Category National Politics
The Phlip Side: Lessons from 2016
Election night 2016 was incredibly painful for everyone who fought tooth and nail to defeat Donald Trump. The only thing saving me from still sucking my thumb from the fetal position is the fact that Florida’s 29 electoral votes weren’t decisive. We are reminded of the pain from last November every time an outrageous statement […]
What we are reading: How Florida lobbyist Brian Ballard is turning close ties to Trump into big business
Excellent piece from The Tampa Bay Times Washington-based Bureau Chief, Alex Leary. Ballard Partners has grown into arguably the leading Florida-based firm on state issues thanks to closeness to a lot of Democrats and Republicans in the state but now is taking on the national scene. Notable additions to the firm beyond Congressman Robert Wexler […]
The Phlip Side: Analysis of the Sally Boynton Brown Controversy Part 2
Part 1 of this column Miami New Times Article quoted The Miami New Times article about new Florida Democratic Party (FDP) President Sally Boynton Brown, written by Jerry Iannelli (A link to the article is above, as is a link to Part 1 of this article), was an unfair piece that was full of both […]
How conservative was your member of Congress in 2016?
As I have mentioned many times through the years on this site, a hobby of mine for over two decades has been to study interest group ratings based on the voting record of members of Congress. The American Conservative Union (ACU) who host the annual CPAC Conference has been rating Congress for 45 years since […]
What we are reading: The best congressional scorecard on Trump’s first 100 days
From Five Thirty Eight comes this scorecard which is more detailed and arguably more useful than the ratings we tend to get from media outlets and even some interest groups. WARNING – you could get so lost on this page that you won’t come up for air until tomorrow! Link from Five Thirty Eight.
What we are reading and watching: Richard Nixon and George Wallace instruct us about Trump
The first forty days of the Trump Presidency may seem like the apocalypse for some younger liberal activists but we’ve been here before – and it’s been much worse believe it or not. The Politics of Rage: George Wallace, the Origins of the New Conservatism, and the Transformation of American Politics was a book recommended […]
Poll: Democratic dynasties – Clinton’s and Obama’s in 2020?
It’s no secret the Democrats lack a deep bench of Presidential hopefuls or even younger fresher-faced leaders at all levels nationally. With this in mind and the dynastic nature of American politics which has just gotten stronger over the last 50 years, would you favor an outside-the-box Chelsea Clinton or Michelle Obama candidacy in […]
The Fall of Rome and today’s America
The United States of America, which has undergone a long transition from Republic to Oligarchy/Empire is often compared to Ancient Rome. The Roman Empire spanned an almost unimaginable amount of territory for centuries. But in the late 300’s CE and 400’s CE the world seemed to come to an end as Rome gradually fell and […]
The Phlip Side: Democratic Veepstakes
The selection of a running mate is one of the most important decisions that any major party nominee for president has in their run for The White House. Sec. Clinton has many options to choose from, but the Veepstakes should be a two horse race with a clear frontrunner. The first option, which isn’t likely […]
The Phlip Side: The Democratic Donald Trump
We have a narcissistic egomaniac running for office this year. A man with ethical questions plaguing his professional career. A man who has displayed appalling behavior towards members of the opposite sex. Someone who lacks the temperament to hold the office which he seeks. If you think I am writing about Donald Trump, you would […]
The Florida Squeeze 