Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Bob SparksNovember 19, 2015

On the morning after the Islamic terrorist massacre in Paris, the Republican Party of Florida’s Sunshine Summit continued with its second, and final, day. Circumstances required the second-day speakers to alter their prepared messages. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum summed up the mood by offering sentiments we all shared. He talked about ISIS wishing to […]

Marc YachtNovember 18, 2015

Being a strong imperial power offers no guarantee of continued existence. Ask any Mayan whose empire survived 3,500 years. They sit alongside the Roman, British, Spanish and Mongol empires. The French faced the revolution with Madame Defarge knitting while the People’s Court sentenced French nobility to death. One cannot ignore the Russian revolution and the […]

Associated PressNovember 13, 2015

Republican presidential rivals Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz are backpedaling furiously as they try to outmaneuver each other on immigration. Rubio co-wrote a massive 2013 immigration bill that passed the Senate. He disavows it now, but Cruz won’t stop talking about it. Cruz opposed the bill, but he offered amendments to massively increase legal […]

Associated PressOctober 25, 2015

A huge majority of Republican voters prefer an outsider candidate to one with experience in Washington, and most see political rookies Donald Trump and Ben Carson as possible general election winners, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll. Carson tops the field as the most positively viewed candidate among Republicans, the poll shows. Some things to […]

Jac VerSteegOctober 19, 2015

In his recent entertaining column on Context Florida my former boss, Tom O’Hara, reported from The Associated Press Legislative Planning Session in Tallahassee that Gov. Rick Scott’s central message was: “It’s the year of the manufacturer.” I agree with Scott. But I am not attaching quite the same meaning to his words as the governor […]

Jac VerSteegOctober 18, 2015

In his recent entertaining column on Context Florida my former boss, Tom O’Hara, reported from The Associated Press Legislative Planning Session in Tallahassee that Gov. Rick Scott’s central message was: “It’s the year of the manufacturer.” I agree with Scott. But I am not attaching quite the same meaning to his words as the governor […]

Bob SparksOctober 15, 2015

The end of the process for redrawing Florida’s congressional districts is in sight. It may be one cycle late, but if the Florida Supreme Court rules favorably on the recommended final map, candidates and potential candidates can make informed decisions. Last week, Leon County Circuit Judge Terry Lewis signed off on one of seven maps […]

Guest AuthorOctober 13, 2015

As the 21st century finds its rhythm, and the 2016 presidential contest begins to take up most of our public space, it seems clear to me that we have two political parties in the United States, but they are both thoroughly Hamiltonian. We have what might be called the “greater Hamiltonian Party” and the “lesser […]

Associated PressOctober 11, 2015

The GOP is a party in chaos, desperately in search of a leader. In the unruly U.S. House, Republicans enjoy a near-historic majority, yet deep divisions between ultra-conservatives and more traditional GOP lawmakers have left them at a loss over who should be in charge. In the Republican presidential primary, experienced governors and senators – […]

Bob SparksOctober 8, 2015

Fifteen months before the presidential election, New Hampshire and Iowa is where the action is. That is true every four years. Winning the nomination and the general election requires a strong performance in several key states. In 2016, the next president will have won at least two of a group of three swing states that […]

Tag: Republicans
Image via AP. Photo: July 26, 2024.

Bob Sparks: GOP, Obama heading for high-stakes showdown on Syrian refugees

Dr. Marc J. Yacht: The mighty always have fallen. Always.

Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz in fight to reshape their records on immigration

AP poll: Republicans prefer an outsider candidate

Jac VerSteeg: Manufacturing lies is keeping campaigns alive

Jac VerSteeg: Manufacturing lies is keeping campaigns alive

Bob Sparks: Even Florida’s nonpartisan congressional maps are deemed unfair

Clay S. Jenkinson: Restoring the American republic, beginning in Tallahassee

Analysis: GOP is party desperately in search of a leader

Bob Sparks: When likability and the desire for leadership and experience collide