Monthly Archives: July 2014
Does a Montana Governor Stand Between Hillary and the White House?
Former Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer may very well be a candidate for President in 2016. His first step will be winning the Democratic nomination. Does he have chance? With name identification below ten percent outside of Montana he will have to considerably raise his profile on the national level. The fact that he provides such […]
Charlie Crist releases TV spot and strikes a positive note
Governor Crist’s first television ad which begins to air in certain Florida media markets today is sunny side up look at Florida. I love that Governor Crist begins the ad with the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, the signature symbol of this state and takes a positive tone throughout the 30 second spot. Unlike his opponent who […]
Monday Musings: Obama’s Poll Numbers, Democrats and field, Medicaid Expansion, Is Phony Nationalism Good, and Medicare
A recent Q-poll ranked Barack Obama and George W. Bush as the worst Presidents since WW II. This is further proof of the polarization of this country and the short memories many have. Bill Clinton was impeached yet comes in near the bottom of this survey. Richard Nixon resigned from office in disgrace yet is […]
Looking at the Democrats decline in rural vote share – Comparing 1996 to 2008
Continuing with a theme we’ve developed over the past few weeks regarding the loss of rural voters by Florida Democrats, I thought today would be a good day to compare the 1996 Presidential Race where Bill Clinton as an incumbent won the state overwhelmingly (keep in mind Clinton lost Florida in 1992 by under two […]
Congressional Race Ratings: July 5, 2014: Will President Obama’s Foreign Policy Bungles Doom Democrats?
Thanks to the gerrymandering of Congressional districts by the Florida Legislature, three competitive seats exist on the map this cycle. The reality of the current map is that only four seats were drawn to be truly competitive of the 27 in the state, and that fourth seat (The St Petersburg based 13th) was decided in […]
What Independence Day should mean to Progressives
Conservatives have long claimed ownership of the term “patriotism”. By shaping the debate they have made it virtually impossible for liberals to call themselves patriotic without being mocked. On Independence day we remember the patriotic heritage of the Democratic Party and progressive politics. This can serve as a history lesson for Florida’s Republican Party dominated […]
Poll Results: Should Nan Rich Drop Out of the Governor’s Race?
Almost 1.300 TFS readers voted in our poll this week (which has now been closed) and the results could not be tighter. A slight majority of you believed that former Senate Minority Leader Nan Rich should continue in the Governor’s race. Former Governor Charlie Crist has what appears to be an overwhelming lead in the […]
Thursday Bookshelf: Celebrating 50 Years of the Civil Rights Act
In commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of LBJ’s signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, we combine two previous book reviews that have run on this site for this week’s Thursday Bookshelf. Review of When Freedom Would Triumph: The Civil Rights Struggle in Congress, 1954-1968 and Judgment Days: Lyndon Baines Johnson, Martin Luther King Jr., and the […]
Why Small County Math Adds up for Democrats in 2014
By Dr. Rachel Sutz Pienta The annual fundraising event formerly known as the Florida Democratic Party’s Jefferson-Jackson dinner, now re-branded as Leadership Blue, was this past Saturday night. Throughout the weekend, discussions of Democratic voter turnout in off election years dominated workshops and earned a mention from former President Bill Clinton during the dinner program. […]
DPCF Calls Democratic Gubernatorial Primary “A Referendum on Jeb Bush’s Education Policies”
The Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida (DPCF) has compared the Democratic candidates for Governor specifically on Education issues. Highlights of the report include: DPCF’s K-12 education platform, which includes opposition to Bush privatization efforts — corporate tax scholarships (vouchers), high-stakes testing, school grades, merit pay and Common Core State Standards Rich’s long-time support of early […]
The Florida Squeeze 