[Chas863]

Originally Posted by loves2read

Plenty of voters in FL register as Independents so they can choose which primary to vote in
I did that
It is the Independents to watch

Sorry, but your statement appears to be incorrect. Independents are not allowed to vote in partisan primaries unless all the candidates are non-partisan. In other words, Independents can't vote in Republican or Democrat primaries in Florida.

Closed Primary Election
Webpage last updated: January 31, 2020

Florida is a closed primary election state. Only voters who are registered members of political parties may vote for respective party candidates or nominees for an office in a primary election including a presidential preference primary election. A person can register with a party or change his or her party affiliation at any time but in order to vote for a party candidate in an upcoming primary election, the person must register with that party or change his or her party by the registration deadline for that primary election (applicable also to a presidential preference primary election). See section 97.055, Fla. Stat.

https://dos.myflorida.com/elections/...y-affiliation/

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[Chas863]

Originally Posted by firmbizzle

Very different type of conservatives. White collar (Bush) vs Blue collar (Trump) conservatives.

It's true that there are different degrees of conservatism just as there are different degrees of liberalism (or progressivism as they now like to call themselves). However, it takes both the moderate and the extreme of EITHER party to win a national election. Neither party will win if they don't carry the majority of the moderate vote.

Right now, it appears to me that many of the moderates who voted for Biden are having "buyer's remorse" and are unlikely to vote for him again. VP Harris would do even worse in a national election, IMO.

[beachmouse]

Originally Posted by Corrie22

...and all this time I thought it was just Maduro's policies

They definitely played a role. An upper middle class engaged in community building and networking stabilizes a local community. They’re the sea oats keeping the sand dunes together. And then those were the folks that were branded enemies of the people early on in the communist movement. That upper middle class population was also well educated enough to have options elsewhere, first in the Texas petroleum industry, where Venezuelan engineers were known as well trained and in demand, and then the non-oil industry part of the group discovered Miami and landed in Doral.

I suspect other parts of that cohort also found soft landing in Chile, Brazil and other places in South America where their skill sets were well respected.

[Arcenal813]

This thread is weird...

"FL has seen a recent massive upswing in Republican registered voters."

C-D: "Yeah, but it's because of this, this and that!"

Okay, and? Does it change the fact that this thread highlighted?

Next time, if we get enough more looney Republicans in office, the same swing will change in Democrat's favor. Or let's hope, a whole new freaking party.

[Corrie22]

Originally Posted by beachmouse

They definitely played a role. An upper middle class engaged in community building and networking stabilizes a local community.

well you don't need to look much further than Cuba to see how that worked out

....or a better example of trickle down economics

[Corrie22]

Originally Posted by Arcenal813

Okay, and? Does it change the fact that this thread highlighted?

nope....but the contortions are more fun than the facts

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by Ghaati

...and then a low-income conservative's daughter is raped and gets pregnant, and doesn't know she's pregnant til she's in her 7th week. And now they can't afford to leave the state for the abortion, so she's forced to carry and give birth to her rapist's child.

...and then an affluent conservative's son is bullied for being a sissy from 6-8th grade, and comes out as gay in 9th grade.

...and then a conservative farm-owner's employees all leave because they're afraid of being deported - and the crops go bad waiting for the farmer to hire replacements at the same wage that he paid the last batch.

...and then, all three of the above STILL vote for the people who harmed themselves and their families. Because of course they will.

Also, the patterns of the outmigration of moderates and liberals from deep red states never seems to get the coverage of CA/NY/MA/IL conservatives moving to TX/TN/FL etc.

I'm from Tennessee, and was active in the state Republican Party for about five years between the 2008 Republican Primary and after the 2012 election. I relocated the following year.

The state and local Republican parties grow more extreme with each election cycle. I'm more moderate than I was back then, but far from a liberal. In saying that, I don't feel welcome in this state anymore. Politics and religion are far more in your face than at any time I remember.

I work for a local government in western NC, and my girlfriend lives there. Personally, even the right-leaning counties are far more "live and let live" and less in your face with the divisive issues than TN. I'm sure FL is very in your face with it all too.

[Ghaati]

Originally Posted by loves2read

Plenty of voters in FL register as Independents so they can choose which primary to vote in
I did that
It is the Independents to watch

"Independent" is the name of an actual political party where I came from. I am registered as an "unaffiliated" voter, and always have been.

I'm not allowed to vote in any primary unless I join the party of the primary.

[Ghaati]

Originally Posted by Chas863

It's true that there are different degrees of conservatism just as there are different degrees of liberalism (or progressivism as they now like to call themselves). However, it takes both the moderate and the extreme of EITHER party to win a national election. Neither party will win if they don't carry the majority of the moderate vote.

Right now, it appears to me that many of the moderates who voted for Biden are having "buyer's remorse" and are unlikely to vote for him again. VP Harris would do even worse in a national election, IMO.

When pitted against desantis or trump as the only other viable options, I'll vote for Biden. I don't want an authoritarian, or a buffoon. I'd rather have a guy who sincerely gives a crap about people in MY demographic, who will represent me, and not just some wealthy sycophants while giving lip services to the trailer trash.

[blisterpeanuts]

I think the 5 week abortion ban in Florida was a mistake and will cost the Republicans a lot of votes next year.

It doesn't matter whether you're pro life or pro choice. The country is deeply, passionately divided on this issue, a majority of Americans when polled will claim they are pro choice, and 5 weeks is effectively a total ban which runs counter to the centrist, moderate independent views.

I don't believe DeSantis is a pro life absolutist, but he signed the bill. If he had vetoed, they might have overridden him, not sure, but it would have made him look a lot more centrist and moderate, hence more acceptable as a national candidate.

Be all that as it may, Florida is a pendulum that may have swung too far to the right and next year will begin to swing back to the middle.