Former Gov. Charlie Crist has a great resume, a moderate-to-liberal heart and he's just made a public and decisive rejection of the Republican Party. Does that mean he's automatically the next Democratic candidate for governor?

As former Miami Herald political writer Beth Reinhard writes in the National Journal, not necessarily...particularly, if the rank-and-file thinks the party is stuffing Crist down their throats:

Campaign finance reports are finding a lot of Claudio Osorio's money in reports filed by prominent South Florida Democrats including Broward U. S. Rep. Debbie Wassermann Schultz, the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee.

On his listening tour in counties where voting  was a problem last month, Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner got three suggestions in Miami on Tuesday.

Detzner, who's also the state's chief election officer, was told there were too few early voting days, not enough early voting sites and way too many words on the ballot.

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez and his appointed elections supervisor, Penelope Townsley, said that was the formula for long lines and seven-hour waits to deal with 10- and 12-page ballots on Nov. 6.

Miami-Dade is making recommendations to the state about how to fix broken elections.

The county's suggestions include adding early voting days and limiting the wording of constitutional amendments.

Details from WLRN Miami Herald News:

There have already been a number of bills filed by Democratic state lawmakers to change parts of Florida's controversial voting law during the upcoming  Legislative session, which starts March 5.

Most of the bills, so far, focus on early voting rules that were changed in 2011 -- when the Republican-controlled  Legislature overhauled the state's voting law.

The hazing death of a drum major is now threatening Florida A&M University's accreditation.

A regional accrediting organization has put the university on probation for a year.

Details from WLRN Miami Herald News:

Yes, the 2014 gubernatorial election is months and months away, but there are already some signs that election season has started right back up again.

Jobless benefits may be cut off for more than      100,000 Floridians at the end of the month.  Florida's Department of Economic Opportunity is sending notices to those receiving Emergency Unemployment Compensation from the federal government. The program provides up to an additional 20 weeks of benefits that will expire December 29 if Congress doesn't extend them. The program began in July of 2008.