Democratic National Committee chairwoman @DWStweets (who is from Florida):
Tonight Romney was successful in buying his way to victory. He & his super PAC outspent his nearest opponent by running 13,000 negative ads.
Posts Tagged ‘Florida’
DNC Weighs In
Posted: January 31, 2012 in 2012 Elections, GOP Primaries, PoliticsTags: 2012 Elections, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Democratic National Committee, Florida, GOP Primaries, Mitt Romney, Politics
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Ron Paul Florida Concession Speech
Posted: January 31, 2012 in 2012 Elections, GOP Primaries, PoliticsTags: 2012 Elections, Florida, GOP Primaries, Politics, Ron Paul
9:29p – Paul at the podium. He’s live from campaign HQ in Henderson, Nevada tonight.
“If enthusiasm wins elections, we’d win, hands down.”
Paul congratulated Romney for winning Florida, says he’d see him in the caucus states.
“If you have an irate and tireless minority, you do well in caucus states.”
“Don’t you think it’s about time we had a new monetary policy?” Crowd goes nuts, starts cheering “End the Fed!”
“We need to reverse trend of attack on our civil liberties. We need to repeal the PATRIOT Act. We need to repeal provision that allows President to assassinate American citizens without trial.”
Newt Gingrich Florida Concession Speech
Posted: January 31, 2012 in 2012 Elections, GOP Primaries, PoliticsTags: 2012 Elections, Florida, GOP Primaries, Newt Gingrich, Politics
9:07p – Newt and Callista Gingrich walking up to the podium at campaign HQ in Orlando.
Not backing down anytime soon… Sign on podium reads “46 States To Go.”
Thanks his daughters who have been stumping for him in Florida. Calls his grandchildren “my two major debate coaches.”
“It is now clear this will be a two-person race between the conservative Newt Gingrich and the Massachusetts Moderate.”
Newt goes back to media-bashing – “We are going to contest every place, we are going to win, and we will be in Tampa as the nominee in August.”
“We’re going to have people power defeat money power in the next six months.” Has somebody told Sheldon Adelson this?
“You can’t imagine how radical he [Obama] will be in a second term.”
Tweet from @HuffPostMedia: Newt Gingrich makes a positive mention of David Broder, possibly the most elite media person of all time. Contradictions… #flprimary
If elected Gingrich says he will ask Congress to pass repeal of Obamacare, Dodd-Frank, and Sarbanes-Oxley before he is sworn into office, so “We can be off to a pretty good opening morning.”
“The very first executive order will abolish all of the White House czars at that moment. All of this will happen about two hours after the Inaugural Address.”
Pledges he will build Keystone pipeline. Urges Canadians not to make a deal with the Chinese.
Vows to reinstate Reagan’s Mexico City Policy – no U.S. money for abortions anywhere in the world.
Closing comments: “I pledge you my life, my fortune, my sacred honor, this is about America.”
Cue Brooks and Dunn’s “Only in America”
9:23 – Gingrich speech ends. David Gergen points out that Gingrich did not congratulate Romney for winning the Florida primary.
Mitt Romney Florida Victory Speech
Posted: January 31, 2012 in 2012 Elections, GOP Primaries, PoliticsTags: 2012 Elections, Florida, GOP Primaries, Mitt Romney, Politics
8:28p – Romney family walks up to the podium.
Ann Romney opening comments: “Thank you, Florida.”
Starts thanking key Florida supporters, state and congressional officials.
8:32p – Mitt Romney takes the podium.
Congratulates Gingrich, Santorum and Paul for “Another hard-fought contest.”
“A competitive primary does not divide us, it prepares us and we will win.”
Romney strategically picked victory night speech location in Tampa – city which will host 2012 Republican convention which could potentially nominate him.
“My leadership will end the Obama era and begin a new era of American prosperity.”
“I will insist on a military so powerful, no one will ever think of challenging it.”
“I want you to remember when our White House reflected the best of what we are, not the worst of what Europe has become.”
Tweet from @Markos: “The worst of what Europe has become” says the guy who had his money in Swiss banks
8:42 p – Romney wraps up his victory speech. Networks on standby for Gingrich.
Romney Wins Florida
Posted: January 31, 2012 in 2012 Elections, GOP Primaries, PoliticsTags: 2012 Elections, Florida, GOP Primaries, Mitt Romney, Politics
Multiple news organizations have called the Florida Primary for Mitt Romney… Based on the exit returns with about 57 percent of the votes counted, Romney is leading Gingrich by nearly 190,000 votes.
Watch this space for speeches, exit poll analysis, and a look ahead at the Nevada caucuses.
Florida! Florida! Florida!
Posted: January 31, 2012 in 2012 Elections, GOP Primaries, PoliticsTags: 2012 Elections, Florida, GOP Primaries, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Politics, Rick Santorum, Ron Paul
Will be live-blogging and tweeting the Florida GOP primary returns as they come in. Watch this space…
Something Missing at Palin Event in Florida
Posted: November 2, 2008 in 2008 Elections, John McCain, Sarah PalinTags: 2008 Elections, Florida, Is It 2012 Yet?, John McCain, Sarah Palin
CNN noticed something curious at a recent Palin rally in Florida:
POLK CITY, Florida (CNN) — At a boisterous Sarah Palin rally in Polk City, Florida on Saturday afternoon, one name was surprisingly absent from the campaign décor — John McCain’s.
