Republican Florida Already Missed the Boat on Rail Money: A Boon for California?

[Ocklawaha]

Looks to me like the AGENDA is out of the closet!

Originally posted by Ocklawaha, OCT 25, 2010.

Poppycock! We have been calling Rick Scott on rail since day one... Where were YOU Faye?

or "JOBS" we get, we must do this thing right or the blow to rail will be felt from Seattle to Sebring.

OCKLAWAHA

Face it Ock, the MO on this forum is denounce elected officials AFTER they have been elected.

A far more effective way to support your cause is to denounce their positions PUBLICLY, way BEFORE they are elected!

You all seem to think you can sweet talk them into changing their minds when their minds are already set in stone.

Far easier to START OFF with someone who already supports RAIL for FLORIDA!

CAST YOUR VOTES ACCORDINGLY!!

It is foolish to expect people to change their minds after they have been elected. How's that been working for you in Jax in the past few years?

DING! DING! DING! WENT THE TROLLEY... Faye, again it's another of your open mouth - insert foot, post's of infamy.

Post by: Ocklawaha on OCT 25, 2010, 01:52:59
Rick Scott

Mike Hogan

The end of the WORLD, DEC 21, 2012

I'm starting to think the Mayans had it right...

I don't know where YOU were Faye, but I was busting my ass for Sink, and I'd dare say that September 2 (my first rant), was a wee bit BEFORE THE ELECTION! Further I went on to thumbnail the entire Republican platform IMO, perhaps you should read it yourself before answering this post.



OCKLAWAHA

[Ocklawaha]

Looks like both STEPHENDARE and MYSELF took a shot at the "guy we didn't protest," back on SEPT 2.

Title: Re: Jennifer Carroll Scott's running mate
Post by: stephendare on September 02, 2010, 15:53:10
no respect for someone who runs with a criminal of Scotts scale.

hello......billion dollar judgement for fraud, anyone?

Title: Re: Jennifer Carroll Scott's running mate
Post by: Ocklawaha on September 02, 2010, 16:14:27
(http://www.blu-raystats.com/img_cvr/RidewiththeDevil_715515055017_500.jpg)

"Frankly mam, great grandpa would have made short work of both of these carpet baggers."

OCKLAWAHA
(http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa111/Ocklawaha/CRITICAL%20Cartoons%20and%20Fun%20Stuff/FreeDixieQuantrell.jpg)
"True son of a son of a son, of the black flag..."

OCKLAWAHA

[vicupstate]

I would argue that Duval wasn't a main reason she lost...after all, Obama lost here but still won the state.

I think the glaring problems for Sink were that she didn't win Palm Beach or Dade by enough...and that she barely won Hillsborough (her home county).

Having zero name recognition in a city as diverse as Jacksonville with as many swing voters as we have, was a collossal mistake.  Several of us from MJ spoke with their statewide organization.  They wrote the area off early as a republican hotbed. While you are active with the local dems, I think, the decision was a state level decision, and the local dems lack the leadership to act on their own.

So zero name recognition gets you 48% of the vote?  And don't tell me that all Dems pull that here because Meek didn't come close (and he spent quite a bit of time in jax)....btw, Clay, Nassau, and St. Johns are Republican hotbeds...Sink could always get some voters, but she had no chance to win those counties.

FYI...I am not active with the local democratic party

It sure does, if your opponent is Rick Scott.

Stephen, can you give some examples where statewide Democrats WON Duval County?  I haven't researched it, but I would guess they are far and few between in this century. 

Bill Nelson over Katherine Harris, perhaps?   

When you are running against a Daddy Warbucks like Rick Scott, and in a large state, you have to pick your battles and battlegrounds carefully.  Everything I read post-election states that Sink underperformed in South Florida.

If Sink matched Obama's vote percentage, given the African-American vote in Duval, she probably hit the highwater mark.   

[Ocklawaha]

When you are running against a Daddy Warbucks like Rick Scott, and in a large state, you have to pick your battles and battlegrounds carefully.  Everything I read post-election states that Sink underperformed in South Florida.

If Sink matched Obama's vote percentage, given the African-American vote in Duval, she probably hit the highwater mark.  

Seems to me that ANY statewide office has to consider two things over and above party to get elected, geography and population clusters.

1. Miami - Ft. Lauderdale - Pompano - West Palm Beach 7th largest MSA in America
2. Tampa - St. Petersburg - Clearwater 19th largest MSA
3. Orlando - Kissimmee - Sanford 27th largest MSA
4. Jacksonville 40th largest MSA
5. Northport - Bradenton - Sarasota 75th largest MSA
6. Cape Coral - Ft. Myers 86th largest MSA
7. Lakeland - Winter Haven 87th largest MSA
8. Palm Bay - Melbourne - Titusville 97th largest MSA
9. Deltona - Daytona - Ormond 103rd largest MSA
10.Pensacola - Ferry Pass - Brent 109th largest MSA
11.Port St. Lucie 126th largest MSA
12. Tallahassee 140th largest MSA

Aside from the isolated geography of a couple of smaller cities, Panama City, Key West, Ocala, Gainesville
one could narrow it down to about 16 major population or geographic centers. Cover these over the period of a year, and focus on 5-7 top population centers + Pensacola - Ocala - Tallahassee in a final wrap and you'd blow the state away.  In a state like Ohio or Georgia, a cities like Pensacola - Ocala - Tallahassee could be largely ignored, but in a state like Florida, where it is farther from Key West to Pensacola then it is from New York City to Chicago, one cannot afford to alienate the far flung corners.

