Elected four times to the state House as a Democrat, Tampa lawmaker Susan Valdes on Monday added to Republicans’ supermajority. Valdes announced she had become a Republican, saying she expected to be “welcomed and treated with respect” by her new party. The move, which drew a rebuke from House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, came a week after Valdes lost a bid to become chairwoman of the Hillsborough County Democratic Executive Committee.
republicans
GOP Voter Registrations Cutting Into Democrats’ Statewide Lead, and Reach Historic Lead in Flagler
Republicans’ proportion of registered voters in Flagler County has grown to 45.7 percent this year, compared to 39.8 percent in 2016, while Democrats’ proportion has shrunk to 30.5 percent, from 31.8 percent four years ago.
Milissa Holland Campaign Will Edit TV Spot That Appeared to Dog Whistle as GOP, Democrats, NAACP and Lowe Rebuke It
A 30-second Milissa Holland campaign ad against Alan Lowe implies he’s a criminal (he’s not) just as he appears next to a Black man. The ad, part of a 30-ads-a-day buy, was produced by a high-powered firm that worked for Donald Trump and appeared on Fox News. An ad not featuring the segment appeared on MSNBC.
That Old “Socialism” Slur
For decades, Republicans have painted anyone left of Barry Goldwater as a “socialist.” Why? Because for a generation raised on the Cold War, “socialist” just seemed like a damaging label.
Gov. Scott Defends Plan to Appoint Three Supreme Court Justices in Last Days In Office
Those three members — justices R. Fred Lewis, Barbara Pariente and Peggy Quince — are part of the court’s more-liberal majority, and some advocates are worried that Scott, a Republican, could tip the balance of power on the bench on his final day in office.
Conservatives Plot Their Course on the Rising ‘Sea of Red’ in State Capitals
The American Legislative Exchange Council sees bright future for its agenda now that Republicans control 68 of the nation’s 99 state legislative bodies and 33 governor’s mansions.
Gov. Scott on Frank Meeker’s Commission Seat Replacement: “We’re Working On It”
Ten men, all Republicans, applied in the 107 days that have elapsed since Commissioner Frank meeker’s death. Rep. Paul Renner says he expects an appointment in late November or early December.
Flagler’s Early Voting Only Slightly Ahead of 2008 Pace; Republicans Winning Turnout Race
The numbers in Flagler County look grim for Democrats looking for a strong turnout: it’s not happening for them as it is for Republicans, and what is taking place will only slightly exceed turnout in 2008.
Flagler’s Most Civilized Local Political Race in Years
The six candidates and incumbents for the Flagler County Commission stand out sharply from other local races for the collective civility and substance-oriented campaigns, and their impatience with partisanship. It’s a rarity worth taking note of in a year of slime.
Republicans’ Women Problem
Long before Donald Trump the Republican Party has been relentlessly pushing policies aimed at curtailing women’s reproductive rights, economic freedom, access to health care, and autonomy.
Donald Trump’s Fascism and His Appeasers
Trump will fade. Trumpism may not. And the longer the Republican establishment is willing to appease him as a better alternative to Clinton, the more it legitimizes his racism as an acceptable American value.
Republicans On Crack
The crack-up is upon us. The locks have popped. The insane asylums have emptied. The loons are casting ballots. And Mitt Romney’s string quartet is arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
Flagler Voter Registrations Surge to 90%, Aiding GOP as Democrats Fall to Historic Low
Flagler County’s voter registration rolls have surged by 21 percent since 2009, resulting in a 90 percent registration rate, with Republicans riding a 4,500-voter advantage over Democrats.
Taking the Pulse of Crazy: The Election Season on Eve of Iowa and New Hampshire
The electorate is angrier and more fearful than in recent presidential contests, and both Trump and Cruz are capitalizing on it, but as the field narrows, Trump’s appeal may not be as lasting.
Donald Trump’s Funeral
If Donald Trump were to drop dead tomorrow Democrats would grieve, Republican candidates would celebrate, but Trump’s neo-fascism will have already damaged the nation beyond recognition.
Lawmakers Can’t Get It Done: Redistricting Session Collapses, Leaving It Up to Courts
The end of the session without agreement on the shape of Florida’s 27 congressional districts likely means the final decision will be made by the courts, though some lawmakers held out slim hopes for a resolution in the coming days that could avoid such an outcome.
Clowns on the Campaign Trail and the
Revolt Against Professional Politicians
Donald Trump is part of a wider phenomenon of disaffected voters turning away from mainstream political parties and following populists and political entertainers, or clowns if you like, argues Ian Buruma.
Donald Trump Isn’t the Exception.
He’s the Republican Prototype.
Donald Trump isn’t an exception or an offense to the GOP brand. He’s he’s almost indistinguishable from the other 14 Republican crackpots running for president, starting with Jeb Bush, the alleged “moderate” of the bunch. Bush’s Florida record proves it.
