I am an avid collector or Michael Barone’s Almanac of American Politics series, going back to the 1970s. The fact that Barone has turned his once solid and unrivaled commentary in conservative hack writing in the 2010′s should not detract from his earlier works. Barone still posses an uncanny knowledge today which makes his Almanac worth buying and reading while trying to ignore whatever rubbish he has recently written in the Examiner or spouted on FOX News. Through the years Barone has had various co-authors for the Almanac. In 1980 he was joined by Grant Ujifusa and Douglas Mathews.
In the Almanac of American Politics 1980 (published in 1979), the authors outline the state of Florida saying the following:
“No Southern State has changed more than Florida over the last generation.”
The book talks extensively as to how Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Sarasota have become like the north. But he discusses that Florida’s apparent move into the Republican column that seemed inevitable in the late 1960s had stalled due to the state’s southern heritage and more liberal northern migration. Prior to the 1960s, almost all northern migration to Florida outside of Miami was by conservatives and Republicans largely from the midwest and places like upstate New York and western Pennsylvania. The 1970s saw a great wave of northeastern migrants, more liberal and Democratic.
The Askew legacy is discussed in great detail as is the campaign that elected his successor Bob Graham. The wild swing of Florida from a 72% Nixon state in 1972 to a 53% Carter state in 1976 is attributed to a southern nominee and the influx of liberal northeast migrant in the Fort Lauderdale/Miami area.
The breakdown of elected officials and party registration in Florida was as follows:
Voter Registration:
D – 67%
R -28%
Other – 5%
US Senators:
Lawton Chiles (D)
Dick Stone (D)
Governor: Bob Graham (D)
Lieutenant Governor: Wayne Mixson (D)
Secretary of State: George Firestone (D)
Attorney General: Jim Smith (D)
Treasurer: Bill Gunter (D)
Comptroller: Gerald Lewis (D)
Commissioner of Agriculture: Doyle Conner (D)
Commissioner of Education: Ralph D. Turlington (D)
State Senate: 29 D 11 R
State House: 89 D 31 R
Congressional Delegation (12 D 3 R):
1st: Earl Hutto (D) of Panama City
2nd: Don Fuqua (D) of Alta CHAIRMAN of SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE
3rd: Charlie Bennett (D) of Jacksonville CHAIRMAN of ETHICS COMMITTEE
4th: Bill Chappell (D) of Ocala
5th: Richard Kelly (R) of Zepherhills
6th: Bill Young (R) of Seminole
7th: Sam Gibbons (D) of Tampa
8th: Andy Ireland (D) of Lakeland
9th: Bill Nelson (D) of Melbourne
10th: Skip Bafalis (R) of Fort Myers Beach
11th: Dan Mica (D) of West Palm Beach
12th: Ed Stack (D) of Fort Lauderdale
13th: William Lehman (D) of North Miami Beach
14th: Claude Pepper (D) of Miami
15th: Dante Fascell (D) of Miami
The Florida Squeeze 
As an old time Democrat who was around and worked in Tallahassee with all those great Democrats, I can tell you that they had one thing in common – they were all moderate to conservative, pragmatic Democrats. Not the ultra-liberal, ultra progressive Democrats that the left wing of our party are constantly trying to drag us to that scares the pants off the largest voting block that decides elections today – the Inependents.
You woudn’t recognize these Democrats if you talked to them today.
That’s how a Republican Governor like Bob Martinez years ago broke the tide when he was outnumbered two to one in voter registration.
That’s why Sen Nan Rich, who I admire greatly, doesn’t have a prayer in a general election against even a very unpopular Rick Scott.
There is an old saying, “If you can’t learn from history, you are doomed to repeat it.”
All those good old Democrats are now gone and the tables are turned around 180 degrees to the Republicans because we Democrats didn’t learn from our defeats.
Despite what “we think is good for them” we should wake up and smell the roses and ask the voters what they think.
And to get elected to do anything, we may have to compromise a little.
Or else we will forever be outside the window looking in.
You cant effect change if you not part of the process.
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As president of the Democratic Progressive Caucus, I’m curious about this statement:
“Not the ultra-liberal, ultra progressive Democrats that the left wing of our party are constantly trying to drag us to that scares the pants off the largest voting block that decides elections today – the Independents.”
Please tell me what positions we hold that are “ultra-liberal and ultra-progressive?” What is the radical agenda that scares independents so much?
Here are the basic principles we support:
–Fair and honest government that works for all citizens
–The opportunity to earn a living wage
–A quality public education for every child
–Justice and equality for all
–The right to basic healthcare
–A clean and safe environment
–A peaceful and secure world
This last legislative session, we primarily worked with Florida parent groups, including PTA, to fight against the parent trigger bill. We’re also working for safer gun policies, which 70% of NRA members agree with.
I think you’ve been reading too much conventional wisdom from the inside-the-beltway crowd. Progressives are not radical. We’re merely trying to bring Democrats back to the moderate policiess that the vast majority of this country supports.
