Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Martin DyckmanNovember 6, 2014

It can no longer be said that the country is going to hell. We have arrived. The worst disappointment isn’t the re-election of the kleptocrat Rick Scott, or U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan’s defeat by a Koch stooge in North Carolina, or even the fact that Ted Cruz is now running amok in a Senate majority. […]

Guest AuthorNovember 2, 2014

When asked to write this column, I was reminded about a time when political polls were exclusively analytic tools that taught us something useful for campaigns. They were the closely guarded domain of geeks and political insiders seeking a strategic roadmap for a candidate or referendum. Polls were our little secret and were much more […]

Guest AuthorNovember 2, 2014

Over the years, I’ve observed that Floridians want their politicians to be driven by Florida values. This election season, voters must be wondering: how has Gov. Rick Scott lived up to key Sunshine State commitments? Rewarding hard work:  Floridians don’t want handouts they believe in working for a living. That’s why they believe in […]

Adam WeinsteinOctober 30, 2014

I’m tired of false moral equivalencies. For a year or more, I’ve heard pundits and cynics flaunt the conventional wisdom about this governor’s race: Both candidates are awful. It’s hard not to feel that way, after tens of millions of dollars in shade-throwing, half-truthing ads and stunts. Calling both guys in the race equally terrible […]

Diane RobertsOctober 27, 2014

I don’t know about you, but this latest epidemic is really freaking me out. The experts say it’s hard to catch — you can’t get it merely by living in the same state as infected people or being exposed to toxic campaign ads. But what if they’re wrong? What if stupidity is airborne? Everywhere you […]

Martin DyckmanOctober 20, 2014

The title of the Florida Public Service Commission is about as relevant to reality as that of the People’s Republic of China. In each case, the true constituency is a narrow group of self-perpetuating special interests. Making the public interest the true constituency of the PSC ought to be high on the agenda of the […]

Guest AuthorOctober 7, 2014

The Tampa Bay Times is recommending a “no” vote for a constitutional amendment before voters in November. The proposal put forward by conservationists would allocate one-third of the documentary stamp tax required of real estate transactions to be applied to acquisition of conservation lands. In 2016, the newspaper notes, more than $600 million could be allocated to this important […]

Martin DyckmanSeptember 14, 2014

The widely denounced Citizens United decision that did a great disservice to the nation and disgraces five Supreme Court justices is only the tip of a hulking iceberg. An urgent effort to melt that iceberg began in the U.S. Senate last week. You probably didn’t hear about it. The foundation for Citizens in 2010 was […]

Guest AuthorSeptember 9, 2014

Last week’s Tampa Bay Times/Bay News 9/UF Bob Graham Center poll on Amendment 2, which would legalize medical marijuana, indicates that only 56.7 percent of likely voters are supporting the amendment. This is certainly good news for those of us who oppose the amendment, but much can change. What is significant about the poll is […]

Guest AuthorSeptember 8, 2014

Judging by the ugly tone of the Rick Scott vs. Charlie Crist political campaign ads, this is shaping up to be the Scott Rothstein election. For those who may be living in a cave without wi-fi, Rothstein is the former South Florida attorney who was sentenced to 50 years in federal prison for perpetrating a […]

Tag: Tampa Bay Times

Martin Dyckman: This is what’s worse: Now we auction our government to the highest bidders

Steve Vancore: Polls: What have they become?

Ralph Nader: Nine Florida values that Rick Scott opposes

Adam Weinstein: Stop saying Crist and Scott are both awful: Scott wins that contest by a mile

Diane Roberts: Epidemic freaks me out; what if stupidity is airborne?

Martin Dyckman: If you want the PSC to protect customers, vote for Crist

Alan Farago: GOP forcing Floridians to use Amendment 1 to conserve vital lands

Martin Dyckman: Media must report nascent efforts to curb power of money in politics

Barney Bishop: Support for passage of medical marijuana amendment slipping

Andrew Skerritt: Con man will be factor in the Scott-Crist gubernatorial race