Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryJuly 10, 2015

Twenty-four hours after the Florida Supreme Court’s major decision calling for eight of the state’s 27 congressional districts to be redrawn, it’s unknown what the leaders of the Florida Legislature will do in response. The Court gave them 100 days to respond to their call to redraw those eight districts, which would ultimately affect the […]

Darryl PaulsonFebruary 6, 2014

I am going to say a dirty word. Lobbyist. I am not sure if lobbyist ranks above or below politician, but both words evoke mistrust and derision. Even more shocking, I like most lobbyists and I respect what they do. When did you last read the Constitution? I would suggest reading the First Amendment. It […]

Darryl PaulsonFebruary 5, 2014

During last week’s State of the Union address, President Obama proposed a dozen executive orders or executive actions. An executive order allows the president to put a policy into effect with the stroke of the pen. Such orders last as long as the president’s term, when they must be extended by the next president or […]

Darryl PaulsonJanuary 30, 2014

There is not a day that passes that some conservative writer doesn’t complain about the hypocrisy of Democrats or a liberal critic denounces the Republicans for their hypocrisy. I’m sick of it. I want to complain about the hypocrisy of political hypocrisy. It is hard for me to be the only American with consistent political […]

Darryl PaulsonJanuary 23, 2014

Some background about Republicans and race is in order after a black Republican candidate for a Florida House seat embarrassed the party with his Tweet calling for the hanging of President Obama. The Republican Party formed in 1854 to combat slavery. Six years later, Abe Lincoln became the first Republican president. Within months of Lincoln’s […]

Darryl PaulsonNovember 21, 2013

Last of a four-part series on political humor In the first article in this series, I mentioned that most political humor focuses on a dominant trait of a candidate. Dan Qualye and George W. Bush were accused of not being the sharpest knives in the drawer; Clinton jokes focused on womanizing; McCain jokes were about […]

Darryl PaulsonNovember 20, 2013

Third of a four-part series on political humor. Like most Americans, I am often confused about my own political orientations. Although a life-long Republican, I have been asked twice by Democrats to run for office. I have been a Fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation and hired a half dozen times by the liberal NAACP as […]

Darryl PaulsonNovember 19, 2013

Second of a four-part series on political humor It’s no wonder that politics and politicians are held in such low esteem. Consider some of these absurd statements made by state legislators and members of Congress. A member of Congress was quoted as saying: “We’re going to wrestle to the ground this gigantic orgasm that is […]

Darryl PaulsonNovember 18, 2013

First of a four-part series on political humor For 35 years, I told incoming political science students that politics comes from the ancient Greek word “poly” meaning “many” and “tics” meaning “ugly bloodsucking parasites.” For the first 20 years, the students would laugh. For the last 15 years, students would busily write the definition in […]

Darryl PaulsonNovember 17, 2013

At his Nov. 14 news conference, President Obama proposed a “temporary fix” to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in an attempt to stop the growing public criticism of the president and to stop Democrats from jumping ship. “We fumbled the rollout on the health care law. . . If I fumble the ball, you know, […]

Tag: Darryl Paulson

Will GOP-led Legislature appeal gerrymandering case?

Darryl Paulson: In defense of lobbying

Darryl Paulson: Government by pen and phone

Darryl Paulson: The hypocrisy over political hypocrisy

Darryl Paulson: Republicans and race: From Lincoln to Joshua Black

Darryl Paulson: Presidential humor

Darryl Paulson: How to tell Republicans from Democrats

Darryl Paulson: Looney Laws and Stupid Political Statements

Darryl Paulson: Ugly bloodsucking parasites

Darryl Paulson: The Obamacare mess keeps getting messier

Florida politics had 11 questions before federal qualifying week. Here are the answers.