Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryNovember 21, 2014

Democratic Party political adviser Steve Schale and Republican consultant Adam Goodman are two of the very best strategists in Florida, so it was entertaining to hear the two pontificating about this month’s election results in Florida on Friday. Speaking at a Tampa Tiger Bay event at Maestro’s restaurant inside the Straz Performing Arts Center on […]

Guest AuthorNovember 9, 2014

Gwen Graham’s victory should give Florida Democrats something to think about. The rookie politician knew she could not overcome Congressman Steve Southerland’s appeal in nine counties he carried by more than 60 percent in the previous election. She campaigned in them anyway. Southerland, R-Panama City, won election in the Tea Party wave in 2010 and […]

Adam WeinsteinNovember 6, 2014

In 1994, at the height of the nationwide electoral wave against Bill Clinton — a force so great and enduring it would be remembered as “the Republican revolution” — there was one bright spot for Democrats: They held on to the Florida Governor’s Mansion. Lawton Chiles, a self-described cracker and populist, fought off a challenge […]

Guest AuthorOctober 21, 2014

Answering questions is as unspeakable to Rick Scott as eating pork is to someone who keeps kosher. The governor treats talking with the press and public as trayf (Yiddish for tainted food), as though he would be putting himself at risk for the political equivalent of trichinosis. Ask him anything. And, as if unable to […]

Guest AuthorOctober 15, 2014

The Florida Chamber of Commerce is one of the few entities publicly opposing Amendment 1 on the November ballot. Yet at the end of September, the Florida Chamber Political Institute’s polling data showed that Amendment 1 has very strong support: 75 percent in favor and 14 percent opposed. Amendment 1, if approved by the voters […]

Guest AuthorOctober 2, 2014

Notionally, the Charlie Crist campaign for governor is ramping up its efforts to motivate Florida black voters to get to the polls on November 4. But actually the Crist campaign merely expects black voters to slavishly support him without a compensating policy effort. This should not be surprising. It is the party of Jackson’s approach […]

Daniel TilsonSeptember 24, 2014

Can Florida politics succeed where sports has failed? Can we get a grip on dangerous social reality, recognize the seriousness of the challenge, and take the right actions to meet it? When news first broke about Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice’s violent abuse of his fiancée, the NFL swept it under the artificial turf. […]

Guest AuthorSeptember 24, 2014

Third in a series about polling. Every cycle some pollsters seem to get it right. Some get it wrong. Why? To answer that question, it’s vital to understand that predicting what the electorate will look like matters — it really matters. And perhaps the single most important variable that pollsters must properly balance, especially in […]

Julie DelegalSeptember 21, 2014

The most powerful Republican in Florida, State Sen. John Thrasher from St. Augustine, wants to be President of Florida State University. He’s put in his papers and submitted to interviews. His qualifications are impressive. Thrasher brought a medical school to the university, after all, providing new prestige to the Tallahassee institution. But while his proponents […]

Daniel TilsonSeptember 9, 2014

I’ve taken an unofficial follow-up poll in Florida’s big Election 2014 Rick Scott-Charlie Crist race. As in 2010, it was a one-person poll done face-to-face with my sometimes car mechanic. Call him Bobby. Four years ago it was accidental, a pre-repair test drive conversation that touched on the upcoming gubernatorial election, with Chief Financial Officer […]

Tag: Alex Sink
Image via AP.

Steve Schale and Adam Goodman break down 2014 election

James Call: Graham was smart to campaign where she knew she wouldn’t win

Adam Weinstein: The three big reasons Florida Democrats still can’t elect a governor

Stephen Goldstein: Scott won’t answer questions and too many voters don’t care

Barbara Joy Cooley: Amendment 1’s fate depends on voter turnout

Chris Timmons: Will the Crist campaign start taking Florida black voters seriously?

Daniel Tilson: Ray Rice, Jameis Winston and Rick Scott: New normals?

Steve Vancore: To be accurate, pollsters must understand who is really going to vote

Julie Delegal: The curse of the warrior: Why Thrasher can’t catch a break at FSU

Daniel Tilson: An unofficial Crist-Scott poll — my mechanic is leaning to the right