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Republican Florida Governor Charlie Crist is hugged by President Barack Obama as the Governor introduces him during a Town Hall Meeting at the Harborside Event Center February 10, 2009 in Fort Myers, Florida.
How the mighty have fallen.
Less than five months since leaving the Governor's mansion, Charlie Crist is now a pitchman for an Orlando law firm in a new ad that began airing this week.
"I'm Charlie Crist. If you need help sorting out your legal issues as a result of an accident or insurance dispute, visit me at Charlie@forthepeople.com," Crist says in the commercial. "Morgan and Morgan. For the People."
Just three years ago, then Governor Crist's endorsement of John McCain in the days before the Florida GOP Presidential primary helped seal the nomination for McCain.Most analysts around the nation thought he was at the top of McCain's list for Vice Presidential nominees.
But where did it go wrong for the slickly dressed Governor with the gray hair? It all started with the hug heard 'round the world.
When Crist gave President Obama a hug and literally embraced the President's stimulus plan in February 2009, he never recovered politically. Around that time, GOP leaders in Washington were begging Crist to fore go another run as Governor and run for the opening U.S. Senate seat in 2010.
Well before any votes were even cast in the race, Crist was basically forced to leave the Republican party because Marco Rubio was going to trounce him in the GOP primary last August.
The Governor's famous (or infamous) veto of Senate Bill 6 at this time last year was the last straw for GOP faithful and not only sealed his fate in the primary fight with Rubio, but has now lead to the commercial.
Now Crist's former chief of staff (and the man he appointed to the U.S. Senate) George LeMieux is running away from his former boss in his bid to reclaim a seat in D.C.
The sad ad just goes to show in politics, you're only a few decisions away from obscurity.
Follow David Henderson on Twitter at @davidnbcmiami.