Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Melissa RossSeptember 24, 2015

Donald Trump remains the front-runner among Republican presidential candidates in Florida, with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush maintaining strong support, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina surging, neurosurgeon Ben Carson losing some ground and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio on the rise, according to a Jacksonville University Public Policy Institute poll of registered Republican who are likely to […]

Jim RosicaSeptember 24, 2015

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Papa John’s pizza chain founder, CEO and spokesman John Schnatter says he’s not moving his corporate headquarters from Louisville, Kentucky to Florida despite Gov. Rick Scott‘s sales pitch to Bluegrass State businesses this week. But Schnatter told a local television station that “Florida is much friendlier when it comes to business than Kentucky.” The Governor’s Office sent out a […]

Associated PressSeptember 22, 2015

For Scott Walker, it wasn’t one thing that led to the demise of his presidential campaign. It was just about everything. Financial troubles. A bloated staff. Repeated stumbles and flip flops. A candidate that professed to be a fighter, but too often, didn’t show all that much fight. The Wisconsin governor, who dropped out of […]

Associated PressSeptember 19, 2015

Donald Trump was hardly the first to face this situation and won’t be the last. Candidates are confronted with all sorts of comments on the campaign trail, including plenty that are inaccurate and some that are sure to offend. How should they respond? On Thursday, GOP presidential candidate Trump faced such a moment when a […]

Mitch PerrySeptember 10, 2015

Jeb Bush may be struggling in the polls, but there was nothing but unadulterated love for him shown Thursday afternoon in Tampa, where a bevy of local and state Republicans – highlighted by an appearance by Jeb Bush Jr. – gathered to officially open the former Florida governor’s statewide headquarters. Located in the Town ‘n’ […]

Associated PressSeptember 1, 2015

Chris Christie says he’s thinking of taking a more aggressive approach during the next Republican presidential primary debate. During an appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” Monday night, the New Jersey governor and presidential candidate told Fallon that he’s considering going “nuclear” if he’s relegated to the sidelines during the next GOP face-off, […]

Mitch PerryAugust 28, 2015

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The perception that the youth vote has always belongs to the Democrats is not accurate, says GOP pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson. In 2000, she says, George W. Bush and Al Gore split the youth vote, as well as those voters older than 65. But that split certainly occurred in 2008 and even more so in 2012, when Barack […]

Mitch PerryAugust 28, 2015

While the nation’s media will focus quite correctly this weekend on the 10-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina hitting New Orleans, anyone remember Hurricane Isaac? (Let’s not even talk about Erika). That was the storm that forced the cancellation of the first day of the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa three years ago, making today the third […]

Guest AuthorAugust 27, 2015

Let’s circle back to Jeb Bush’s National Urban League address from several weeks ago, because if a big, pointed word must be used, it is “symptomatic” of Republican racial complacency. (It’s best to exclude Ben Carson, because like all black Republicans from Allen West to Tim Scott, he momentarily forgets that he is black. Colorblindness […]

Mitch PerryAugust 18, 2015

Four years ago, former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty was considered a strong challenger to Mitt Romney for the GOP presidential nomination. Then the Iowa Straw Poll happened. Pawlenty fared poorly, and on August 11, 2011, he was stunningly out of the race. Flash forward four years later: Is Scott Walker this year’s version of Tim Pawlenty? Walker has […]

Tag: Mitt Romney
Aerial photo courtesy Jesse Biter.

JU Poll: Donald Trump leads, Carly Fiorina and Marco Rubio rise, Jeb Bush steady

Papa John’s HQ staying put, won’t move to Florida

Analysis: For Scott Walker, a cascade of troubles ends campaign

When candidates confront inaccurate, inflammatory comments

Bay area Republicans gather to open Jeb Bush’s statewide HQ in Tampa

Chris Christie tells Jimmy Fallon he might ‘go nuclear’ in next debate

GOP pollster schools RPOF on millennial generation’s priorities, how to win their vote

Mitch Perry Report for 8.28.15 – GOP convention memories

Chris Timmons: The GOP needs a new Nixon plan for blacks

Mitch Perry Report for 8.18.15 – It’s not going as planned for Scott Walker