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Old Time Florida Democrats did control state government in the past. Then these Dixiecrats realigned with the Republican Party around 1964-1968 because of the pressure being applied to them from within the Democratic Party for supporting segregation and racial discrimination. Remember the “law and order” campaign of Nixon? It was all about racial politics. These Florida racists, now realigned with The Republican Party, no longer had to deal with liberals. In this way, the racists in Florida were able to keep control of government. Did progressives “hurt” the Democratic Party in Florida ? No. However, the racists hurt the Republican party. They put the Republicans on the wrong side of history and they will pay the piper with every election as the demographics of the nation and social morals increasingly becomes favorable for the Democratic Party.
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You can look at it both ways…part of the reason the Republicans are winning so handily now in the state is that they have a clear philosophy, a conservative, opportunity based ideology. The Florida Republicans of the 1970s were mushy moderates like Jack Eckerd that other than being wealthy and appealing to tax refugees and country club types could not build a political coalition because they were not conservative enough. I keep reading in the mainstream media how the GOP is dying because of their ideology, yet note that they have COMPLETE control over State Government in 24 states…Governor, lower house and upper house in 24 states compared to 13 for Democrats. They have 54% of state legislative seats nationally and unlike many Dem apologists I don’t put it down to reapportionment. To me it is down to the Republicans on the state and local level running to their right, advocating a clear philosophy and vision for the state and nation while Democrats do not. It is not about liberal v Conservative…it is about a vision and Democrats lack that and continue to be beat across the country. The party now is a regional party in many ways. As Zell Miller wrote “A national party no more.”
I am a liberal and proud of it. But part of being a liberal is advocating economic empowerment and why our views on education, health care, reproductive rights welfare and the environment are BETTER for most Americans. We have not done that and that’s why the Republicans continue to dominate elections outside of the Presidency for office all over the country outside the Northeast and Pacific Coast. We must make the economic argument. The GOP does and we do not.
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I’m probably more liberal personally than you are. And I agree with part of your argument that the Democrats message is muddled.
But you are wrong about reapportionment, it does make a big difference. And the Republican victories since you posted about those good old Democrats, cemented their “majority” and especially their power.
What is our “economic message”? The Republcans are killing us on Obamacare and how we are taxing everyone to pay for it. What is your great Democratic argument about that now that we have retreated for a year on healthcare and we have done a piss poor job of explaining anything about it?
Your facts and statistics about how dominant the Republicans are says only one thing: whatever we are selling, nobody is buying!
I’m sorry but the more you keep beating the liberal drum, the longer we will stay in the back bench in government and keep dreaming.
Key words of wisdom: “pragmatic and common sense” Gee where have we heard those words?
Oh, Thats right! Marco Rubio and the Republican Dream for America!
Being liberal today is like mom’s old yellow and brown refrigerators, it was ok then but its not popular today and it ain’t selling..
Remember, they are in, we are out, especially in our home State of Florida!
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The problem is we are not selling it properly.
Abortion/Reproductive Rights are an economic issue and has to be framed that way. We can win because people are not corportists. I get some of what you are saying but think we are disagreeing on how to frame the message.
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In the 1980s the Republicans made a concerted effort to build a bench by taking school boards and county/city commissions. I would be happy if our party started over with this same strategy. Without a bench who will run for Senate in 2016? Love him or not, without Crist we would have NO viable candidate against Rick Scott in 2014. I like Sen. Rich, but as a state FL is not “ready” to vote for a liberal. Sink…..well…..she is Sink. This decade has the potential to be good for Dems in FL at all levels but we need to start thinking about 2020 and 2024 which means we need a bench now.
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Crist could play populist and win. I like that idea but putting Medical Marijuana on the ballot in an off year election is not a great idea.
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I was fortunate to be around when Dems controlled the house and senate. I campaigned for Lawton Chiles and Bob Graham. My fear is that we are so busy trying to push Christ, who is stringing us along, and not supporting Nan Rich who has shown commitment to the democratic party by stepping forward. Marco Rubio was said not to have a chance in the world of winning, and he did. Rick Scott was also an under dog for governor, and he won. Why is it the republicans can get behind their candidates, regardless of their chances, and work with them when they step forward? Let’s put some faith in our committed candidates before its too late. We don’t even have a list of candidates for 2014 and the republicans have already started their re-election campaigns/fundraising for all of their statewide candidates. Where is our party leadership and what are they doing to win these elections? 2014 is just five months away.
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Dear demdays and floridian and especially Kartik, for allowing us to babble on about the (sad) state of the Democratic Party in Florida, but unfortunately this conversation should be with every single Democrat in Florida.
Yes, I am old enough to be your fathers and yes I was around in the glory days when everyone was a Democrat and you couldn’t find a Republican anywhere in sight. You all are right in many ways and very wrong on many others.
Our problems didn’t happen overnight and they wont be changed tomorrow.
First, there are many good Republicans who have switched to be Democrats now and are in high ranking places in our party and we HAVE to accept them no matter if you think they are opportunists or not. I was there many years ago when many good Democrats fled to be Republicans because of our great (unpopular) “liberal” label and we said good riddance and the Republicans accepted them with open arms…and took power away fro us because of our stupidity and hard-headedness.
And we look back now as we sit on the back bench with no power at all in Florida, in the House and Senate and the Executive, and we pick pick our noses and say “what happened?”.
And the answer is, I just told you!