Looking around the Fantasy of Flight aircraft hangar where the rally took place, one could see all the usual reminders that it was a pro-McCain event. There were two large “Country First” banners hung on the walls along with four enormous American flags meant to conjure the campaign’s underlying patriotic theme. Many of the men and women in the audience wore McCain hats and t-shirts.
But on closer inspection, the GOP nominee’s name was literally nowhere to be found on any of the official campaign signage distributed to supporters at the event.
Members of the audience proudly waved “Country First” placards as Palin delivered her stump speech. Those signs were paid for by the Republican National Committee.
The other sign handed out to supporters read “Florida is Palin Country,” but those signs were neither paid for by the Republican National Committee nor the McCain campaign. In small print, the signs were stamped with the line “Paid for and authorized by Putnam for Congress” — as in, the re-election campaign of Florida congressman Adam Putnam, whose district skirts Polk City.
In fact, Putnam’s name was considerably more prominent than was McCain’s — his campaign had placed a number of large “Putnam for Congress” banners around the event site.
Election Map Outlook
Posted: November 1, 2008 in 2008 Elections, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, John McCain, Sarah PalinTags: 2008 Elections, Arizona, Barack Obama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Joe Biden, John McCain, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Sarah Palin, Swing States, Virginia, West Virginia
This is a look at the race in the battleground states during the last week before the election. They will ultimately decide whether Barack Obama or John McCain wins the presidency. As I have said repeatedly, Obama has more options than McCain to reach the 270-vote threshold to win the race. There is even a possible scenario where Obama can win the race without Florida, Missouri, Ohio and Pennsylvania – four out of the five biggest swing states up for grabs. To use a poker analogy, McCain has an inside straight and has no room for error.
Arizona
The Obama campaign had conceded Arizona months ago on the assumption that it was a lock to vote for McCain. A series of polls during the final week before the election showed Obama cutting the deficit to single digits within the margin of error, leading to a last-minute blitz in ad spending. Now, they have forced McCain to play defense in his home state when time and money is running out, which is good for the Obama campaign at this point because it means he has less time and money to spend in more competitive states.
Prediction: McCain wins by 2-5 points.
Colorado
Multiple polls show Obama leading here. The McCain campaign publicly insists that they’re competitive here, but in private some are saying the state is gone. Given that the NRSC has also given up on spending money on behalf of the Republican candidate in this race, it is an implicit concession that the GOP will lose the state up and down the ballot.
Prediction: Obama wins by 4-7 points.
Florida
With all due respect to the late Tim Russert, this election will not come down to Florida, Florida, Florida. McCain was ahead for a long time but Obama caught up to him and it is now a tossup. McCain and the Republicans will manage to hang on to it.
Prediction: McCain wins by 1-4 points.
Georgia
This has been a solidly Republican state for years, but given record numbers of African Americans who are going out to vote and a surprisingly close Senate race between Saxby Chambliss and Jim Martin, the Obama campaign sees an opening and is spending money on TV time there in hopes of pulling off an unlikely upset.
Prediction: McCain wins by 7-10 points.
Indiana
This is one of the most reliably Republican states in the country, although they have been known to elect Democrats for congress and governor. Obama is competitive here in large part because of the Chicago suburbs in northwest Indiana, many of which have large African American populations. He almost pulled off an upset against Hillary Clinton here, losing the primary only by single digits. It’s given Republicans a scare, but they will hang on to it.
Prediction: McCain wins by 3-6 points.
Iowa
This is where it all began for Barack Obama’s improbable quest for the presidency, with an upset win over Hillary Clinton 10 months ago. This was one of only two states that Bush was able to flip in his favor during his 2004 bid. But Obama’s ground operatin in the state, as well as voter concerns about the economy mean it’s pretty much a lock for him. Political observers have been skeptical of the McCain campaign’s decision to spend time and money here when most polls indicate the state was not competitive.
Prediction: Obama wins by 8-11 points.
Missouri
Considered by many political observers to be the bellweather state to watch, since it usually winds up in the winner’s column in every election. There are signs of optimism on the ground for the Democrats but in the end, it will stay in the Republican column.
Prediction: McCain wins by 2-5 points.
Montana
Montana has not voted for a Democrat since 1992, and that was largely due to the fact that Ross Perot siphoned off a majority of his votes in the state from President George H.W. Bush. A similar scenario might be in play this year: Ron Paul is on the ballot as the Constitution Party candidate, and you also have to remember Libertarian candidate Bob Barr. In a close race, Paul and Barr could take away enough votes from McCain to play spoiler and tip the state for Obama. Also in Obama’s favor is the fact that the highly popular Democratic governor Brian Schweitzer is up for reelection, and that Republicans failed to find a meaningful challenger to Democratic senator Max Baucus.
Prediction: Obama wins by 1-4 points.
