Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Martin DyckmanNovember 9, 2015

It is startling to even think these words, let alone to have to write them, but I’m feeling sympathy for Jeb Bush. He may not welcome that emotion from a liberal who has rarely agreed with him about anything, but there’s a nation at stake. It seems almost unbelievable that the two most qualified of […]

Associated PressNovember 9, 2015

Jeb Bush has a plan for the Republican presidential debate in Wisconsin on Tuesday night: Don’t treat it like, well, a debate. While he acknowledges he’s “gotta get better” on the debate stage, he says he’s spending less time rehearsing and sees the prime-time forum as more of a moderated conversation than a real debate. […]

Peter SchorschNovember 9, 2015

As Douglas Adams wrote in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, “We demand rigidly defined areas of doubt and uncertainty!” That pretty much describes Florida’s political landscape right now, with a year until Election Day (and, perhaps more astonishingly, just four months to the Presidential Preference Primary). A slew of key state races are as yet unformed, with breakout […]

Mitch PerryNovember 9, 2015

Many political analysts say the reason that Donald Trump and Ben Carson have been the most popular Republicans in presidential polls this year is the fact that they’re outsiders. It’s certainly not because of their policy positions, since, with the exception of Trump’s well known attitude on illegal immigration, the two-front runners aren’t talking that […]

Phil AmmannNovember 8, 2015

America Rising president and cofounder Joe Pounder is joining Marco Rubio’s campaign as a senior adviser. Founded after the 2012 presidential election, America Rising PAC became one of the leading Republican oppo research firms, serving as an alternative to American Bridge PAC, its Democratic counterpart. Pounder also worked on Rubio’s 2010 Senate campaign. “As one […]

Associated PressNovember 8, 2015

Marco Rubio, who has been attacked by GOP rivals and others for using an American Express card issued by the Republican Party of Florida for some personal spending as a state lawmaker, released two more years of charge card statements Saturday to help quell the furor. The statements, covering January 2005-October 2006, show Rubio spent […]

Bob SparksNovember 7, 2015

Political opinion polls can be useful, but they can also be dangerous in a figurative sense. Those thinking the election is over because a poll says so can be in for the shock of their lives. Polls can get it wrong in a big way. We have some recent examples. Going into Tuesday night’s statewide […]

Associated PressNovember 6, 2015

There’s been a little more shouting this week from Jeb Bush, and a little more salty language, too, as the Republican candidate for president tries to reboot a campaign that’s fallen from front-running to middle of the pack. But what hasn’t changed is the message. And, Bush says, it won’t. In an interview with The […]

Peter SchorschNovember 6, 2015

A leading Florida fundraiser who initially backed Jeb Bush‘s campaign is publicly withdrawing support over Bush’s ongoing attacks on Sen. Marco Rubio. Brian Ballard, a lobbyist in Tallahassee who donated $20,000 to the pro-Bush super PAC Right to Rise USA, told Politico on Thursday that he had privately abandoned Bush earlier but wanted to make his concerns […]

Bob SparksNovember 5, 2015

Political opinion polls can be useful, but they can also be dangerous in a figurative sense. Those thinking the election is over because a poll says so can be in for the shock of their lives. Polls can get it wrong in a big way. We have some recent examples. Going into Tuesday night’s statewide […]

Tag: Marco Rubio

Martin Dyckman: Jeb Bush-Gotterdammerung, and the rise of Marco Rubio

Jeb Bush aims to debate on his terms, after poor start

A year out from Election Day in Florida, confusion, uncertainty reigns

Marco Rubio wants to cut gas taxes by 80 percent

Joe Pounder joins Marco Rubio campaign

Marco Rubio releases GOP charge card statements from 2005-06

Bob Sparks: Polls have recently missed the mark; how about the GOP presidential field?

Jeb Bush: Voters will “adjust their thinking” as primaries near

Jeb Bush fundraiser Brian Ballard defects over attacks on Marco Rubio

Bob Sparks: Polls have recently missed the mark; how about the GOP presidential field?