Former Republicans like Democratic Leader Darryl Rouson, Pinellas County Commission Chair Ken Welch, State Representative Carl Zimmerman and the biggest catch of them all, former GOVERNOR Charlie Crist are people that, no matter if you love them or hate them, that is not the point, we have to accept them as our “brothers and sisters” now. We have to hold them up to the world and say to them and everyone else who wakes up and smells the roses, “Welcome Home!”.
Remember when I said in my first post those prolific words, “If you can’t learn from history, you are doomed to repeat it”? Well we cannot be our typical snobbish liberal Democrats with a “liberal” litmus test. We have to be pragmatic and reasonable.
WE have to be the BIG TENT Party! And we have to accept everyone regardless of their views and compromise to be bigger than the Republicans.
I like Sen Nan Rich personally very much. She is a great person and leader. But she looks way too old, she is way too liberal and there is no way in hell she is going to raise $100 million dollars. I don’t care how many “Walking Lawton” trips she takes across the State to meet every two bit Democrat or voter, this is not the Florida of 30 years ago when you can do that. Ruth’s List, Emily’s List and whatever lists you name have a great history (in Florida) of big talk, little money and loosing races (ie see Betty Castor for US Senate). This state is a big TV market state that takes millions and millions to win. Which..listen up Democrats..is exactly why Obama won in 08 and 12. Because…I know this is hard to believe…Obama OUTSPENT the Republicans in TV and ground game in Florida, twice, almost 2 to 1.
demsdays mentions the Marco Rubio and Rick Scott races to compare them to Nan Rich. Really?? No comparison! Marco Rubio benefited by a horrible Democratic candidate with a campaign run by a horrible band of Democratic consultant idiots (who still get paid by the Democratic Party) and a popular Governor Crist, who split the Democratic and Independent votes to allow Rubio to win with his little band of Tea Party idiots with way less than a majority. (Crist should have switched then to be a Dem and run, the Democrat who ran, what’s his name?, should have quit….and we would have two Democratic Senators from Florida…but I digress)
demsdays says the Republicans supported Scott…not so fast. Bill McCollum was THE party favorite. But nobody in the History of the Stae of Florida has ever written a check for $80 million dollars to buy an election. And with the Obama team leaving the State to not drag every lazy Democrat out to vote…and another band of Democratic consultant idiots running a terrible campaign (which is why I didn’t support Allison Tant for Party Chair cause she saved the band of idiot consultants from being fired by Alan Clendenin…but that’s another story) with a candidate who was a cautious banker for Bank of America for 30 years who approaches everything as if she were making a bank loan (which is exactly why she can’t decide to run now). Think about it, Alex Sink is another great lady Democrat with a great heart like Nan Rich but she is way too careful to spend the “bank’s” money and say the wrong thing.
Which brings all the way to Governor Charlie Crist.
Yes , I agree with every writer here and floridian that we need to build a bench and yes, Kirtik, we need to have a good simple message.
But message? Really? Republicans message, “Less Taxes, Less Government” Simple, quick, easy to understand!
Democrats message “???????” it takes a Degree in Philosophy to understand it!
I really don’ care if you Democrats hate Charlie Crist. He DOES have his faults!
But I, for one, am VERY TIRED of LOOSING!
Think! How many years has it been since a Democrat sat in the highest office in Florida?
The people who decide elections are not us Democrats or the hated Republicans, it’s the INDEPENDENTS!
And right now, in poll, after poll, after poll, Charlie is golden!
So, we should not look a gift horse in the mouth and count his teeth!
Charlie has run, AND WON, more STATEWIDE races than anyone we have on the bench.
I’m not a Charlie apologist, or fan, nor am I enamored with the possibility of Charlie running. But we have to take our pony and ride him to the finish line. Because, fellow Democrats, he IS the best shot we got!
And don’t be scared by all the Republican smokescreen crap they are throwing at us now and they are going to throw at us later.
They are scared and they know it! They have a VERY flawed candidate too. We just have to throw it back twice as hard and not run scared like we always do.
Lets win one for a change! “Democratic” Governor Charlie Crist sounds OK with me!
Please get used to it!
Thanks!
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Nobody should ever apologize for standing up for what is right and for what is just. i would rather lose an election because we stood up for social justice and equality, than win elections by lying, cheating, and spreading hate and fear. With time, good will triumph over evil, as long as there are people who care enough to fight the good fight. Viva Progressives! Viva Progresistas!
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I am a progressive that has seen middle of the road, wishy washy democrats lose in Florida. Wake up. This is the new Florida. The Florida of Barack Obama, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and Nan Rich. This is the state that will elect a Jewish, female, liberal governor. When Nan speaks, she speaks the truth. Corporations have hijacked our government. Nan will give the people a voice and we will once again become the greatest state to live and prosper in.
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Dear Joe,
Pass that joint your smoking and take a deep breath and close your eyes and dream on.
Because in your own little dream world is the only “state” that a liberal, Jewish, Democratic woman like Debbie Wasserman Shultz or Nan Rich is going to win Governor of any state.
He’ll there are many Democrats who quietly cringe anytime Pit Bull Sgt Shultz gets on the air to talk.
Maybe in the State of Israel they might have a shot!
