Rick Scott is not as strong a public speaker as a number of other GOP leaders, and his message – that the Florida economy is looking up is at odds with the national message of presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
Presidential Election
Flagler Tea Party Straw Poll Winners: Stevens, Westbrook, Warren, Meeker, But Not Schools
The Flagler County Tea Party’s straw poll included 14 races on the Aug. 14 ballot, plus the school board’s half-penny sales tax referendum, which drew 67 percent against, a worrisome sign for the school board.
Obama Crosses 50% Favorability Over Romney in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania
No one has won the White House in the past half century without winning at least two of the three states. The latest results are the strongest yet for Obama, and a worrisome sign for Mitt Romney down the stretch.
Jeb Bush or Marco Rubio as Romney’s Vice President: Florida GOP Hopes Fade
Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio were front-runners as Mitt Romney’s vice-presidential picks a few months ago. No longer. Bush doesn’t want it. Rubio is no longer a politically opportune choice as Florida’s Hispanics lean heavily toward Obama.
Who Is Sheldon Adelson and Why Are GOP Contenders Accepting His Money?
Sheldon Adelson donated $25 million to the Newt Gingrich campaign and reportedly donated $10 million to a superpac supporting Mitt Romney, but the foreign source of the billionaire’s gambling fortune is raising questions about its financing of GOP contenders.
In Florida, Mitt Romney Has a New George W. Bush to Contend With: Gov. Rick Scott
With Rick Scott’s poll numbers continuing to struggle and Florida a critical battleground in the November election, Democrats see the governor as a uniquely powerful albatross against Mitt Romney, who cannot win the election without winning Florida.
Editor’s Note: When Comments Are Swift Boats’ Docking Hooks
I’ve been asked why certain comments in the John Pollinger-Anne-Marie Shaffer case were approved, considering their lavish innuendoes and borderline slanders. The decision bears explaining in light of this year’s distinctly foul election season.
U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Health Care Reform, a Major Victory for Obama and the Uninsured
Chief Justice John Roberts joined the left of the U.S. Supreme Court in upholding the 2010 health care reform law, including the individual mandate. The Roberts ruling narrowed the allowance under tax rules, as opposed to the commerce clause. But the entire law was upheld.
Florida’s Hispanics Like Obama Over Romney By Big Margin, Dimming Rubio’s VP Appeal
Hispanic voters in Florida, traditionally Republican, prefer Obama over Romney by a 56-32 margin, buttressing the president’s advantage among Independents.
U.S. Supreme Court Invalidates Most of the Key Provisions of Arizona’s Harsh Immigration Law
The United States Supreme Court has reversed key provisions of the controversial Arizona immigrant law, invalidating Arizona’s–or any state’s–law that would have given state or local police the power to make warrantless arrests of individuals suspected of being undocumented, or “illegal.”
Romney, in Orlando, Plays Catch-up On Immigration By Promising More Green Cards
Speaking to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials in Orlando, Romney spent most of his time talking about making it easier for legal immigrants to come to America.
The Live Poll: Obama-Romney
Take the poll: Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are battling for Florida’s 29 electoral votes, which are more essential to Romney than they are to Obama: Romney can’t win without them, Obama can.
Democrats Outpacing Republicans In Florida Registrations, But Not in Flagler
More Democrats than Republicans registered to vote in Florida in May, driven by women and Hispanics, but Independents continue to make the biggest gains, and in Flagler County, Republicans have widened their registration lead to a full percentage point.
Gov. Scott Walker and the Pyrrhic Victories of Union-Bashing
Inspired by Ronald Reagan’s union-busting, the latest round in the war on labor is a self-inflicted wound on the American economy, where workers-union and non-union alike–have been losing ground for 30 years.
How Obama’s Support of Gay Marriage Could Lose Him Florida Come November
With debate and votes taking place around the state and polls showing a growing acceptance, the issue of same-sex marriage and domestic partner rights will likely be among a host of second tier issues that could determine which presidential candidate takes Florida.
Romney Takes 6-Point Florida Lead Over Obama; Rubio’s Impact as VP Is Minor
In a big reversal from two months ago, when the Republican primary contest was damaging Mitt Romney’s brand, Barack Obama’s fortunes have dimmed considerably in Florida, while a Marco Rubio addition to Romney’s ticket appears to yield less than a bang.
Early Voting and Cost Pressures Cut Flagler Voting Locations By Almost Half From 2008
Supervisor of Elections Kimberle Weeks submitted a plan to the Flagler County Commission Monday that reduces voting locations to 22, from 38 in 2008, as more people are voting early. A few concerns about elderly voters and turnout were raised.
It’s Not Just Politicians: Media Companies Lobby Against Transparency in Elections
Many of the country’s biggest media companies, which own dozens of newspapers and TV news operations, are flexing their muscle in Washington in a fight against a government initiative to increase transparency of political spending.
