A Report from a Fly on the Wall: How Dems View the FL Gov Race

A fly on a wall | May 26, 2002 | summer and others

[summer]

Refresh my memory. Whose idea was it for Reno to run? sheesh

ROTFLMAO...

[summer]

I meant: !!!!! :)

[summer]

[Vinomori]

Thanks for posting this. Very interesting insight. Good work. It was a service to us.

[summer]

My pleasure. It was a real eye-opener for me as well. :)

[BigWaveBetty]

I am wondering if there aren't some very frustrated Dem voters out there who maybe could be convinced how wonderful Gov. Bush has really been as a governor -- and could perhaps come around to voting for him as well! LOL... :)

Ahhh, summer, always the optimist! Just one of the many things I like about you. I wonder how many dems will claim they're voting for the dem,
but vote for Jeb? :-)

[jalisco555]

If Janet Reno wasn't so loathsome I'd kind of feel sorry for her.

[summer]

Re your post #66 - LOL...well, I AM optimistic, because I know what my head was like when I voted Dem -- and, now that I know more about Gov. Bush, while there are some things about him that are new and unfamiliar to me, and certainly different, there are SO MANY qualities about him and his ideas that I truly like.

And, one thing I really like about him is this: he is FOR teachers. Truly for them. Passing new laws to help them.

If Dem teachers ever KNEW what he did for THEM, these teachers would probably faint. That's how I feel. If Dem teachers are reading this, click on my screen name and read Parts 1-5 of my editorial series about Jeb Bush (The Jeb Bush Nobody Knows) and FIND OUT who it is that really DOES use his power and authority as governor to financially better the lives of teachers. Because it's not a Dem governor -- it's a GOP governor who cared.

[BigWaveBetty]

I've been feeling a little uneasy about those touch screen voting machines. Seems to me that those would be easy for someone to meddle with. And what if the power goes out? Will all the votes be lost?

I like the voting machines we have. A sheet of paper where you color in the circle next to the candidate and then it goes into a machine. Then if you've made a mistake it spits it out so it can be corrected. I like the idea of a hard copy of a vote too. Do you know if I'm worrying for nothing?

[summer]

Re your post #67 - I had the same thought. She would probably do better if she just went out and begged for the sympathy vote. A few people might vote for her then.

[summer]

The touch screens provide a paper receipt of your vote, as I understand it.

[M Kehoe]

Pass'n through bump.

5.56mm

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Refresh my memory. Whose idea was it for Reno to run? sheesh

Perhaps Registered could make a nice version of that picture of the Fed with the gun going after Elian, replacing Elian with Reno. It will be nice for use after she gets beaten.

[summer]

LOL...LCS, I still predict she will withdraw at the 11th hour, citing medical reasons. The projected landslide in Jeb's favor will be too much for the Dem Party to handle. Arne thinks she will withdraw too.

[floriduh voter]

I don't know what system your county purchased but if you need any information on the touch screens that we have in Pinellas County, please visit the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections on line, Deborah Clark, where I'm sure they've got it all spelled out. If not, you can email them. Clark wrote this up in the St. Pete Times but I haven't had time to start a thread. Apparently, there are so many checks and balances and levels of security.

Maybe some computer experts at FR could explain this better. Check out a computer virus thread. All the computer nerds are in there. lol

[summer]

Thanks, M Kehoe. :)

[caltrop]

They're correct about Reno, she's unelectable in Florida. They've got McBride wrong, however. If McBride wins the Democratic primary - a real long shot at this point but possible, he'll make it a contest. Bush, in spite of a huge PR effort to make everyone think he's the most popular Floridian in the state's history, is a lot less popular in northern Florida than he needs to be against a viable opponent. If McBride can keep from being perceived as moving too far left and still win the Democratic primary - almost impossible, I know - then he'll draw plenty of votes from those who simply won't vote for Bush. Incidentally, many of these same people will vote straight Republican otherwise.

In 1998, Bush gained 121,000 votes over his 1994 race. In contrast, MacKay lost 350,000 votes Chiles got in 1994. I'd argue that the 121,000 votes Bush picked up were due to in migration. Bush's sharp move to the left in 1998, IMHO, cost him more votes than he gained. I know conservative Republican voters who voted for Bush in 1994 who voted for MacKay on the theory divided government (particularly with a weak Governor like MacKay would have been) would be preferable to JEB taking over the Republican Party.

In sum, the Democrats lost the Governor's race in 1998, the Republicans won only because MacKay ran a terrible campaign. So far it appears the Democrats will make a mess of it again, JEB better hope so.

[summer]

FYI.

[My Favorite Headache]

Excellent work here Summer. Maybe the best you have put together yet.

[summer]

So far it appears the Democrats will make a mess of it again

I agree with this part of your conclusion above, caltrop, but, I also think Gov. Bush is picking more new support around the state than you may realize.

He is going to win votes from teachers who know what is really going on, and from environmentalists who are still stinging from the Dems' lunacy over the Homestead Airport issue in the Everglades.

So, I think Gov. Bush will have a lot to celebrate come November. But, yes, count on the Dems to f*ck it up for themselves, however they can. Dems are really good at that. I am speaking from experience here. LOL... :)