Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Guest AuthorJuly 10, 2014

Recently, I was in line at a grocery store reading my e-mail when another bored shopper, tired of looking at the tabloids for sale, looked over my shoulder and saw “Say Yes to Amendment 2” at the top of a letter from United for Care on my iPhone “Why the hell should I vote or […]

Bob SparksJuly 2, 2014

This fall it is safe to predict the election for Governor of Florida will be among the most watched races around the country. It’s OK. We’re accustomed to having the nation watch how we vote. There is no question this is a toss-up race. Those confidently predicting a winner, one way or the other, are […]

Martin DyckmanJune 30, 2014

Listen up, Tea Party. I’m going to talk about Rand Paul. Favorably. But first things first. As we all remember from school, the independence we’ll celebrate this week was a revolt against taxation without representation. Although the revolutionary agenda was actually more complex, taxation certainly was the spark. But even today, 238 years later, there […]

Peter SchorschJune 30, 2014

Charlie Crist’s difficult June was capped off by a highly critical column by Tim Nickens, the editor of the Tampa Bay Times editorial page. “As we head into July, the race appears essentially tied and Charlie Crist is not maximizing his greatest assets as the likeable guy who understands Floridians and their priorities,” writes Nickens. […]

Bob SparksJune 24, 2014

When times are bad, the United States has a proud history of coming together to confront enemies both foreign and domestic. The word preceding “States” in our country’s name is significant. The first half of the 20th century brought us two World Wars and a depression and we responded in unison like no other country […]

Guest AuthorJune 15, 2014

Gov. Rick Scott has signed the state budget, the only legislative enactment that has to become law. In so doing, he went light with his veto pen, not wanting to offend any legislators by killing any pet projects. A large stack of bills remains on his desk. He will sign most, veto a few and […]

Martin DyckmanJune 12, 2014

It was one of those “There IS a God” moments when Gov. Rick Scott had to cancel a $10,000 per person fundraiser this month because his co-host was to be a convicted tax-evader who couldn’t legally vote for him. With all the lawyers and law-enforcement agencies at his command, how could Scott not know that […]

Guest AuthorJune 11, 2014

Reporters and political operatives breathlessly tell us almost daily what the polling numbers are in the all-important governor’s race. Interestingly, the numbers are always bouncing around — and they should. That’s because essentially what we are seeing in the collective sense are tracking polls that provide us with an almost daily barrage of numbers. Well-funded […]

Peter SchorschMay 29, 2014

At this point, there’s probably no denying that Republican incumbent Rick Scott has taken a narrow lead over his likely Democratic challenger, Charlie Crist. According to the most recent poll by SurveyUSA for Tampa Bay’s News Channel 8, Scott leads Crist with 42 percent of voter support, compared to 40 percent for Crist. Nine percent of […]

Martin DyckmanMay 27, 2014

Now you know — as if there was ever doubt — why the right wing is desperate to take over the Florida Supreme Court. Why there’s a constitutional amendment on the ballot to let Gov. Rick Scott pack the court if he is re-elected. The Supreme Court itself illustrated the reasons late Tuesday afternoon when […]

Tag: Charlie Crist
Aerial photo courtesy Jesse Biter.

Gary Stein: Why I support Amendment 2: Because of my story, stories of others

Bob Sparks: Ten counties likely to sway governor election

Martin Dyckman: Let’s celebrate July 4 by restoring felons’ voting rights

Peter Schorsch: It’s been frustrating watching Crist’s big lead evaporate

Bob Sparks: U.S. World Cup team brings our fractured nation together

John Grant: The Scott vs. Crist campaign is going to be ugly and expensive

Martin Dyckman: Scott’s voter suppression snares one of his contributors

Barney Bishop: If Crist is governor, expect to see D.C. antics in Tallahassee

Peter Schorsch: Views on state of the state behind Scott’s narrow lead?

Martin Dyckman: Right wing is desperate to control Fla. Supreme Court