IMO, the Democrats, both party and registered card holders, absolutely blew this, a classic case of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

OCKLAWAHA

[tufsu1]

Vic,

What you missed from being here on the ground was the anti Rick Scott sentiment.  Be willing to bet that a good number of those Sink Votes were republicans and independents.

Sink lost the state by 1%...Democratic candidates for Governor in Florida have lost by 10+ points in 1998, 2002, and 2006....given the Republican wave nationally, the only reason Sink got so close was because of the anti-Scott sentiment.

That said, exit polls show Scott did quite well with independents.

[vicupstate]

If anti-Rick Scott sentiment is how Sink kept it so close, and I agree it was a key factor, then what difference would it have made if she had campaigned locally? 

She was the alternative to an unacceptable choice (Scott), for those folks.  So she already had those votes. 

Without the GOP wave, Sink would have won easily, but that wasn't the case. Anti-Obama/Anti-Democratic party wave was a close match for the Anti-Scott wave.

In a GOP wave, there was no way to carry Duval.  Taking 48% was a victory in itself. 

The D base in South Florida didn't turnout or didn't vote for her in the normal numbers, or both.

Sink ran close enough to have a clear shot in four years for the nomination if she wants it.  If Scott is as bad as he has the potential to be, he will be vulnerable.

[tufsu1]

you should go back and check how many campaign stops she made in Jax. from August to Election Day

[Ocklawaha]

Like I said Stephen, you have to nail the population centers and the geographic corners and she failed to do it.

OCKLAWAHA

[JeffreyS]

It is hard to blame anyone but the voters.  Rick Scott told us he is a crook 75 times. Let me paraphrase

Mr. Scott did you steal money from senior citizens who were trying to get needed health care?

Come on you know if I answer that I will be put in jail for stealing from peoples grandparents.

[fieldafm]

Full disclaimer: Fieldafm=registered Republican who voted for Alex Sink


Metro Jacksonville must be doing something right in its rail advocacy(full disclosure, Im a rail convert b/c of discussions with people on and in connection with this site)

Picked up in today's Business Journal:
http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/blog/trade_trucks_trains/2010/11/high-speed-rail-from-jax-to-miami.html

[vicupstate]

Democrats do not vote in midterm elections at the level as they do in presidential ones. Proven fact across the country. 

GOP had stellar turnout and Dems had normal midterm turnout.  In a GOP state that is all it takes to come up short.   Look where the GOP did well -- the South and Midwest, and where they didn't - California, the Northeast and Washington state.  Red versus Blue. In Blue areas, there was a margin for dropoff, in the Red areas, there was none.

There were more 'stay at home' or low-incentive Democrats in South Florida than Duval County, many times over.  Resources, particularly a candidate's time, are VERY limited.  This is Florida not Vermont. Any additional time spent in Duval County would have been time NOT spent some other area of the state, nearly all of which would have MORE D/Ind. voters.

Just because Sink didn't accept your invitation to whatever event, does not mean that cost her the race.   

Just becaause Sink did not treat you as   

[BridgeTroll]

Stephen had it right.  There was a large crossover of republicans for Sink.  I do not blame the Sink campaign.  Democrat voters failed to show up.  I guess they couldnt spare 15 minutes it would have taken in the two weeks of early voting available to them.  Fayes laying blame at the feet of the Tea Party and Republicans for Gov. Scotts policies is off base.  Scott is in office because of Democrat voters... NOT Republican.

[Garden guy]

Most republicans i know are completely against most things that are modern and forward thinking. I don't really see that changing any time soon. If it were up to them we'd all be driving Hummers or some other big truck. I find the republican party and it's people to be devolved and the main reason the country is so backwards and the laughing butt of jokes around the developed world as we know it..so. the republican op pinion is something is take very lightly and with understanding that what they say is usually a lie.
     I say go go fast rail. When is Europe riding the rails if felt like i was embarrassed to be an American..we are so behind....and I'll blame the republicans and their backward thinking...thanks guys.

[FayeforCure]

Most republicans i know are completely against most things that are modern and forward thinking. I don't really see that changing any time soon. If it were up to them we'd all be driving Hummers or some other big truck. I find the republican party and it's people to be devolved and the main reason the country is so backwards and the laughing butt of jokes around the developed world as we know it..so. the republican op pinion is something is take very lightly and with understanding that what they say is usually a lie.
     I say go go fast rail. When is Europe riding the rails if felt like i was embarrassed to be an American..we are so behind....and I'll blame the republicans and their backward thinking...thanks guys.

That's really the gist of what I am saying. The Tea Party and Republicans are the ones that voted FOR Rick Scott, the crook........though I too am disappointed at low Dem turn-outs in So. FL (as BrigeTroll points out)

The Regressive wave also reduced the number of women in congress from an already abysmal 17% to 16%, which are supposed to represent the 51% women in our population.

Florida missed her chance to elect its first female governor. For shame.

More regressive shame here:

A bill to enact the Paycheck Fairness Act passed more than a year ago by the House of Representatives was blocked yet again on Wednesday by 41 filibustering Senators, all Republicans. In a statement, President Obama called the vote “deeply disappointing,” and the AAUW is equally miffed. You can bet there will be no chance of it passing in the new Congress that takes power in January.

For those of you who don't know the AAUW stands for the American Association of University Women.

[spuwho]

Can someone call JSO?

I would like to report a thread that has been hijacked.