BIZARRE: Florida Gov. Rick Scott Refuses To Take Debate Stage Because Charlie Crist Had A Small Fan Blowing On Him

Tonight Rick Scott might have cost himself the election.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott refused to go onstage for the first seven minutes of a debate Thursday night, because his opponent had a fan. No, not a rowdy supporter in the audience. An actual electric fan. Scott's Democratic challenger, former Gov. Charlie Crist, had set up a small fan underneath his podium, apparently trying to keep himself from sweating under the Broward College stage's lights. Scott saw the fan, a prop that often accompanies Crist at public appearances, as a violation of the debate's rules and said he wouldn't participate. The moderators tried to explain the disagreement while Republicans in the audience chided Crist for breaking rules -- at least as Scott saw them -- against props on stage. "We have an extremely peculiar situation right now," moderator Elliott Rodriguez, a local news anchor, said as the broadcast started. "Are we really going to debate a fan?" Crist said while standing alone on stage. Several minutes later, Scott relented and joined the debate. "That has to be the most unique beginning to any debate," Rodriguez said as Scott walked onto the stage.

Scott's handlers point out that the debate contract signed by both candidates bans the use of electronic devices. Crist's handlers point out that the fan was electric, not electronic. Twitter is blowing up at #FanGate.

(Image via Wonkette)