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Former GOP Gov. Crist Teases DNC Speech

Former Florida Governor Charlie Crist is slated to speak at the Democratic National Convention, which starts Tuesday in Charlotte, North Carolina.  The former Republican says his main talking point at the convention focuses on why President Barack Obama should stay in office.

In a recent interview with Chris Matthews, the host of MSNBC’s Hardball, former Republican Governor Charlie Crist gave a brief preview of his speech for the Democratic National Convention.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxhlvmuKWOA

“Well, I’m going to talk about the President. And, I’m going to talk about the fact that I think he’s been a great leader, that he has really led us in a very difficult time, obviously he inherited a real mess," said Crist. “He helped us in Florida when I was a Republican, and didn’t really care about the partisanship of it at all. And, was very non-partisan and was a gentleman. And, one of the things I really appreciate about him is his demeanor and the way in which he leads.”

Crist recently endorsed President Barack Obama, a move that was criticized by his former party. Crist left the Republican Party in 2010 and registered with no party affiliation, when he decided to pursue a U.S. Senate bid against Senator Marco Rubio. Now, several GOP leaders claim he’s trying to make a political comeback. There’s speculation he could run as a Democrat against Governor Rick Scott in 2014.

Sascha Cordner has more than ten years of public radio experience. It includes working at NPR member station WUFT-FM in Gainesville for several years. She's worked in both radio and TV, serving in various capacities as a reporter, producer and anchor. She's also a graduate of the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in telecommunications. She is the recipient of 15 awards from the Associated Press, Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), and Edward R. Murrow. Her award-winning stories include her coverage on the infamous “Dozier School for Boys” and a feature titled "Male Breast Cancer: Lost in the Sea of Pink." Currently, Sascha serves as the host and producer of local and state news content for the afternoon news program "All Things Considered" at WFSU. Sascha primarily covers criminal justice and social services issues. When she's not reporting, Sascha likes catching up on her favorite TV shows, singing and reading. Follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter:@SaschaCordner.