Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Peter SchorschJanuary 9, 2014

Outside of the fictional Indiana city of Pawnee, the setting for NBC’s comedy series, “Parks and Recreation,” most people don’t attend public hearings. And, according to a study by the Knight Foundation, doing so is more likely to reduce a person’s sense of political efficacy than to increase it. “Despite the fact that governments are pumping out more […]

Peter SchorschJanuary 5, 2014

Political prognostication is not an exact science despite what forecasters and pundits would have readers believe. Many fall somewhere between the obvious and the inane, and often take a familiar and non-threatening shape. “The race for (insert candidate here) comes down to which campaign turns out their voters,” or some similar form. Imagine a sports […]

Peter SchorschJanuary 2, 2014

If you go by the headlines in some Florida newspapers, you’d think that there’s a wave of hate crimes being committed across the state. “Hate crimes up 22 percent across Florida,” reads the headline from the Florida Times-Union. “Hate crimes rise in Florida,” blares the Orlando Sentinel. Indeed reported hate crimes increased 22.3 percent in 2012 over the prior year, […]

Peter SchorschDecember 30, 2013

To outside observers, Florida always appears to march to the beat of its own drum — or, for some, the beat of no drummer at all. In 2013 the state provided a never-ending flow of news stories that were engaging, compelling and controversial; with many, it was a combination of all three. From the debate […]

Peter SchorschDecember 26, 2013

Certainly Mike Fasano is not the last honest man in Florida politics. There are still many, many decent, if not, virtuous elected officials. It’s just that pols like Trey Radel receive all of the headlines, so it’s easy to be cynical about government. If there is an opposite to Radel, it’s Fasano, the former state representative […]

Peter SchorschDecember 16, 2013

Florida State may be ranked No. 1 heading into the bowl championship with Auburn, but there’s one ranking for which the Seminoles trail far behind: the percent of black football players who will graduate from college within six years. The University of Pennsylvania’s Center for the Study of Race and Equity analyzed each of the football teams […]

Peter SchorschDecember 8, 2013

Because the story broke Friday night, you may have missed the report from Mary Ellen Klas of the Miami Herald exposing how Gov. Rick Scott’s chief of staff, Adam Hollingsworth, lied about earning a college degree on his resume with a former employer, transportation behemoth CSX. According to Klas, Hollingsworth, who worked for CSX from 1995-2000 and again from 2002-2004, […]

Guest AuthorDecember 5, 2013

Dear Peter, First, a word of thanks. Those of us who are veterans of the opinion website Florida Voices were pleased when you picked up the remnants of that failed experiment, created Context Florida and made it work. You offer us modest payment for our opinions, and it’s a great platform for an assortment of […]

Peter SchorschDecember 4, 2013

In 333 BC, Alexander of Macedonia, on his march through Anatolia, reached Gordium. There he was shown the chariot of the ancient founder of the city, Gordius, with its yoke lashed to the pole by an intricate knot. According to tradition, this knot was to be untied only by the future conqueror of Asia. According to legend, Alexander sliced through the […]

Peter SchorschDecember 1, 2013

It’s pretty clear by now that no elected Republican, other than perhaps the overly eager state Rep. Doug Holder, wants to be Gov. Rick Scott’s next lieutenant governor. The rumor du jour currently circulating along Tallahassee’s Adams Street is that Chief of Staff Adam Hollingsworth wants it that way. Last week, Seminole County Sheriff Don […]

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According to reviews, F1: The Movie is living up to the hype. Image via AppleTV+/Associated Press.

Peter Schorsch: The role of public hearings in citizen engagement, public trust

Peter Schorsch: Five bold predictions for Florida politics in 2014

Peter Schorsch: Newspapers overplay the increase in Florida hate crimes

Peter Schorsch: Here’s my top 15 Florida news stories of 2013

Peter Schorsch: My choice for Florida politician of the year: Mike Fasano

Peter Schorsch: FSU must do more to help black football players graduate

Peter Schorsch: Scott’s chief of staff has some explaining to do

Cary McMullen: An open letter to Peter Schorsch

Peter Schorsch: Kudos to Weatherford for trying to cut gaming knot

Peter Schorsch: Will Hollingsworth pull a LeMieux?