In Flagler County, a Reflection of Democrats’ Lost Promise as GOP Regains Registration Lead
Democrats’ voter-registration advantage vanished in Flagler County after a three-and-a-half-years, reflecting surging Republican activity and diminished Democratic excitement, but also the consequences of onerous voter-registration laws that disproportionately affect Democrats.
GOP Candidates and Media to Kids: Drop Dead
While presidential candidates almost always include their offspring in their campaign publicity, candidates and media discussed children’s issues less than two percent of the time over 20 debates – just 17 debate questions of more than 1,000.
Obama Surges Ahead of Romney and Santorum in Florida and Ohio in Latest Polls
In head-to-head contests, Obama is beating Romney and Santorum in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, three swing states that the GOP cannot lose if it hopes to win back the White House in November.
Flagler Tea Party Frets As Numbers Dwindle And Excitement Appears Elusive
Flagler tea party meetings once reliably drew 200 to 300 people. Thursday’s drew 86, and provoked soul-searching from members wondering how to revive the excitement in an election year they considers crucial.
Rick Santorum: Facts, Legends and Phobias
Rick Santorum’s win in Iowa and his three wins in Missouri, Colorado and Minnesota have vaulted him from obscurity to presidential contender. So who is this darling of the evangelical movement?
Enthusiasm Curbed as GOP Primary Turnout In Flagler and Florida Plummets From 2008
Just 10,825 Flagler Republicans turned out to vote in Tuesday’s primary, for a 43 percent turnout, compared to a 53 percent turnout in 2008. The drop across the state was steeper, adding to Republican anxieties about having the numbers to take back the White House in November.
Whether It’s Romney or Obama, Democracy Is Losing Big
No wonder so many people don’t see the point in voting. While the rest of us play one man, one vote in democracy’s delusional sandbox, a bunch of donors who add up to a cocktail party’s guest list are sealing the campaign’s fate.
Provencher and McGrew Win in Flagler Beach, Romney Trounces Gingrich in Flagler
Linda Provencher has beaten J. NeJame for Flagler Beach mayor, while Joy McGrew has beaten Sandra Mason for a city commission seat. Mitt Romney beating Newt Gingrich handily in Flagler and Florida.
For Flagler’s Republican Leaders, Romney-Gingrich Anxieties Frame an Unenthused GOP
Nearly a dozen prominent Flagler County Republicans spoke of their choices or hesitance in the Florida primary and beyond, illustrating a lack of excitement in the GOP, and nervous predictions about November.
The Live Profile:
Who The Hell Is Saul Alinsky?
Saul Alinsky: a profile of the author of “Rules for Radicals,” dead since 1972, whom Newt Gingrich names as the reason to oppose Barack Obama. But the Saul Alinsky Gingrich creates never existed. The invention is more revealing of Gingrich than it is of Alinsky. A corrective to both.
Canvassing Board Certifies 1,095 Absentee Ballots, County Commission Picks Alternate
The three-member Flagler County Canvassing Board met at noon Friday to certify the first batch of primary election ballots ahead of Tuesday’s vote. On Thursday, the county commission picked Milissa Holland as an alternate canvassing board member.
Bloodied Candidates Stumble Toward Florida Finish as Gingrich Wilts and Romney Adjusts
Newt Gingrich was under fire from all sides at the 19th GOP primary debate in Jacksonville Thursday, looking weaker and less sure-footed than he had in South Carolina, and ceding the advantage to Mitt Romney ahead of Tuesday’s vote in Florida.
Live-Blogging the GOP Jacksonville Debate, Reluctantly
Rather than on the GOP debate, everything suggests the television should be tuned to something more grabbing, whether its Nadal-Federer at the Australian Open or Your Home With Jill on QVC. But civic penance may have its virtues. So let’s give this a shot.
Gingrich Surge Wipes Out Romney Advantage in Florida While Improving Obama’s Numbers
The latest Quinnipiac polls have Gingrich tied with Romney ion Florida, but losing badly to Obama in a head-to-head race, while Romney’s slight advantage over Obama two weeks ago has also vanished.
The Live Poll:
Gingrich, Paul, Romney, Santorum?
We believe in open primaries, so cast your vote, whatever your party affiliation, for the four contenders in the GOP presidential primary.
Piety Rising: How Iowa Might Give Rick Santorum a Second Chance in Florida
That’s assuming Mitt Romney doesn’t clean up in New Hampshire and does respectably in South Carolina, two states ahead of Florida’s presidential primary on Jan. 31.
After Iowa: Romney and Gingrich Lead in Florida, For Now, Heading Into Jan. 31 Primary
Romney and Gingrich are essentially in a statistical dead heat, with Romney leading with 27 percent of the vote to Gingrich’s 26, according to the telephone survey of 780 Republican voters, conducted from Dec. 15-19.