Coming home from Ocala , Fl on I 75 saw a bill board

promoting Ron Paul for president. I guess he does have a lot of money. That was a surprise!!

north florida is pretty solid red. and apparently much of the rest of the state.

remember, a lot of democrats in florida are democrats in name only. they have been democrats for generations. that just don't have the courage to re-register as pukes. but they VOTE for pukes.

it is still the true south, more an extension of southern georgia and alabama. gots them rednecks and homophobes out the wazoo.

but what do i know, i only lived there for 45 years. best thing i ever did was leave that wretched state. it was a job move, but the longer i am away, the more the place disgusts me.

sincere condolences to those still there. and i do realize most people have no choice, and can't just up and move.

it would tickle me pink (no pun for avatar) if not only florida, but the entire rest of the south was IRRELEVANT to winning an election. it COULD be done.

(donning asbestos jockstrap for protection from understandably angry florida democratic du posters....)

DSB

a town revolving around a heavy handed republican government, and a university, can be...

i think the government is top dog in that fight.

Central Florida is solidly purple and and South Florida is predominately blue...

floridians know what i'm talkin' about.

:)

but seriously,

florida used to be a relatively solid democratic state. yes, democratic with all the southern undertones, but still democratic.

bob graham and lawton chiles were great governors. florida has had many democratic governors.

at some point, something happened. (can we say ronald reagan? i thought we could...)

sure, the bigots, rednecks, racists and homophobes, not to mention the bible thumpers (but i am becoming redundant) have always been there, but they did not have control.

florida has been taken over, and the good people of florida allowed it.

i grew up in the country of north florida. i finally made it to the closest town of any size, gainesville. gainesville was an oasis of tolerance compared to the surrounding rural areas.

even now, leave those isolated areas of tolerance and you are back in the old south.

with little lord pissypants squatting in al gore's whitehouse, that hate and prejudice (which SHOULD dare not be spoken) has become acceptable, even lauded. partial thanks to that good ol floridian hate monger, rush.

it is now assumed that the bigots, racists, will be courted using all the code words and phrases that include the wink, wink.

that really works in getting out that particular voter to the poll, be they registered democrat or republican. and the republicans offer them the choice based on those coded signals.

there are so many influences now in florida...

the huge cuban community in south florida usually votes republican, as long as they are given lipservice. otherwise they are fair weather democratic voters. the elian gonzalez debacle was painful to watch. i believe they consider themselves "cubans" before they consider themselves "americans", and vote accordingly.

the huge influx of retirees, understandably, vote their pocketbook, and dividends can easily buy votes. they no longer have to worry about education issues, job issues, since they are past that stage of their lives. (yes, i know they are all coming from "the north".)

the unhealthy influence of religion, as in the case of terri schiavo (sp?), was very ominous.

bush vs gore. this, after warning sign after warning sign that there were going to be problems.

jeb bush has set florida back decades.

the democratic party leaders of florida are a farce, cowed by the the republicans, feeling they have to lurch farther and farther to the right, just to be center.

and the good people of florida let it all happen.

being born there, growing up there, living the large majority (so far) of my adult live there, i can't help but be ashamed of what florida has become.

the only people that can change it are the citizens of florida.

i am not holding my breath.

:shrug:

i am so disappointed.

my 2 cents. which will get you absolutely nothing.

the area is full of limbo wannabes.

between "Fox Noise" and the right wing radio in Northern Florida , and the lack of unbiased news, no wonder they're so right wing up there. They're spoon fed it day and night with no other choices.