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Dear Old Fart,
Your condescending tone speaks volumes. You can hide behind an alias and spew your bigoted Tea Party bullshit all you want. I could only imagine what you would have had to say 10 years ago if I had written that Barack Hussein Obama was going to be our next two term president. So finish your drink and marinate in your own stench.
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Hey Joe, Calm Down, Who is being condesending now?
This is exactly why you ultra liberals loose race after race after race. Because you think the world revolves around you and it doesn’t.
And you obvious can’t take criticism.
No I am not a Tea Party nut but a moderate Democrat who sees the party being pulled to the left by dreamers like you who enjoy loosing and bitch non stop about why.
Cause Barrack Obama is no flaming liberal. He is a moderate like me. Obamacare is his health plan run by private insurance companies unlike Hillary’s single payer government run healthcare. That’s not liberal.
And I repeat…this is Florida where I was born and raised and have been a life long Democrat…there is no way in God’s green earth that an ultra liberal, older Jewish woman from South Florida is going to be our next Governor.
But you are entitled to your dreams…after all it is a free country…just not the ultra liberal country you want it to be.
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I’m happy to see you had the balls to try and defend your position. You failed. “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one”. You know who I am. You’re still an anonymous old fart. I spent several campaigns knocking on doors, making phone calls, and spending my hard earned money, to defeat Crist. Don’t expect me vote for him. The N.R.A. may give him an A but I give him an F for flip-flopper. And that’s nothing compared to what Scott will do to him.
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Hey Joe,
When your choice November 2014 is between Incumbent Republican Tea Party nut Rick Scott and Democratic nominee Charlie Crist, what are you going to do?
You could write in Nan Rich or you could sit home like the rest of your unhappy ultra liberal buddies and we can shoot for two decades of straight Republican rule here in Florida because your still dreaming about your ultra liberal old female Jewish ticket…that nobody is buying north of the Everglades (and I’m not so sure about the Florida Cracker voters in the Everglades either).
Then you can have something to sit home and pass that joint around and bitch about!
So at least we’ll know who to blame!
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Not gonna happen…..You see i know something that you and all the Charlie Chicken Hawks don’t know. Be prepared. You will be eating Jim Crow for all you know.
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I agree with old time Democrat I believe that our party went to far left the placate the special interest groups. I believe that our party need to get back to its roots in the state of Florida. What that means you running conservative Democrats who can win the Panhandle and rule Central Florida. We need to be able to win Polk County. We be able to get white male to trust us. We need to prove we are not just upset with eveything but have a plan. We have to stop promoting minorities like blacks, jews and Hispanics and instead promote all people. When we ruled this state we won the rural white vote and margainized the Republicans as carpetbaggers, country club types and Yankees.
I am not anti any race or gender of people but the fact is when the blacks got all their seats by alligning with the Republicans in reappointment they got control and we lost the state. And these damn women constantly pushing abortion. Most Florida’s voters are christians and pro-life.
we got to get our head out of our asses or will never win again.
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That’s it, I give up. Bring back the Bush Boys, I need some more crackers for my soup.
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Some of you are just total losers. Pushing leftist rhetoric and dividing class and race just to further “progressive” causes. Our states heritage is one of the new south. A state where we balanced business interests with that of consumers. Instead your ilk Kartik keep pushing us off the cliff. We are as you even admit no longer a national party. Yet your solution is to go even further left explaining clearly indefensible policies!
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I agree 100% on the minority access districts. Thank god the voting rights act was thrown out.
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The real Democratic Party is not the one that President Hussein Obama has made it impossible to win with his leftist socialist unpatriotic agenda but that of great Floridians. George Smathers, Spessard Holland, Farris Bryant, Sumter Lowry, Doyle Connor, Paul Rodgers, James Haley, Albert Herlong, Bob Sikes and others. They fought to protect this state and its culture and customs from the heavy hand of the federal government and the push towards socialist dictatorship. I never thought the Ds would become the party of the heavy hand while the GOP would be our savior a and our party here in Florida.
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I agree 100% with a Florida Democrat’s comments cause he is spot on!
For three Redistricting cycles now, our Black Democratic legislators have made an unholy alliance with the Republicans for their districts and the Republicans have been more than happy to oblige!
Why?
Because the Repubs can cram all the Dems they can into “minority access districts ” so they can “pick off all the white conservative republicans they can. And “presto” the Republicans have their safe lilly white districts where Democrats don’t have a prayer and (listen up Karkik) the hold a two to one stranglehold in House and Senate districts over the Democrats.
Take Tampa Bay. Democratic Congresswoman Kathy Castor takes good Democratic voters away from two other counties, Pinellas and Manatee, hurting Democrats who could use those votes to beat the likes of Vern Buchanan and Bill Young. And Castor is not even Black or Hispanic!!
And even when they give us a good seat, like the Pinellas Hillsborough Democratic Senate seat, the Republicans put up a Tea Party idiot with a $200 million dollar bank account and we don’t even bother to run anyone cause Jeff Brandis just buries you with money. And while we are in Pinellas, the two solid Democratic seats that were given to the Democrats through Redistricting are going to have the sons of Bill Young and Jack Latvala in each seat.
I guess Joe can find us some old liberal Jewish women from South Florida to run in those seats!!
