down here in the west end no one will remember how the whole thing began ♪ ♪ [applause] >> for more information on today's show, visit tavis smiley at pbs.org >> join me next time with max lucado. plus, another performance from john mellencamp. that is next time. with his reading. >> i am james.

>> yes. better. >> nationwide insurance proudly supports tavis smiley. tavis and nationwide insurance, working to improve financial literacy and the economic empowerment that comes with it. your side ♪ >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. [captioning made possible by kcet public television] --www.ncicap.org--