On the Ground in Florida
Florida is the fourth most populous state in America, yet it’s still pushing to become more relevant. Despite the GOP’s objections, party leaders in Florida recently moved up their 2012 primary to be among the first five nominating contests and thus to play a crucial role.
And why not? Florida “represents” America well. It has ten distinct media markets, four million registered Republicans out of 19 million citizens, and a record turnout of over two million is expected on January 31.
Floridians are truly a blur of American diversity: old and young, rural and urban, white and black, Jewish and Christian, Jill the Boca Raton barista and Jim the Apalachicola carpenter.
Ethnically, Florida is nearly two-thirds white; the U.S. is 69% white. Floridians are 17% Hispanic; Americans are 13% Hispanic. Floridians are 15% black; the country is 12% black.
And while Florida is the “deepest” south on the U.S. map, an accurate local expression describes the population as becoming more “southern” as you move north.
Older folks are prevalent, and as in any state, they vote. Florida has the largest Jewish population outside of New York and California, including many elderly Jews with various priorities and backgrounds. Growing rapidly every decade since statehood, transplants came not only from the North and Midwest but also from outside the country — including from Cuba. Florida’s Cubans are known to vote more conservatively than other Hispanic groups due to their first- and second-hand knowledge of Fidel Castro’s regime.
Included among Cuban Republicans are former U.S. Senator and GOP chair Mel Martinez and current Senator Marco Rubio, a possible vice presidential nominee.
Florida is also home to outspoken representatives like Col. Allen West, controversial radicals like Alcee Hastings, and staunch partisans like DNC head Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Former recent governors include the polarizing independent Charlie Crist and the popular Jeb Bush.
Like most of the south, conservative politics were historically common, though the state supported Democrats until World War II. However, Floridians have voted for the Republican nominee all but four times in the past 15 presidential elections.
Alongside Ohio, Florida has been considered the key state to win for the past two decades. And no one needs a reminder of the November 2000 vote.
Florida — where polls have already opened — gained two electoral votes for 2012, making it the only state not named Texas to add more than one. Florida has acquired at least one electoral vote in every census since 1930.
Clearwater Beach
Charles Dennis is a 28-year-old police officer residing in Clearwater, the northern portion of the Tampa Bay area — the state’s second most populous region, with over four million residents. In 2008, Dennis lived in Indiana and voted for John McCain in the primary and general election. In 2012, he’s supporting Mitt Romney:
Romney is as old as most grandpas, but still has the looks of your cool uncle. … He’s been quite successful in his endeavors and has been groomed all his life for this position. Romney’s also the only candidate to place highly in each primary so far.
Recently married, Dennis values electability most during the primary, but national security and immigration reform are his top issues.
Is this from the Onion? All those Florida primary voters and not one Gingrich supporter. “Diverse views from diverse Republicans in a diverse state.” That’s a joke, right?
Actually, Paul Lucas said he supports Gingrich.
I think the author of the article found supporters for each candidate.
Why were there no respondents 65 or older? The state has a population of more than 17% of residents 65 or older. Couldn’t find one?
We might remember some of the details of these candidates in their earlier years that would contrast the “junk yard dog” media propaganda.
I’m going with Gingrich. Even knowing he will be reduced to the lowest form of human waste by the “attack dog media” in the very near future. He will become the most despicable and toxic substance known to man in the next few months.
Obama will be shielded, precisely as he has been his entire life, from the rigors of the actual campaigning and street fighting taking place at every venue for the Republican candidates. We already know more about any of these candidates than we do of Obama.
The established “news analysts” like Juan Williams and Brian Williams will spew their prejudiced views from now to eternity about anyone running against Obama. That’s as predictable as the sunrise.
Reagan may have been a “media sensation” in his early political life, but, he turned out to have more character and intelligence than most ever imagined.
And if he were running today against Obama? He would be painted as the most vile, womanizing, incompetent, drunken, Hollywood insider, abortion supporting, stem cell research supporting, sexual deviate, the United States had ever had roaming the country.
But, sexual deviancy is protected political activity today. We were so deprived.
Cybergeezer my predictions are not as reliable as the rising sun but they do have some support. Obama’s shield may be set to collapse in the blink of an eye. There are a number of events now in the works that can upset the Obama apple card and spill far more beans than anyone can imagine. Obama’s resistance to domestic oil production and demonstrated by Keystone. But there is more, a lot more.
Now is a good time to read Jeremiah chapter 42 which is a study in dissimulation which is being overworked at this time.
Newtmay be the man for our time. Tough, resilient and I believe when it comes time to choose will make that right choice.
Explain to me, please how the most “electable” can’t even win the majority of primary voters, let alone the prospect of a general? Independents are now polling AGAINST Romney 51%-23%. And still tanking.
By contrast, in one solitary week, post-debate, Gingrich’s surge has reached beyond 20 pts!
In Florida alone, Gingrich’s crowds have surpassed 6,000 people at one showing, with Romney not even reaching 200.
What the heck is going on here? These “polls” supposedly favoring Romney as the more electable??? Are they just trying to tell us who to vote for, AGAIN????? Well, I do believe, more than ever, IT WILL NOT WORK THIS TIME AROUND.
I’m wondering today whether RoveRomney has been able to pull off another Iowa-like kneecapping of Newt, or whether we are just hearing the amplified voices of the republican ruling class and their conservative pravda.
My hunch is that the truth is somewhere in the middle.
But isn’t it interesting that the very thing that has most incensed the people for the last 20 years is being done BY OUR OWN SO-CALLED ALLLIES against us right now. Propaganda blitzkrieg, 24×7, controlling the message and the message channels, shouting down the opposition, lies, distortions, all wrapped in the guise of “news”.
RoveRomney has been at 25% in the polls (which we all know are rigged up until the very last one before an election) for 5 years, yet all we hear is that he is inevitable, and that ANY opponent is the second coming of Alger Hiss.
Welcome to Animal Farm, junior league.
Florida also has a huge number of gun owners and percentage wise one of, if not the largest number of Concealed Carry Permits issued in the US.The Second Amendment is a huge factor especially among central and Northern FL voters. In south FL, virtually every Cuban-American male over 21 is a gun owner. Gingrich has already ( and correctly ) made Mitts’s position and crummy NRA rating an issue. Romney’s position is ” No New Gun Laws” Gun-owners heard that once before from G H W Bush and 4 months later guess what he did. FL Gun owners are silent but waiting. They are not stupid and should not be ignored.
I have a Paul supporter, Newt supports, 2 Romney supporters and a Santorum supporter who’s voting for Mitt only because Mitt’s more electable.
Paul Lucas is 63, Botero is 59.
There is diversity of age, ethnicity, and especially regional diversity across a large state, which were my aims.
GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION: The vast majority of registered voters (88%) believe corruption is a significant problem in Washington. More registered voters (45%) believe one of the Republican candidates would be more effective than Obama (34%) in addressing political corruption, with Ron Paul seen as the Republican best able to combat government corruption.When asked generally which party was trusted more to combat government corruption, Republicans fared poorly in the poll. Only 30% thought Republicans could be trusted more versus 37% trusting Democrats more. A large number (33%) said neither/not sure.
Ron Paul 2012!
Ron Paul people, keep dreaming. Maybe if your guy understood Iran & nuclear bombs he might win a state or come close. He’s irrelevant. Yell all you want.