Scott and Crist Easily Secure Nominations

BRADENTON – Governor Rick Scott faced mere token competition for the GOP nomination on this year's gubernatorial ballot. Former Governor Charlie Crist faced a credible, if completely outgunned opponent in former state Senator Nan Rich. Both won easy primaries that were seen as little more than formalities on Tuesday and will face off, along with Libertarian candidate Adrian Wyllie, in the November general election.

Governor Rick Scott and the First Lady meeting with supporters in Tampa on Tuesday.

On the Republican ballot, there were two other names along with the governor. One, the genuinely bizarre campaign of Yinka Abosede Adeshina (2%), who despite somehow raising nearly $200,000, didn't campaign in any tangible way, was noted mostly for how inexplicable it seemed.

The other, Elizabeth Cuevas-Neunder, was a Sarasota resident who'd failed in bids for both Sarasota County School Board and the state House and raised under $2,000 in financial contributions to run a statewide race. Cuevas-Neunder nonetheless managed an impressive 11 percent, thought to be something of a protest vote by those in the party disappointed with Scott.

Rich brought stronger credentials to be sure, but faced almost impossible odds when the national Democratic establishment anointed Crist, who was able to completely ignore her opposition, refusing even a single debate to no consequence. Crist managed a 75-25 win with almost no effort directed at the primary race.

The nominations set up what would look on paper like an epic battle: the state's last sitting governor, who left with immense bipartisan popularity to run for the Senate after one term, leaving his party and returning to take on the man who replaced him – a GOP outsider who used his own money to buck the party and pull off a shocking upset victory.

However, enthusiasm for the race has been painfully low, with neither candidate managing to capture the public's imagination. Thus far, their respective campaigns have been most notable for being wildly dishonest even by political standards. At this rate, the chief obstacle will be ensuring that Floridians come to actually care who among the two is elected to the state's highest office.