Memo to GOP Candidates: Why Conservatives Should Embrace Gay Marriage Decision
As a conservative who has always supported gay marriage, it’s difficult for Nancy Smith to understand why so many people of her generation — the ones who grew up witnessing some of the worst discrimination of the 20th century — could consistently rage against it.
Warts and All, Obamacare Saved Me From Bankruptcy
FlaglerLive Editor Pierre Tristam exposes his health care bills before and after Obamacare, and before and after cancer, to show how without the Affordable Care Act, he and his family would have face ruin.
With Marco Rubio’s Walmart Mentality, Republicans ‘Discover’ How to End the Poverty They Created
The Tea Party GOP has declared Lyndon Johnson’s “War on Poverty” a failure. And with the 2014 elections looming, Rubio-Republicans are trying to remake themselves as sympathetic and empathetic, instead of apathetic, to the plight of the poor and the middle class, writes Stephen L. Goldstein.
The Dark Money Man: How Sean Noble Moved the Kochs’ Cash into Politics and Made Millions
Sean Noble was a former congressional aide just starting as a political consultant when he was recruited to help run the Kochtopus — Charles and David Koch’s multi-layered political network.
In a Nod to Less Abrasive Republicans, Florida Senate Names Andy Gardiner Its Next President
Andy Gardiner, The 44-year-old Orlando Republican, was lauded as a compassionate and temperate conservative as he laid out an agenda focused on the economy, water and natural resources and expanding educational and employment opportunities for disabled Floridians.
Despite $51 Billion For the Taking, Florida Unlikely to Expand Health Coverage in 2014
Consumer groups, hospitals and insurers are clamoring for Florida to take the $51 billion in federal funds that have been offered to the state over the next decade to provide health coverage to the working poor. But those who are tuned in politically — even those who desperately want it to happen — say it’s very unlikely in 2014.
Obamacare Will Survive. Obama and Democrats, Maybe Not So Much.
The law’s rocky debut has refocused attention on whether Obama, intellectually gifted though he may be, was ready to be the country’s chief executive. It may also decide which party is in control after 2016.
Florida’s U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young, Immoderate Only in Longevity, Is Dead at 82
U.S. Rep. C.W. “Bill” Young of Pinellas County, the longest serving Republican in Congress, was a political icon in the Tampa Bay area and a moderate who had only announced earlier this month that he wouldn’t seek a 23rd term in Congress next year.
Shutdown Geezers: The Medicare
Generation’s Immoral War on Obamacare
Opponents of Obamacare think that by doubling down on hurting Americans through a shut-down, they might stun them into submission. They must be stupider than they let on. The Affordable Care Act has its issues. Lacking for moral high ground isn’t among them.
Florida Supreme Court Green-Lights Trial Challenging Fairness of GOP Redistricting
The 5-2 ruling, which fell along common ideological lines on the court, allows a coalition of voting-rights groups to continue trying to prove that the Senate maps drawn in 2012 violate the anti-gerrymandering “Fair Districts” standards added to the Florida Constitution two years earlier.
Democrats, Presuming Victory at Annual Gala, “Almost Don’t Care” Who Takes on Scott
Florida Democrats gathering for their annual fundraising dinner at the Westin Diplomat Resort on Saturday were certain of one thing: They will defeat Republican Gov. Rick Scott in a little more than a year.
In Rubio’s Republican Party, Appeals To Victimhood Are Getting Old
Republicans over the last decade or so have become a party that tethered their Election Day successes to an appeal to the lesser angels in people, on convincing voters they need to fear forces trying to take things away from them, that they need to look out for Number One, argues Dan Gelber.
Rubio’s Rebuttal: A GOP Disaster Reminiscent of Romney, With Hispanic Hues
The performance by Florida’s junior senator following President Barack Obama’s State of the Union was an epic failure, argues Rhonda Swan. If Marco Rubio is the savior of the Republican Party, members of the GOP should start looking for their lifeboats.
57 Republicans Who Voted for Bush’s Katrina Aid Voted Against Obama’s Sandy Aid
When Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, Congress passed two relief bills almost unanimously. But when it comes to Hurricane Sandy,179 Republicans and one Democrat opposed aid. Signal differences are the occupant in the White House and the states getting help.
Amendment Shock: A More Tolerant Nation Is By-Passing Smug, Regressive Florida
Many of Tuesday’s 176 popular referendum that passed speak of a more tolerant, more freedom-loving nation. Except in Florida, where the Legislature’s 11 proposals put the state at odds with national trenbds–and the Florida Legislature at odds with the people it claims to represent.
Central Florida Helps Democrats Erode GOP’s Legislative Majority as State Realigns
For the first time in three decades, Democrats get a net increase in Florida Senate seats. They reduced the GOP majority in the house from 81-38 to 76-44, despite redistricting, and the state’s direction appears no longer to favor Republicans as easily as it has.