That will sure scare the Republicans away!
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I agree on the reapportionment. 1992 was painful and 2002 saw Young and Shaw made safer thanks to clever redraws using African-Americans to be put into districts of adjoining white Ds (Shaw did eventually lose). I disagree with you wholeheartedly about the current maps. Saying the Dems are losing because of redistricting is merely an excuse today, though it was valid from 1992 thru 2010. I happen to think the House maps are fair and the Dems failures in Pinellas County despite two Senate districts being drawn with a D advantage are their failures not that of the map. Heck in one of the seats (Brandes/Frishe) we did not even field a candidate. Also we lost 12 House races by less than 5,000 votes and in a lot of those seats the FDP/HV did little or nothing. And yes in those seats almost universally Obama ran ahead of the State House candidate.
So that means in 2014 with no top of ticket and no redistricting (remember a lot of these Republicans were running in unfamiliar areas) we will have less of a shot.
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THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT DISCUSSION AND I APPLAUD THOSE OF YOU FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT FOR HAVING IT. LONG AGO DEMOCRATS RULED FLORIDA. FROM PENSACOLA TO KEY WEST WE WERE THE PARTY. THE YANKEES THAT HAD MOVED INTO PINELLAS, BROWARD AND ORANGE WENT WITH THE REPUBLICANS BUT EVERYONE ELSE WAS A DEMOCRAT. THEN WHAT HAPPENED? EVEN IN 1979 AS THIS POST SAYS THE REGISTRATION WAS MORE THAN 2-1 DEM AND WE DOMINATED EVERY STATEWIDE POST!
I AM NOT A RACIST AND HAVE BLACK AND JEWISH FRIENDS. BUT THAT DOES NOT PRECLUDE ME FROM BEING AN HONEST POLITICAL OBSERVER. I AM A STUDENT OF HISTORY AND UNDERSTANDING IT WILL MAKE US BETTER.
IN THE 1960S THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATS PUSHED “CIVIL RIGHTS” AND “VOTING RIGHTS” LEGISLATION. THE REPUBLICANS, LEFT-WING NEW YORKERS, JEWS, ITALIAN CATHOLICS, AND GUILTY WHITE WEST COAST LIBERALS ALL BANDED TOGETHER TO TAKE ON THE SOUTH. IN SOME WAYS THEY WERE RIGHT. THINGS LIKE LYNCHING AND THE TERRORISM OF THE KKK HAD TO BE STOPPED AND THE SOUTH, ESPECIALLY FLORIDA WHICH LED THE NATION IN LYNCHINGS AT ONE POINT HAD DONE NOTHING. BUT WHAT HAPPENED WITH ANY MOVEMENT IS IT BECAME EXCESSIVE, OVERTOOK THE DEM PARTY AND DESTROYED OUR GOVERNING COALITION.
THE DEM PARTY IN FLORIDA WAS STILL A MAINSTREAM PARTY BUT MIAMI WAS TOO LIBERAL AND HAD TO MUCH INFLUENCE OVER THE PARTY AND THE STATE THANKS TO THE REDISTRICTING IN THE LATE 1960S THAT PUT OVER A THIRD OF THE LEGISLATIVE SEATS IN DADE AND BROWARD COUNTIES, DISPLACING LEGISLATORS FROM NORTH FLORIDA WHO KNEW THIS STATE AND HAD WORKED WELL TO BUILD CONSENSUS AND UNITE THE RACES.
BY 1970 MIAMI WAS OFF THE RESERVATION. THE LEFT-WING JEWS MANY OF WHOM WERE ALIGNED WITH NATIONAL DEMOCRATS WERE RUNNING DADE COUNTY. THE JEWS HAD BEEN AT THE BACKBONE OF THE BLACK “CIVIL RIGHTS” MOVEMENT. MOST BLACKS IN FLORIDA ARE DECENT HARDWORKING FOLK, GOOD PEOPLE BUT THOSE IN MIAMI HAVE BECOME ALLIES OF THE LEFT-WING JEWS. JEWS OUTSIDE MIAMI AND BROWARD ARE DECENT ALSO BUT THOSE DOWN THERE RUN A CORRUPT POLITICAL MACHINE THAT TOOK CONTROL OF MUCH OF THE STATE PARTY. IT IS NOT THE RACE OR ETHNICITY IT IS THE GEOGRAPHY. MIAMI HAS RUINED THE DEMOCRATS IN THE STATE MAKING THE PARTY A REGIONAL ONE CONFINED TO THE SOUTHEASTERN CORNER OF THE STATE.
