When scanning the landscape and wreckage that was 2007, there is only one conclusion to make: Charlie Crist won. Not only did he become elected governor, he won the hearts and minds of Floridians, and using that political capital, he spearheaded the most pro-consumer, anti-industry, legislative agenda in memory. Give the man credit; he held no cards to his vest and did exactly what he said he would do while the industry looked on almost in shock. After the successes of passing major workers' comp and medical malpractice reforms under former Governor Jeb Bush, the industry finally came up against the unmovable object. That is what happens when a true believer rides into town with a 77 percent approval rating. And it is also what happens when the industry tries to convince the public the sky is falling while the sun shone uninterrupted through two hurricane seasons.

And then there was the legislature that, confronted by Crist, jumped on the bandwagon, and made the most drastic changes to the property market that far exceed any market reforms thought possible. Left helpless, the industry tried to end the year by securing at least one victory in the form of ending the state's personal injury protection law. The industry waged a year-long battle to try and convince lawmakers and the public that the system should undergo major reforms or expire. But failing to make its case, combined with a legislature who was breathing easier after an uneventful hurricane season, the industry could do little by watch as the trial bar and health-care providers carried the day.

But the government had its own issues. Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty, who has waged an aggressive battle against homeowners' rate filings, has nonetheless probably done more than any regulator in the country to take the case to Congress for the need for a federal solution to catastrophic losses. And Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink started the conversation on the changing climate. All in all, it was a year of gambles, defeats, and few rewards. And one the industry would probably like to forget.