Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

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 […]

Guest AuthorNovember 17, 2013

Some years from now, perhaps sooner, perhaps later, the Affordable Care Act will be a universally accepted part of our health-care system, and decent, affordable medical insurance for all citizens living in the richest country in the world will be woven into the American fabric. Most certainly, the law will not be the same as […]

Guest AuthorOctober 21, 2013

Like you, I have been both entertained and disgusted by the inability of elected officials in Washington, D.C., to address critical issues. It seems they not only can’t deal with issues of substance and complexity, but they can’t even do a modicum of effort without resorting to name-calling and snide remarks. I guess Robert Fulghum […]

Darryl PaulsonSeptember 30, 2013

Second of two parts. Republicans won control of the Florida Senate in 1994, the House in 1996 and the governor’s office in 1998, making Florida the first southern state to have complete Republican control over the legislative and executive branch. Republicans have maintained their control for two decades even though Democrats have an advantage in […]

Darryl PaulsonSeptember 30, 2013

First of two parts. Florida is the home of razor-thin election victories. From George W. Bush’s controversial 537-vote victory over Al Gore to Barack Obama’s .9 percent margin over Mitt Romney, the whole nation watches Florida. Florida’s close elections are an artifact of its partisan coalitions. These coalitions are undergoing some profound changes that will […]

Darryl PaulsonSeptember 26, 2013

Over the past several decades, there has been a growing debate about the gender gap and the role, if any, that it plays in elections. Scholars generally agree that women are more likely to support Democratic candidates, while males lean Republican in their voter preferences. Although women are more likely to vote Democrat than males, […]

Martin DyckmanSeptember 16, 2013

The 12th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks passed last week, yet some potentially devastating answers remain concealed from the American people. To what extent was the government of Saudi Arabia involved, directly or indirectly, in the murders of nearly 3,000 Americans? Did it subsidize al-Qaeda terrorists in the United States under an extortionate deal with […]

Darryl PaulsonSeptember 11, 2013

What if I told you that Republicans are likely to win the white vote in the 2016 presidential election by 24 percent? If you are a Democrat, you might be a bit nervous. Don’t be. Republicans can win the white vote by that margin and still lose the election if nonwhite voters cast their ballots […]

Darryl PaulsonSeptember 5, 2013

For 35 years I taught courses about Florida and Southern Politics. A great portion of those courses dealt with the issues of race and segregation. The struggle to end segregation and provide civil rights for all Americans was long and bitter. The Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s and the passage of the […]

Tag: George W. Bush

Darryl Paulson: Presidential humor

Steve Robinson: Obamacare will survive, but bungled rollout will take toll

Ed Moore: Some folks missed the lessons of kindergarten

Darryl Paulson: The Changing Partisan Coalition in Florida: The Republicans

Darryl Paulson: Florida’s Changing Partisan Coalitions: The Democrats

Darryl Paulson: The gender gap in Florida: Fact or fiction?

Martin Dyckman: It’s time to reveal Saudi government’s role in 9/11 attacks

Darryl Paulson: GOP can’t depend on white vote to win presidential elections

Darryl Paulson: We are replacing racial segregation with political segregation