In the past year, Crist promised to send "a sonic boom'' through the economy with the property tax cut, bring in new revenue with an Indian gambling agreement, cut property insurance rates, and create jobs through accelerated spending on public works programs. In his 2007 inaugural address, he pledged to "secure work with good pay'' and "world-class schools."

His promises have gone largely unfulfilled. The national recession converged with Florida's collapsing housing market to produce the highest unemployment rate in 15 years, the highest job losses of any state, and deep cuts to public education to balance a faltering budget. The property tax bonanza has been a dud. The math hasn't worked as promised on property insurance. The gambling agreement with the Seminole Tribe of Florida was ruled unconstitutional. The governor's pitch to create jobs by accelerating road construction amounted to more show than substance.

Where Crist has been successful, it has been the result of his pragmatic, inclusive approach to governing. He revamped the state Supreme Court, replacing three retiring justices with two conservatives and a moderate. He junked touch screen voting machines in favor of paper ballots and extended the hours of early voting even when it was viewed as favorable to Democrats, then presided over a high turnout on Election Day that came off nearly flawlessly.

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