WHAT HAPPENED IN MIAMI IN THE 1970S AND 1980S IS A CASE IN POINT. JEWISH POLITICIANS ALIGNING WITH BLACKS, ALLOWING THE CRIME RATE TO GO UP UP UP AND SEEING THE CITY DESCEND INTO CHAOS THANKS TO RIOTING AND LOOTING ONCE EVERY FEW YEARS. DON’T BELIEVE ME YOUNG ONES? JUST GOOGLE MIAMI RIOTS 1980 OR MIAMI RIOTS 1982 MIAMI RIOTS 1989 OR MIAMI RIOTS 1985 OR MIAMI RIOTS 1990 AND YOU WILL SEE. WATCH SCARFACE ALSO. THAT IS SO MIAMI. HELL, THE 1980 MIAMI RIOTS EVEN HAS A WIKIPEDIA PAGE ALL ITS OWN. FROM THAT PAGE:
“one of the worst race riots in United States history broke out in the black neighborhoods of Overtown and Liberty City in Miami. ”
IN THE REST OF THE STATE PEOPLE OF BOTH RACES WERE FED UP. CRIME WAS ON THE RISE AS LEFTIST NATIONAL DEMOCRATS BLAMED SOCIETY NOT THE CRIMINAL AND WOULD OVER EXAGGERATE ANY KILLING OF A BLACK BY A WHITE WHICH WAS RARE WHILE BLACKS WOULD KILL WHITES ON A DAILY BASIS. THANKFULLY THE CUBANS CAME TO MIAMI AND CLEANED UP THE TOWN. BUT THE DEMOCRATS DOMINATED BY THE BLACK-JEWISH ALLIANCE DID NOT WANT THE CUBANS AND THEY BECAME REPUBLICANS EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD ALL BEEN DEMOCRATS.
AND THEN CAME REDISTRICTING. NOW THE BLACKS HAVE SUPREME POWER. THEY CONTROL THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY STATEWIDE WITH THEIR JEWISH ALLIES. THEY CANNOT GET SQUAT ELECTED OUTSIDE DADE, BROWARD AND MAYBE PALM BEACH COUNTIES YET THEY CONTROL THE ONE TIME DOMINANT PARTY IN THE STATE.
THE REPUBLICANS HAVE FORMED A BIG TENT. BASICALLY EVERYONE EXCEPT URBAN BLACKS, MIAMI/BROWARD JEWS AND CRAZY WOMEN ACTIVISTS SCREAMING ABOUT ABORTION AND THEIR MALE HUSBANDS YELLING UTERUS ON THE HOUSE FLOOR.
THE TAMPA AND ORLANDO AREAS WILL SOON RETURN TO THE REPUBLICANS. SUBURBAN WHITES WILL STOP VOTING ON EMOTION SOON AND VOTE ON ECONOMICS AND SOCIAL ISSUES. ONCE YOU HAVE A FAMILY YOU REALIZE MURDERING CHILDREN IN THE WOMB IS WRONG. THE BLACKS THEMSELVES ARE REALIZING THAT THE GAME IS UP. OBAMA HAS RUINED THE PARTY FOREVER. PUSHING A LEFTIST AGENDA, GAY MARRIAGE, SOCIALIZED MEDICINE AND A PRO-ISRAEL FOREIGN POLICY BECAUSE OF ALL HIS JEWISH ADVISORS. THE HISPANICS VOTING DEM NOW WILL VOTE REPUBLICAN SOON BASED ON CULTURAL ISSUES AND BECAUSE THE ELITES RUNNING THE PARTY WON’T GIVE THEM A SEAT AT THE TABLE. JUST WAIT AND SEE. THE GIG IS UP. CHARLIE CRIST? PLEASE, HE IS HARDLY A FLORIDIAN HIMSELF HAVING TURNED HIS BACK ON THIS STATE IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE.
FOLKS THE GAME IS UP. THE DEMOCRATS ARE IRRELEVANT. HAVE BEEN FOR ALMOST TWENTY YEARS AND WILL BE FOR AT LEAST TWENTY MORE. SORRY, THE GAME IS UP.
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Someone is reading Chain Reaction? So much here, it is difficult to react to. Your rhetoric is that of the 1970s, Miami versus the rest of the state, McGovernites vs. the rest of the state. But the fact is Obama won the state twice. So the state is less of how you describe it though your characterization in the early 1970s and some of the 1980s is accurate and turned our state’s voters against the Dems at a national level but not at a state level. The exception of course was Steve Pajcic characterized as a leftist trial lawyer opposed to the death penalty, something he deserved plaudits for since Florida has made so many mistakes with executions.
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Another anonymous voice shows up. Your reasoning is flawed and your values are misguided. Fear not, ignorance is bliss.
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As much as we hate to admit it fellow Democrats “Once Upon A Time ” is right.
Just look at the facts:
Who are our leaders in the Florida House and Senate:?
Both African Americans
Who makes up the majority of the caucus who controls all the votes in the House and Senate Democratic Caucus?
Black and Jewish legislators
Who Florida House and Senate Caucus has three times more Hispanic legislators? The Republicans
And who is now taking control of the Florida Democratic Party leadership on the local and state level? The Gay, BiSexual Lesbian and Transgender Caucus
The percentage of the Jewish population here?
3%
The percentage of the Black population?
13 and shrinking
The percentage of the Hispanic Population?
20 and growing
The percentage of the Gay population?
8 to 10
So you see our great big tent coalition makes a lot of noise and the news but it will be decades if they become the majority…if there is any country or started left after the Republicans are done!
I’m all for every suppressed minority in this free United States of America having all the rights and freedoms they deserve under the Constitution that men and women have died over the world to preserve.
