House Democratic Leader Dan Gelber has always been something of a mad scientist quote machine, but the years of counting votes has also sharpened his math skills.
Here's the basic political calculus he says could doom the property tax amendment heading to voters Jan. 29. It's based on the pledge last week from GOP legislative leaders to ensure public education doesn't suffer if the amendment passes and reduces school district property tax bases.

Wildly popular Gov. Charlie Crist + equally hated Florida Legislature = < 60 percent of the vote now needed to amend Florida's Constitution.

"I think his 70 percent approval when balanced against the Legislature's 19 percent approval rating doesn't get to 60 percent," Gelber said Thursday. "It's a very simple issue: Do you trust the Legislature? I think I'm going to win this one."
The math may need some tweaking (Strategic Vision put Crist's approval rating today at 73 percent) but you get the gist.