One of the surprises (to me, at least) was the performance of Obama in Florida this past November. Based on the results of 2000 and 2004, in addition to poor performance in the gubernatorial races there, I figured Florida was moving to at least be a moderate GOP state. Now comes more evidence that the red hue for the sunshine state may have been a blip.
For the first time since the GOP won control of Florida’s government in the mid 1990s, the Democratic Party and its leading candidate for governor together raised more money than their Republican counterparts at the start of a gubernatorial election season.
Alex Sink, the state’s Democratic Chief Financial Officer, raised almost $1.3 million to Attorney General Bill McCollum’s $1.04 million, since April 1. The Democratic Party raised nearly $2 million, while the Republican Party of Florida raised almost $1.2 million.
It’ll be even better if somehow Marc Rubio knocks off Charlie Crist in the senate primary for the GOP because while Rubio plays well with the base, Crist is the sort of increasingly rare moderateish Republican that can actually win an election outside of the traditional south (and make no mistake, especially in Dade, Palm Beach, and Broward counties, Florida is not the traditional south).
Crist is killing Rubio in funding here but the that is going to be quite the fight because the base in this state hates “that RINO”. Still, Crist maintains solid approval ratings here. Sink will win the Gubernatorial race – book it, done.
Much of what got Obama elected has stayed active in Florida. The only reason Florida has been as red as it has been is that the Republicans severely gerrymandered the state and aggressively suppressed voting rights.
In response there has been a lot of push back. Voting rights games are less and there has been very concentrated voter registration so that Democratic registration has pulled ahead in many areas that they were way behind.
Gerrymandering has a flaw in that those areas that are made Democrat, wins are 90% and no possibility to be moved but those areas made Republican are only slightly advantaged in order to get the maximum Republicans elected. Because of that heavy registration goals can make a Republican seat go blue and that is happening in a lot of places
Republicans severely gerrymandered the state and aggressively suppressed voting rights.
Gee, you mean that Republicans hate America and Americans? Who knew?
Seriously, voting Republican is a treasonous act.
50 state strategy, bitches
Crist is a lock. Dems should give up on that one.
Yeah, unfortunately, Crist is going to be able to raise gobs of money and people like him, despite his total lack of actual governing. Basically, the one good thing he did was take the stimulus money. The Senate’s probably the best place for him.
“Seriously, voting Republicans is a treasonous act.”
A Democratic equivalent of Ann Coulter. Ugh.
Orange County in central FL and congressman Alan Grayson are pretty nifty too. It’s not just the south. The I – 4 corridor will be key for Sink as well as Meek (I wouldn’t count him out against Rubio, nor count out Rubio for that matter).
While I would love to agree with you, I am not as optimistic. Just yesterday driving home from Tampa I passed a crowd of 30 fools waving signs that read “Say no to socialism / Honk for Capitalism”. I won’t even go into how many confederate flags I see slapped onto pickup trucks on a daily basis. Fear not, we’re all still retarded down here.