But beware , this is an off year election coming up, and we all saw what happened when Obama and his billions and the Calvary wasn’t around to drag every lazy Democrat out to vote… The Tea Party will rear it’s ugly head again and the Florida sheep will sit at home watching TV and eating their Bon bons and all they’ll see is that $100 million dollars of ads telling them what a great job Rick Scott is doing on jobs and the economy and our buddy Joe will be down there in Miami with all his Black and Jewish friends bitching one more time.
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And fellow Democrats, don’t get lulled into Obama’s victory last November in Florida and our urban counties,.
The FACTS are that Obama lost in the vast majority of Florida’s 67 counties by double digets (those Gerrymandered Republican districts).
Obama was helped by over 80% turnout by Democrats and only about 60% turnout by Republicans.
And the Republicans had awful candidates in 08 (McCain Palin) and 12 (the rich wooden Romney Ryan) and of course with a billion dollars to spend on TV to destroy your opponents and PAY thousands of workers to drag those lazy Democrats out to vote…
But lets look at Allison Tant’s fundraising vs the Republicans in Florida…the R’s have two to three times in the bank to buy the lazy sheep at home and check out your local DEC’s around the state (if you even have one in your county).
Yes that’s right. It ain’t going to be easy!
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By allowing the atheists, abortionists, affirmative action loving, pot-smoking, gay marriage backing set to dominate the party we have lost our way. Some of you complain about Obama and socialism but he is really quite moderate and needs to push liberal economics and not let those who keep forcing the most extreme leftist hateful, bigoted anti religious, anti white, anti straight agenda from running the party.
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Up here in Calhoun County we have seen the damaging impact these city slickers and monied elites from Miami have had. We have been cut off from the party of our forefathers a party we built when the yankees, blacks, gays and suburbs were all backing Republicans, told whom we must associate with by government, and basically told if we practice religion we are sexists and bigots.
And you Kartik Krishnaiyer wonder why your party loses?
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The extreme rhetoric of the Democrats on things like pot smoking, baby killing and black issues has pushed us away from our traditional party.
We were the ones who built your party and built America. Yet all these free riders like the Afros and Spanish immigrants are destroying us. The Jews whine about the Holocaust yet practice discrimination against Christians every single day preventing us from showing our faith publicly or even celebrating Christmas. The blacks have in alliance with the Jews taken over the party we built and it is no wonder they cannot win north of lake okeechobee.
A backlash will come soon when the god fearing law abiding, hard working people of both facts stand up to this hatred and bias among the new leaders of the Democrats.
As far as Obama I think he’s a disgrace but better than the b**** he beat. At least he didn’t murder people like Bill Clinton sell secrets to china and screw everything that walked.
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The racist bigots are out in force on this thread.
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Agree-I don’t like K to censor comments but some of these are disgusting. Hate to say this but hopefully they are Republican plants trying to make us fight our own. No Dem I know would mention “abortionists”…not even in their vocab.
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Susan and Beth,
Don’t waist your time with this thread. These people are faux Dems. and total bigots. The kind who turned this state red and stupid. Over and out.
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[…] on a thread that developed on one of my historical posts over the weekend. The debate on the “Snapshot of Florida Politics in 1979″ posting devolved into little more than several people blaming Civil Rights for the fall of the […]
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Susan & Joe (& Kartik too),
The problem with you progressive “city slickers” is that you think the world revolves around you and you have no tolerance for those who don’t drink the left wing progressive “kool-aid” and you want everyone to jump off the bridge with you.
You want everyone to believe in the “Progressive Utopia” and unfortunately you are in the minority and you are dragging the Democratic Party into oblivion.
If you get out of your metropolitan cocoons, venture outside into the heart of Florida into the farmlands and study a little history you’ll realize that the State of Florida is much, much bigger than the small little world you all live in.
First, you can’t ignore history…
According to Wikipedia, since Florida became a state in 1845 “Florida was a strongly Democratic state before the Civil War, electing only candidates from the Democratic and Whig parties. It elected three Republican governors following Reconstruction, but after the Democratic Party re-established control, 89 years passed before voters chose another Republican.”
What Happened to the Democratic party of LeRoy Collins, Haydon Burns, Farris Bryant, Rubin Askew, Bob Graham and Lawton Chiles?
They understood what Susan Smith, Joe Kreps and Kartik Krishkaiyer can’t get through their thick skulls.
They have no idea what the “Old Time born and raised Florida Cracker Democrat” like myself is.
When the “progressive liberal agenda” started becoming louder and taking control of the Democratic Party nationally and in Florida, those “southern” Democrats became disenchanted and the “southern strategy” of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan peeled away those “Florida Cracker” Democrats to turn them to vote Republican.(for the record, I voted for the long list of Democratic loosers McGovern, Mondale, Dukakis, Gore, and Kerry)
Here in Florida, Governor (Republican) Claude Kirk broke that 89 year unbroken string of Democrats because of Democratic infighting and liberal Democratic policies. Askew and Graham came after that but Republican Bob Martinez exploited that rift again when conservative Democratic Primary looser, Jim Smith, did not endorse his liberal opponent Steve Pajcic and despite an overwhelming Democratic voter registration that still exists today, The liberal Democrat lost to the unknown Mayor from Tampa.
