Monthly Archives: March 2014
On the passing of Reubin Askew
The greatest Governor of this state or perhaps any southern state has ever had passed in the early hours this morning. Florida became the envy of the region and nation largely due to the efforts of one man – Governor Reubin Askew. It would not be an exaggeration to call him the greatest to ever […]
Trotter’s Take: Understanding voter turnout after Sink-Jolly
In the hours following the election defeat of Alex Sink, speculation as to why she was defeated started to surface. Some talked about her as a candidate, some talked about issues, others talked about how poorly her campaign ran. Basically, all of these are factors of an overall picture, which is voter turnout. In this […]
David Jolly defeats Alex Sink – Ominous lessons for Democrats in CD-13 loss
Tuesday’s Special Election defeat for Democrat Alex Sink in Florida’s 13th Congressional District holds several lessons for the Democratic party going forward. Three weeks ago we were hearing about problems with the campaign which we highlighted in this article. That article got lots of push back from Democrats throughout the state, but as the election […]
Setting up for failure: The Florida Democratic Party and Alex Sink.
Well, another race and yet another Democratic loss. For years, one of the most popular quotes in Democratic circles has been “as soon as Bill Young retires or dies, Democrats will easily win that seat”. Well, that time has come and, as of 7:30 PM EDT, that time has passed. Democrats blow another opportunity at […]
CD-13 Special Election: Jolly defeats Sink and conventional wisdom
Florida Democrats prove once again they cannot win a big race in an area trending Democratic but traditionally Republican. Certainly more excuses will come from Florida Democrats who are disappointed by this result, but have long made a career of justifying unacceptable election results in winnable legislative and congressional seats. The polling was off the […]
School “choice” – Charlie Crist needs to help Democrats hold the line
Yesterday, we discussed the need for Democrats to stay unified on the dangerous school voucher proposal making its way through the Florida House. With the potential of a few Democrats wavering on this fundamental issue, perhaps a statement by Charlie Crist would make all the difference. Multiple progressive activists throughout the state have told me […]
Casino Gambling: The Vegas story
Two years ago Ross Hancock, a friend of our site was running for State House against Rep. Erik Fresen. During the campaign he visited Las Vegas to give us a preview of what Florida may face if large-scale gaming is passed here. Ross’ campaign fell just short losing in November 2012 by about two percentage […]
House Democrats must hold the line on school “choice” legislation
Last Thursday, the House Finance and Tax Subcommittee voted along party lines to expand the school voucher program in an unprecedented and quite possibly unconstitutional manner. The measure which has been pushed by big-money interests and shady outside groups is likely to sail through the House though Senate passage is in serious doubt. Before the bill […]
Casino Gambling: Florida’s last resort?
Last week, the Senate Gaming Committee workshopped a major casino gaming bill, SPB 7052. The 453-page proposal would overhaul Florida’s gambling laws by authorizing two “destination resort” casinos in Broward and Miami-Dade; establishing a Department of Gaming Control with 5 Governor-appointed members (usurping the authority of the Dept. of Business & Professional Regulation and further injecting politics into casino oversight); and […]
Tampa Tribune speaks to Al From- Thoughts on the DLC legacy
From Fresh Squeezed the Tampa Tribune’s Politics blog, a conversation with Al From who was one of the most controversial and influential figures in the Democratic PArty in the 1980s and 1990s. From was probably the figure most responsible for the drift of the national Democratic Party from progressive force in the 1970s, to mushy […]
The Florida Squeeze 