On the Ground in Florida
Paul Lucas is a self-employed resident of Tallahassee and former soldier who served in the 70s and 80s. A lifelong Floridian, Lucas supports Newt Gingrich:
I want a candidate who is going to seriously challenge Barack Obama, give no quarter in debate, while supporting American exceptionalism.
Lucas, who is black, voted for Mitt Romney in the 2008 primary because he thought the governor “was best situated to attract sufficient independents to defeat the Democrats while supporting our historic global role.”
Lucas says he does not consciously concern himself with electability:
Given the financial crash and the Democrats’ increasingly repugnant reliance upon class warfare, I suppose Gingrich is the most electable candidate. … Foremost in my mind at present is the fact that Thomas Sowell seemed very supportive of Newt in an opinion piece I read last month.
National security and the economy are Lucas’ top issues.
Miami
Fernando Botero is a Miami-based industrial engineer from Latin America who leans toward Romney:
Even if I believe none of the candidates represent a solid alternative to the incumbent, whom I still believe has the strongest chance right now, I like Romney’s balanced vision of the country’s domestic and international problems.
Botero’s most relevant issues are international relations, commercial competitiveness, social matters, and education. In his late 50s, he’s excited about his first American election after immigrating in 2000 and becoming a citizen in 2010:
I’ve voted in my native country, but now my kids are building their own destinies here. … Therefore, after 12 years of having materialized my aspirations of becoming part of America, I’m glad to be able to elect my leaders.
Jacksonville
A native New Yorker, 30-year-old Jon Levy is a high school history teacher in Jacksonville. He also prefers the former Massachusetts governor, voting for him in the 2008 primary as well:
Romney’s executive experience should serve the country well in tough economic times and help stimulate small business, which in turn will stimulate hiring. … I think he will also help ensure government money is spent more prudently than it is now.
Levy also likes Rick Santorum, but does not see the former senator as a national candidate:
He might be one of the greatest local politicians in America, as he’s able to go into states, run a great grassroots campaign, and do well. … But I doubt he would be able to do that in the national election against Obama.
Levy says Romney is the most electable candidate nationally:
There’s no doubt that Mitt Romney has the best chance at beating Obama. … Romney got it done in a very liberal state, he has the look (we know it’s important to a lot of Americans), the polish, and he has the gubernatorial experience.
Walt Disney World, Orlando
Twenty-six-year-old Andres Arango is a graduate student in the Orlando area who plans to support Ron Paul:
In the economic realm, Paul’s positions will benefit the country most. … He’s very firm on the issue of federal wastefulness and vowed to never raise taxes.
Originally from South America, Arango will also be voting in his first United States election. He is currently working toward a master’s degree in economics:
I like the congressman’s stance on free trade. … He’ll be a president that will finally tighten America’s budget in order to stop accumulating debt, while allowing citizens to hold onto their wealth and create more opportunities for economic growth.
Though Rep. Paul is largely skipping Florida, Arango thinks the country is ready for “a radical change that will bring their jobs back”:
Ron Paul can influence voters whose lifestyles have been affected by the crisis, but also those higher income folks whose wealth is constantly being threatened by the menace of increasing taxes.
Diverse views from diverse Republicans in a diverse state.
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.