Reagan's influence ignited GOP's Florida turnaround

[CShine]

Former President Ronald Reagan's influence on Florida's political landscape was long-lasting, sowing the seeds for a Republican revolution resulting in the party's control of state government. Reagan, who died Saturday at 93, twice carried Florida by landslide margins in 1980s, despite there being twice as many registered Democratic voters in the state, a Democratic stronghold for most of the 20th century. In 1980, Reagan routed incumbent Jimmy Carter from neighboring Georgia and four years later carried 49 of 50 states to win re-election, defeating Democratic candidate Walter Mondale nearly 2-to-1 in Florida.

"I don't think any Republican or Democrat could have beat Ronald Reagan after his first four years," said Charles Whitehead, who was the Democratic Party's state chairman during Reagan's presidency. "It was almost a nightmare for the Democratic Party hierarchy because they had Ronald Reagan out there."

The momentum continues to this day in Florida, where Republicans have nearly caught up in voter registration and hold all the statewide executive offices, as well as a dominating advantage in the Legislature and Congress. Democrats, however, have both U.S. Senate seats.

"I think he was the sole reason for the Republicans really becoming competitive in Florida," Whitehead said Sunday in a telephone interview from his Panama City home.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FL_REAGAN_FLORIDA_FLOL-?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US

[KittyWampus]

1. Reagan's Influence Dies With Him

none of the GOP'ers have his innate charm or "aw-shucks" geniality.

In fact, they have to spend millions covering up their scales and long pointy tounges.

nope, without Reagan's myth they're just left with being greedy, paranoid, hatefilled reptiles.

[Eric J in MN]

2. George W. Bush is considered a folksy, regular guy, you would

George W. Bush is considered a folksy, regular guy, you would want to have a beer with,

by Republicans

and by pro-Republican pundits.

[KittyWampus]

4. Junior Spent MILLIONS Marketing Himself As Folksy

and the trouble with marketing is you get to a point of saturation.

Junior is so oversold nothing will help him.

And The GOP's "cool" factor which started with "Greed is Good" REagan years is becoming as dated as polyester leisure suits.

[Kinkistyle]

9. The George W. Republican - its a different era.

With the Internet, information is traveling around at light speeds. "Terrorism" is no Soviet Union and Dubya is certainly no Reagan. The rising "geek-chic" style and acceptance of racial and sexual diversity shows that the years 2000-2004 was a conservative "blip" on the radar of liberalism.

[bluestateguy]

3. I think they are overstating things

Florida voted twice for Eisenhower, thrice for Nixon and almost voted for Goldwater in 1964. A lot of northern Rockefeller Republicans migrated to Florida after WWII. They began gravitating away from the Republican Party in the 1990's, but southern Dixiecrats replaced them, moving into the Republican Party starting with the Goldwater candidacy.

[Raster]

5. St. Ronnie the Heartless, patron saint...

of the Nation of Perpetual Indulgence

[dbt]

6. So in this big GOP stronghold called Florida,

The Pugs had to steal the election from Gore?

What am I missing here?

:shrug:
dbt

[Catt03]

7. Florida is more complex than that

I see Florida as almost two separate states....the north and the south. And it votes that way too. Red and blue, with exception of some of the university and larger cities.

For most governors of the state, South Florida is an enigma. Two many cultures, philosophies, beliefs...almost as if they believe it is ungovernable. The northern part of the state is southern strategy all the way. Hint: Tom Feeney + southern stategy = Republican.

It is changing and I don't think we will know for a few years how it will land.

[Kinkistyle]

10. "many cultures, philosophies, beliefs"

Sounds like New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles etc... not ungovernable, just ungovernable by Repug theocrats. South Florida is simply an area that gets exposure to many different cultures due to its popularity as a tourist spot and thus is a much more liberal region.

That being said, I got called "chink" or mocked with "ching chong chang" while I was on vacation South Florida about as many times as I did in my 30 years growing up in NYC (4 or 5 times).

[The Backlash Cometh]

8. First,

The surge of Republicans in Florida is due to the transplants from up north. Second, the trend is beginning to turn. The Orlando Sentinel just reported yesterday that Orange County's Democrats are outpacing Republican registration. There are other areas where it's changing too.

Registration gains please Democrats
Independents are also growing on rolls along the I-4 corridor.

The Democratic Party is registering thousands more voters in Orange County, a place once dominated by Republicans, according to the latest voter-registration numbers.

The same holds true in three other counties along the Interstate 4 corridor -- the area coveted by both presidential contenders. Voters also are registering as independents at a faster clip.

But GOP registrations are lagging.

"The Republican Party has been standing still in Orange County for four years; I don't care how much they thump their chests," said Doug Head, leader of Orange County's Democrats.

Political experts attribute the Democrats' growth to widespread registration drives and division over the war in Iraq.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/orl-asecvoters05060504jun05,1,165542.story

[JCMach1]

11. Uhh, no.... BULLSHIT

This is a vast overstatement... Nixon was perhaps even more popular there in 1968 and 1972.

Gerrymandering, term limits, and lax campaign financing laws killed the democratic domination of the legislature.

At the national level, Clinton and Gore won Florida. We currently have TWO democratic senators.

Florida is MORE democratic... however we have become controlled by a political machine.

[Moderator]

12. not Latest Breaking News, moving to Editorial