With Fewer Days and Places to Vote, Early Voting Falls Significantly in Flagler
On-person early voting was down in Flagler County from 36.6 percent in 2008 to 29.1 percent this year, for several reasons: a shorter early-voting window, two early voting locations instead of three (Flagler Beach was eliminated), and less enthusiasm than the 2008 election, which drew the highest turnout in a presidential election in 40 years.
Party Spin Kicks In as 1.9 Million Floridians Have Already Cast Early Voting Ballots
Democratic voters accounted for 39.5 percent of the absentee returns, with voters affiliated with other parties and NPAs making up the remainder. In early voting, the roles reverse. Democrats made up 49.1 percent of the more than 528,000 voters who cast ballots over the weekend. Republicans made up 28.6 percent.
Big Bird Debate: How Much Does
Federal Funding Matter to PBS Anyway?
The amount of tax dollars PBS receives is roughly .012 percent of the $3.8 trillion federal budget – or about $1.35 per person per year, compared to $22.48 in Canada and $80.36 in Britain. Public broadcasting is a popular target among conservatives, who’ve long portrayed it as an example of wasteful government spending.
Mitt Romney’s , and Republicans’, Goldwater Moment
Blowing an election it should have won, the GOP might finally realize it has strayed far out of the mainstream and become a little too odd for the American public, writes Bill Cotterell.
Florida Republican Party Wades Into Supreme Court Fight as Justices Curtail Fund-Raising
The Republican Party of Florida issued a statement saying the GOP opposes three justices who form the backbone of the court’s left-of-center majority–R. Fred Lewis, Barbara Pariente and Peggy Quince. The justices slashed their fund-raising activities according to the latest filings.
Partisanship Works. One-Party States Don’t.
They are two of the most repeated claims you’ll hear every four years: That this is the most important election in our lifetime. And that partisanship is demolishing the country. Rubbish on both counts.
In Volusia Senate Fight Between Bruno and Hukill, a Bellwether of Republican Dominance
Would voters be better off again electing a Republican to the GOP-dominated Senate? Or is it time for Democrats to claw back a seat in the newly-drawn, swing district? The Senate District 8 race between Democrat Frank Bruno and Republican Dorothy Hukill will answer the questions.
Trey Corbett, Running for Flagler Supervisor Of Elections, Trips Over Several Election Rules
From a minor fine to more serious questions about his home and where he’s voted for the last four elections, Trey Corbett’s pattern of issues stand out because of the office he’s seeking, since he would be responsible for monitoring and controlling those very issues as supervisor of elections.
The Tea Party, Missing from the Republican National Convention’s Big Tent
Despite cluelessness by liberals and Democrats, those outside the tea party movement still don’t grasp that “people like me are the absolute last folks who would be invited to the RNC,” argues tea party leader Henry Kelley.
Tea Party Mojo: What Ted Yoho, Republican Who Defeated Cliff Stearns, Stands For
Ted Yoho’s policy positions show him to be more than just a flame thrower with broad anti-government pronouncements. He unseated 12-term Congressman Cliff Stearns through a showman’s eye and the ability to use it to his campaign’s advantage.
Rick Scott Tapped as Speaker at Republican Convention in Tampa, But Role May Be Minor
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.
Jeb Bush’s Republican Identity Crisis and the Limits of Tolerance
Even as Jeb Bush calls for a more tolerant Republican Party where ideas compete, his description of Obama’s reign in the White House as “One Ideology, One Party, and One Man” is more Orwellian than anything else, and misses the nature of Americans’ passionate beliefs, argues Steven Kurlander.
Statewide, Democrats Fail to Run Candidates in 47 of 120 House Districts
Republicans failed to field a candidate in 23 House races, leaving either Democrats or no party or third party candidates to win those seats. But Democrats didn’t field a candidate in 47 of the 120 House districts.
Write-In Sham: How an Obscure GOP Group Is Disenfranchising 40,000 Voters in Local Races
Democrats and Independents would normally be allowed to vote in primaries featuring only Republican candidates. By fielding write-ins who have no chance or intention of winning, the Ronald Reagan group is locking out those Democrats and Independents by creating the artifice of a contested general election.
Palm Coast Councilman Frank Meeker Petitions for Civility Manifesto in 2012 Elections
Whether a candidate is worthy of political office should be decided by free and clear elections, not tainted by character assassination and media hype, Frank Meeker argues, laying out a 10-point “Statement on Election Fairness” for 2012.
Silencing Maneuvers: When the Florida Legislature Resembles the Politbureau
Stopping debate at three minutes, Republicans in the House Education Committee passed a bill overhauling standards and finances for charter schools and another limiting the power of the Florida High School Athletics Association.