The Conservative Southern Democrat and Florida Cracker from Polk County, Lawton Chiles, saved the Democrats again, but after that began the last 14 straight years of unbroken Republican Governor’s rule in Florida.
I know you all don’t want to believe it, But what did Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton nationally and Lawton Chiles in Florida understand to break those Republican victories?
They understood and understand the southern voter better that you three will ever know.
Why do you think your idol, Allison Tant did not want your liberal south Florida candidate Nan Rich to speak at the Florida Democratic Party’s biggest annual show of the year at the JJ Dinner in Hollywood few weeks ago?
As much as you all are going hate it, you have a former conservative Republican Governor of Florida who has switched to now become a “MODERATE – PRAGMATIC” Democrat with statewide name recognition, who can raise $150 million dollars, who campaigned all over Florida for President Obama and who will have the President’s blessing and the President’s Florida campaign manager in ’08 -Steve Shale (who took Crist all over the JJ Dinner a few weeks ago) and who is wildly popular amongst the largest growing voting population out there (the Independents) who in this modern era of politics now actually decides elections…Mr “For The People” Charle Crist!
Get used to it.
Your liberal, progressive, South Florida Jewish woman, Nan Rich, has no prayer of taking this state back for the Democrats..
And if you sit home and pout on election day because you didn’t get your way and Rick Scott gets re-elected then I know who to blame for 18 more years of Republican rule and this state will be damaged beyond repair because of you.
So as the old proverb goes, “those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it”
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Read my response in the latest post – you are right that many in the urban areas don’t understand the southern voters. But that is why the northerners that moved here are the ones that pushed the state to the GOP, not native southerners. The Gurney and Kirk wins were quickly reversed and Democrats actually GAINED seats in the legislature over the 20 year period after Gurney’s win. That was while national Republicans were cleaning up in this state.
Anyway, I don’t disagree with you entirely but the reality is you are thinking of a Florida of 1968 where George Wallace won the majority of the counties and Gurney crushed Leroy Collins in the Senate race. Florida in 2013 is more northern, more cosmopolitan and less tax obsessed than the state in the late 60s or even the late 70s.
the Democrats failure to emphasize environmental issues is a big part of the collapse. Askew, Graham, Chiles, CLINTON in 1996, Carter all understood our precious natural resources and how to protect them. What has happened is that a lot of the urban Ds you rightly complain about have thrown in with developers, polluters, and other special interests. People moving from the north seem less invested in protecting this state’s natural heritage and resources.
Anyway, read my piece. I think we have some common ground. I’d love to continue the dialogue with you via email if you want…email me at kkfla737@yahoo.com
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In other words you’ve got nothing except your racism to fall back on??? We city slickers progressives won’t let you crackers discriminate so we’re destroying the Democratic Party? Many “Old Time born and raised Florida Cracker Democrats” like you joined the Republicans long ago because you never forgave LBJ for the Voting Rights Act.
And enough already with the South Florida Jew comments.
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Well said Susan. What good is a party if lacks a moral compass.
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The party ill decide the primary, not progressives or any other faction. The the party-in-the-electorate decides in the primary. If they choose for Nan Rich (why you have to identify her ethnicity is quite racist, btw) then the people have spoken. If they choose Charlie then so be it. Don’t tell us progressive what to do or who to support. The Democrats winning the governorship is not much to cheer about when both houses are clogged with paleo-Republicans. Quit whining.
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My response to Old Time Fool: The empty bucket makes the most noise.
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Honestly, anyone who says that North Florida and winning back rural Florida voters is the key to electoral success is an absolute twat! I mean, just basic mathematics proves that rural Florida accounts for nothing whatsoever. I don’t even want to get into the electoral and logistical argument of why this is also worthless, because I don’t know if I could dumb it down enough for those who are lacking critical thinking skills.
Still, with that being said, those who continue to say we need to target North Florida do so for one of three reasons. First, they are just idiots that have no mathematical skills whatsoever. Second, they are conservatives and don’t like that the Florida Democratic electorate is becoming more “brown”. And third, those in North Florida know they are on the brink of being obsolete, and constantly saying that “we need to target rural Florida” is the only way for them to have any relevancy whatsoever.
Still, I must admit, some of you are proudly representing the Florida Democratic Party as the most worthless Democratic Party in the nation. Kudos!
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As I see it, the members of the State’s Democratic Party simply do not agree with each other. There are always debate and serious drama. Instead of coming together to make sure the State goes blue, and I mean completely blue, we don’t seem to be able to make our minds up to do it. Okay, I get that each of us has their own idea of who should run for Governor. And, each of us will choose who to work for in the primary. But, if your candidate loses, the primary, are you going to work for the opposing Democrat? I would hope so. I mean, its better to have a Dem you may not like so much than have a disaster that is the RepubliCON Party remain in control of Florida and all of our lives. There isn’t a person in this state that should not see what has happened here and get out to vote. That is another issue. GET THOSE PEOPLE IN YOUR DISTRICT TO THE POLLS!!! Its going to take a huge effort to elect Democrats in this State. And, we have to work TOGETHER to realize that effort.
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Excellent post however I was wanting to know if you could write
a litte more on this subject? I’d be very grateful if you could elaborate a little bit more.
Kudos!
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