New Hampshire
John McCain has a long history and deep affection for New Hampshire voters, since they were the ones who gave him key victories in the state’s primary in 2000 and 2008. However, given the Democratic tilt of New England, especially after the 2006 elections when many moderate Northeastern Republicans were ousted by voters, it will be very difficult for McCain to win this state.
Prediction: Obama wins by 6-9 points.
New Mexico
A significant Hispanic population, a popular Democratic governor, and an open Senate seat, all good signs for the Democrats. This was the other state that flipped from the Democrats to the Republicans in 2004. The NRSC has given up on its efforts to hold on to the seat of retiring Republican senator Pete Domenici, and the McCain campaign has practically conceded this state already, even if they didn’t state so explicitly.
Prediction: Obama wins by 9-12 points.
Nevada
Two things working in Obama’s favor: the state’s large Hispanic population and that the urban areas in the southern part of the state (Las Vegas and the suburbs and exurbs) are his strongholds in the state. Kerry narrowly lost here in 2004, but political oddsmakers in Vegas and elsewhere expect an Obama win this time around.
Prediction: Obama wins by 3-6 points.
North Carolina
North Carolina has not voted for a Democrat since Jimmy Carter in 1976, and they did not get behind native son John Edwards when he was on the ticket four years ago. There are two reasons why this state is competitive now: a large African American population and economic woes in the region. Also helping Obama is a Senate race where the unpopular incumbent is likely to lose, which could help his chances at the top of the ticket. In the end, these are enough to make the state competitive, but not enough to put it in the Obama column.
Prediction: McCain wins by 1-4 points.
North Dakota
This has been another reliably Republican state until late polling showed the spread within single digits, leading to a last-minute ad blitz by the Obama campaign. They’ve elected Democrats to the Senate and the House in the past. It’s going to be close, but Republicans should be able to keep it.
Prediction: McCain wins by 1-4 points.
Ohio
Two historical facts you will hear over and over again on Election Night: First, this is the state that got George W. Bush reelected four years ago. Second, no Republican has ever been elected to the White House without carrying Ohio. The state has been hit hard economically, making it a ripe pickup opportunity for the Democrats this year. Polls give Obama a narrow lead, but McCain can still pull it off, especially if the Joe the Plumber attacks proved effective at raising economic doubts about Obama among undecided voters.
Prediction: McCain wins by 1-4 points.
Pennsylvania
John McCain’s strategy for victory hinges entirely on winning Pennsylvania, where polls show him trailing Obama by as much as double digits. The Obama campaign must be feeling pretty good about this state, considering they don’t have any visits planned there between now and Tuesday. McCain may make his last stand here. If the networks call this state for Obama, he will have to make up the difference elsewhere, and he has very little room for error.
Prediction: Obama wins by 5-8 points.
Virginia
This state has been a lock for Republicans since 1964, but Obama’s early organizing and spending efforts have paid off. Democrats have won three consecutive statewide races (two gubernatorial elections in 2001 and 2005, a Senate seat in 2006) and former governor Mark Warner is a slam dunk to win the Senate seat being vacated by John Warner. When McCain surrogates insult the Washington DC suburbs which account for one third of the population of the state, that’s not going to do them much good. Expect Virginia to go blue for the first time since another Arizona Republican was the presidential nominee.
Prediction: Obama by 4-7
West Virginia
The blue collar states in the Appalachia region were considered Obama’s big geographic weak spot during the primaries against Hillary Clinton. But despite having two Democratic senators and a Democratic governor, the rural socially conservative West Virginia tilts to the GOP. Once the race became about the economy, the polls tightened again here, as in the rest of the country.
Prediction: McCain wins by 1-4 points.
If my predictions are correct, this is what the map will look like once the dust clears:
ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTE COUNT:
Barack Obama – 294
John McCain – 244
Percentage Difference – 49-44
Popular Vote Difference – 6 million
The state that puts Obama past 270 is an interesting question this year because of the number of reliably Republican states Obama has made competitive. If Obama wins North Carolina and Virginia, it will be a relatively early election night because those two states combined are worth 28 votes, one more than Florida. If Obama manages to pull off an upset in an early state on the East Coast (Georgia, Indiana), then it will be game over very quickly, potentially by midnight Eastern time once the numbers for Midwestern states start coming in.
Based on my projections, my sense is that the evening progresses and states on the East Coast and Midwest begin falling in line, it will be a state from the mountain West that puts him over the top. My prediction is it will be Colorado or New Mexico.
Bringing Out the Big Guns
Posted: October 31, 2008 in 2008 Elections, Barack Obama, John McCainTags: 2008 Elections, Al Gore, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Florida, John McCain, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Swing States
The closing arguments have been made, now both campaigns are calling in the A-list surrogates and going for a strong finish in the key battleground states before Election Day.
Obama called in Bill Clinton and Al Gore to hit Florida.
McCain called in Arnold Schwarzenegger to hit the campaign trail for him in Ohio.
This is almost an exact replay of what happened four years ago, when Clinton hit the trail for John Kerry in Pennsylvania and Schwarzenegger hit the trail for President Bush in Ohio.
Icepicks and Nukes 