In a report on the results of Tuesday's Democratic gubernatorial primary in Florida, NBC News national political reporter Marc Caputo acknowledged the slim chances that Democratic candidate Charlie Crist would have in beating incumbent Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., in November.
The Democrats’ nervous outlook about Crist – who beat state Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried to clinch the Democratic Party nomination – was apparent at the very outset of Caputo’s piece. The subheadline read, "From DeSantis' standing in the polls to GOP voter registration advantages, Crist, the projected winner of the Democratic primary for governor, faces long odds in November."
The doubt over Crist’s chances against the popular Republican governor was present throughout the rest of article. It opened with the implication that any challenger to DeSantis would be an "underdog."
"Rep. Charlie Crist cruised to a primary victory over state Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried in Florida on Tuesday night, NBC News projects, answering the one big question Democrats have fretted about for months: Who will be the underdog to face popular
If that wasn’t indicative enough of the nervousness surrounding a Democrat facing DeSantis, Caputo added, "Heading into Election Day, few Democratic insiders and political observers gave Crist or Fried much of a chance in November, citing every recent public poll showing DeSantis leading Crist."
Mentioning some factors discouraging Democrats in the state, Caputo wrote, "As DeSantis’ historic $140 million re-election war chest grows by the day, national Democrats have signaled they won’t invest in Florida as heavily as in the past." He added, "The state’s growing Hispanic electorate has been shifting rightward since 2018. And, for the first time ever, there are now more registered Florida Republicans than Democrats — a key indicator of voter intensity."
Caputo also featured a quote from Florida Democratic data scientist and Crist supporter Sean Phillippi, who stated, "‘Fatalistic’ is probably the best word to describe Democrats’ mood."
Even worse for Democratic voters thinking there was a shot, Phillippi flat-out denied any hope of Crist winning the governor’s race. When asked if there was a chance, he responded, "God, no. … The voter registration information is very telling and very predictive."
In addition, Caputo disclosed that "20 top Democratic consultants, lawmakers and organizers in the state who supported Crist or Fried and spoke for this article" agreed "unanimously" with "Phillippi’s sentiment."