FLORIDA POLITICS
Since 2002, daily Florida political news and commentary

 

UPDATE: Every morning we review and individually digest Florida political news articles, editorials and punditry. Our sister site, FLA Politics was selected by Campaigns & Elections as one of only ten state blogs in the nation
"every political insider should be reading right now."

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Welcome To Florida Politics

Thanks for visiting. On a semi-daily basis we scan Florida's major daily newspapers for significant Florida political news and punditry. We also review the editorial pages and political columnists/pundits for Florida political commentary. The papers we review include: the Miami Herald, Sun-Sentinel, Palm Beach Post, Naples News, Sarasota Herald Tribune, St Pete Times, Tampa Tribune, Orlando Sentinel, the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Tallahassee Democrat, and, occasionally, the Florida Times Union; we also review the political news blogs associated with these newspapers.

For each story, column, article or editorial we deem significant, we post at least the headline and link to the piece; the linked headline always appears in quotes. We quote the headline for two reasons: first, to allow researchers looking for the cited piece to find it (if the link has expired) by searching for the original title/headline via a commercial research service. Second, quotation of the original headline permits readers to appreciate the spin from the original piece, as opposed to our spin.

Not that we don't provide spin; we do, and plenty of it. Our perspective appears in post headlines, the subtitles within the post (in bold), and the excerpts from the linked stories we select to quote; we also occasionally provide other links and commentary about certain stories. While our bias should be immediately apparent to any reader, we nevertheless attempt to link to every article, column or editorial about Florida politics in every major online Florida newspaper.

 

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The Blog for Monday, October 20, 2014

"Thinly-veiled partisan power grab"

    "A low-profile ballot proposal that supporters say would avert a constitutional crisis but opponents say is nothing more than a thinly-veiled partisan power grab is headed to voters in November, possibly with the future of the Florida Supreme Court at stake." "Amendment 3 Could Determine Future of Court." More: "Voters face big decisions on 3 amendments."


    Scott "too often let his hard-right ideology dictate his policies"

    The conservative Orlando Sentinel slams Scott: in choosing between incumbent Republican Rick Scott and Democratic challenger Charlie Crist, "voters have the unusual advantage of being able to compare their terms in office."

    If we shut out the cacophony of the campaign, and both candidates' flip-flops, our comparison of their records leads us to an inescapable conclusion. We recommend Charlie Crist.
    "Though he ran as a conservative Republican in 2006, Crist governed as a moderate. He showed more interest in doing what was in the best interest of all Floridians than in placating his party base. Scott, by contrast, has too often let his hard-right ideology dictate his policies."
    Scott has carried out a series of needlessly divisive policies as governor: shortening early voting, which contributed to the nation's worst lines in the 2012 elections; ordering drug tests for welfare applicants and state employees, until the courts stopped both programs; signing a bill that Crist had vetoed requiring ultrasounds for women seeking abortions.

    The Legislature's Republican leaders have been partners with Scott in these policies. Florida would be less prone to ideological extremes if power in Tallahassee were better balanced between the parties. That's a final argument for voters in this race to pick a Democrat — even a newly minted one like Crist.

    "Our choice for governor: Crist."


    GOP poll dismisses "Fangate Effect"

    "Widely reported and heavily mocked, the ‘Fangate’ from Wednesday’s governor’s debate doesn’t appear to have had any effect on the race, according to a new poll from the Republican-leaning firm 0ptimus that shows the contested remains tied." "0ptimus FL poll : Rick Scott tops Charlie Crist 41-40, no Fangate Effect found."


    Columnist: When You compare actual records, "It's Crist by a landslide"

    Scott Maxwell writes that "'Fangate' was the perfect piece of petty nonsense to encapsulate the petty, nonsensical campaign Floridians are being forced to endure this year."

    Maxwell continues, "We still have one more debate to go. But I have to tell you:"

    I'm done.

    I am done listening to the yapping, the attacking and the lies. I'm done listening to two men who vilify each other far more than they speak about their own ideas.

    "And I suggest you do the same. Here's why:"
    Nothing these men say now means squat compared to their actual records. Why listen to constant attacks when you can look at proven actions?

    And when I look at those, it's not even close.

    It's Crist by a landslide.

    "Forget fans, ads: Look at records in governor's race."


    Early voting

    "Early voting starts Monday." More: "Early voting starts today in Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Okeechobee" and "Early voting begins today in Pinellas County." See also "How to vote early."


    "Pay attention to the legislative contests"

    "The governor's race has top billing, but pay attention to the legislative contests as well. The Legislature, even more than the governor, has the power to shape the future of Florida." "For Florida House, incumbent candidates are hard to beat." See e.g., "HD 89: Can GOP Lean Help Bill Hager Beat David Silvers?."


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