Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Daniel TilsonApril 7, 2014

Several bills moving forward through the 2014 Florida legislative session offer excellent opportunities for opponents of both big and bad government to join forces. Imagine, conservatives concerned with shrinking and disempowering government, uniting with liberals more concerned with its purpose and impact. Imagine, agreeing to disagree on divisive social issues, but agreeing to work together […]

Guest AuthorApril 6, 2014

The big question in the 2016 presidential sweepstakes is: Will Jeb run? The answer remains unknown, perhaps even to Jeb Bush and his wife Columba. It is not an easy decision. One night over dinner in Houston some dozen years ago, President George H. W. Bush told me about the soul- searching process his older […]

Daniel TilsonMarch 12, 2014

So Alex Sink lost another big one. Not exactly a surprise. After all, this is the same Sink who snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in 2010, enabling an ultra-conservative, ethically tainted multimillionaire businessman to get elected Florida governor. Like Rick Scott then, Republican David Jolly beat Sink in Tuesday’s CD 13 special election […]

Guest AuthorMarch 4, 2014

Recently I was cycling with a friend from grade school, and let’s politely say our political views have been at odds since seventh grade. But she says that she’d be a Republican on most issues, except for the environment. I remarked how there are no greater conservationists than those folks who grow up camping, fishing, hunting […]

Daniel TilsonDecember 17, 2013

Bells tolled, tears rolled and prayers rose toward the heavens on the first anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School gun massacre last Saturday, while the profound lack of progress in reducing gun violence weighed down many a mourning spirit. In the wake of that tragedy, the victims’ families and friends galvanized millions of new […]

Guest AuthorNovember 6, 2013

As expected, former GOP Florida Gov. Charlie Crist announced on Monday that he is running for the statehouse in Tallahassee again, this time as a Democrat. Crist is a survivor, a career politician who served as a Republican state senator, education commissioner, attorney general and then governor. His big mistake: Crist then ran and lost […]

Guest AuthorOctober 30, 2013

Political momentum, on the national stage, is like the tides, coming and going and constantly changing. It often brings in flotsam and rarely takes any of the detritus away. Almost weekly you can hear the pundits claiming the tides have shifted in favor of — insert political party here — only until the next scandal […]

Darryl PaulsonOctober 27, 2013

First of two parts. During the first year of President Obama’s first term, the American economy was in shambles and the public demanded that government focus on the economy and job creation. In response, the administration passed a stimulus plan that Republicans thought was too large and Democrats thought was too small. The economy continued […]

Susan ClaryOctober 22, 2013

Walk into a room of progressive activists anywhere in the state and ask them what they think about former Gov. Charlie Crist. Chances are you wouldn’t get agreement. Democrats either have a crush on the former St. Pete High quarterback, swooning at the idea he may be our next governor, or they act like he’s […]

Darryl PaulsonOctober 10, 2013

Congressman Bill Young’s announcement Wednesday that he would retire at the end of his current term took politicians across Florida by surprise. Young, who has represented Pinellas County since 1970 and is in in his 22nd term, is the longest-serving Republican in the House. During his tenure, Young has secured hundreds of millions of dollars […]

Tag: democrats
A Memorial Day wreath placed at the World War II Memorial at the Judge Augustus D. Aikens, Jr. Leon County Courthouse in 2024. Image via Leon County.

Daniel Tilson: Beware Rick Scott’s legislative control freaks

John Grant: Why Jeb Bush is the best bet for Republicans in 2016

Daniel Tilson: Lessons for losers from Florida congressional district 13

Henry Kelley: Conservatives are often the most ardent conservationists

Daniel Tilson: The secret to gun safety in Florida

Steve Kurlander: If Crist wins, expect national implications for both parties

Ed Moore: Politicians and pundits should not treat governing like a sporting event

Darryl Paulson: The problem with Obamacare: the process

Susan Clary: If Crist is willing to run, Democrats need to rally behind him

Darryl Paulson: Who will seek long-serving Congressman Bill Young’s Florida seat?