Staff Reports
Last Call – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
Vice President Kamala Harris has traded places with Donald Trump as the favorite to win the presidential election in at least one betting market.
Following the debate, BoyleSports cut her odds to 4/5 from 11/10, putting her at a 55.56% implied probability.
“An influx of bets after the TV debate suggests punters are reaching decision time, and they clearly believe Trump is on the back foot as the betting has flipped in favor of Harris. It is, however, a narrow lead, so it’s all to play for over the next few weeks,” a spokesperson for BoyleSports said.
The 90-minute duel started with a handshake, but the pleasantries were soon cast aside as the rivals clashed over abortion policy. Trump appeared rattled when Harris invited Americans to attend one of his rallies, where she claimed that people were leaving early out of “exhaustion and boredom.”
A snap CNN poll showed Harris’ ratings were up following the TV clash, while pop sensation Taylor Swift told her 284 million Instagram followers that she is now backing the Vice President for the White House.
However, Harris also received a confident vote from bettors on the election, with Trump’s popularity trending in the wrong direction and less than two months until voting day. The former President had been an odds-on favorite to win the election at odds of 8/11 before the cameras started rolling but is now a slight underdog at even money.
While Trump has yet to commit to a further debate, Harris has said she is ready to go head-to-head with her Republican rival again, with Fox News confirming a proposal to host a second round next month.
Evening Reads
—”The bait debate revealed Donald Trump hasn’t figured out how to attack Kamala Harris.” via David Catanese of Too Close To Call
—”Trump debate performance frustrates Republicans” via Ken Thomas and Alex Leary of The Wall Street Journal
—”Trump self-destructs” via Rick Wilson of Rick Wilson’s Substack
—”Harris broke Trump” via Peter Wehner of The Atlantic
—”How resounding was Kamala Harris’s debate win? Let’s look at the polls.” via Aaron Blake of The Washington Post
—”Pundits said Harris won the debate. Undecided voters weren’t so sure.” via Jeremy W. PetersJack Healy and Campbell Robertson of The New York Times
—“The moment” via Judd Legum of Popular Information
—”Will Taylor Swift’s Kamala Harris endorsement actually matter?” via Constance Grady of Vox
—”FL Supreme Court expedites case alleging DeSantis interference on abortion-rights amendment” via Jackie Llanos of the Florida Phoenix
—“Florida Chamber adds Barbara Sharief, Anne Gerwig, Meg Weinberger to list of South Florida endorsees” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics
Quote of the Day
“Like millions of Floridians, I’m ready for it!”
— Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried, on Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Kamala Harris.
Put it on the Tab
Look to your left, then look to your right. If you see one of these people at your happy hour haunt, flag down the bartender and put one of these on your tab. Recipes included, just in case the Cocktail Codex fell into the well.
If Donald Trump drank, we’d recommend ordering him a Bad Beat after his performance in last night’s debate.
Order a Bipartisan for state Sens. Joe Gruters and Shevrin Jones, who appear side-by-side in a new ad supporting the recreational pot amendment.
Barbara Sharief, Anne Gerwig and Meg Weinberger will take a Thumbs-Up as they celebrate endorsements from the Florida Chamber of Commerce.
Breakthrough Insights
Tune In
Gators volleyball in national spotlight
A pair of ranked teams meet as Florida faces Georgia Tech in women’s volleyball (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2).
Florida, ranked 13th in the nation, was bounced from the NCAA Tournament last season in a second-round loss to Georgia Tech. The Gators are 5-1 on the season, with their only loss coming to USF in a 3-2 match on Friday in the Florida Invitational.
Florida was picked second in the SEC preseason poll, trailing only the two-time defending national champion Texas Longhorns. Texas received 14 first-place votes, while Florida is the only other school to receive a first-place vote.
The Gators are led by a pair of sophomores, outside hitter Kennedy Martin and setter Alexis Stucky, who earned preseason all-SEC honors. Martin was a member of the USA Collegiate National Team and won a gold medal in the continental championships. She was a second-team All-American as a freshman. Stucky was the 2022 SEC Freshman of the Year before a season-ending knee injury last September forced her to take a redshirt year.
The #15 Yellow Jackets, 4-1, host the game in McCamish Pavilion, the home of the men’s and women’s basketball teams. It is the third consecutive season in which Georgia Teach volleyball has played a game in the venue.
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Last Call is published by Peter Schorsch, assembled and edited by Phil Ammann and Drew Wilson, with contributions from the staff of Florida Politics.
