Are Republicans Losing Panhandle Grip?

[question everything]

The Wall Street Journal

Are Republicans Losing Panhandle Grip?
By COREY DADE
January 31, 2008; Page A6

TAMPA, Fla. -- Even as Tuesday's primary here gave Arizona Sen. John McCain new momentum going into next week's Super Tuesday voting for the Republican presidential nomination, it revealed signs of stress in the party's pivotal grasp on Florida. A toxic brew of economic anxiety, a deepening housing slump, skyrocketing home insurance, strained schools and the lingering effects of recent hurricanes have spawned a gloomy mood in Florida. Tuesday's primary results, in which Mr. McCain won with just 36% of the vote, showed Florida Republicans still splintered.


The absence of a broadly unifying Republican candidate has encouraged some disgruntled voters to break from typical voting patterns, including some formerly staunch Republicans who now are backing Democratic Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York or Barack Obama of Illinois. It is too early to predict how voters in Florida will vote in November, but in recent months, a drift away from Republican leadership -- especially among the state's nearly two million independent voters -- has been apparent in some Florida polling data. In surveys conducted by Quinnipiac University periodically throughout 2007, Florida voters narrowly but consistently favored Mrs. Clinton over Mr. McCain in a general election.

In a general election pitting Mrs. Clinton against former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, respondents said they would prefer Mrs. Clinton by eight percentage points, with 7% undecided. The last poll, in October, took place before Mr. Obama's rise to prominence following his Iowa primary victory. Even then, he was tied against McCain, at 42%, with 9% undecided. Mr. Obama led Mr. Romney by seven percentage points, with 11% undecided. Other indicators make clear that Republicans are likely to face a tough contest to retain Florida this fall. On Tuesday, although no Democratic candidate actively campaigned in Florida, 1.7 million voters participated in the Democratic primary -- 189,890 less than in the hotly contested Republican race.

(snip)


Republicans have controlled Florida politics for a decade by knitting religious and social conservatives in the northern panhandle and Cuban Americans in the south with moderate suburbanites across the center. Political power flowed from Governor Jeb Bush and delivered the pivotal edge his brother, George W. Bush, needed for two terms in the White House. In the razor tight 2000 election, Florida's 25 electoral votes tipped the balance for Mr. Bush to take the presidency. Four years later, Mr. Bush carried the state with a comfortable five-percentage-point margin.

(snip)



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[napi21]

1. I think a lot of that vote has to do with the # of retired military living in Fl.

I'm sure THEY would have voted for McCain because of HIS military record.

[jody]

2. It does seem plausible that Republicans no longer dominate Florida's Panhandle. Politics be dammed,

Florida's Panhandle has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

[Deja Q]

3. Panhandle grip? Is Larry tappin' at the door again?

:hide:

[lurky]

4. Wow.

I thought the panhandle was the most conservative part of the state - more like Alabama than Miami.

[flyarm]

5. bullshit i say on this story..it was Edwards who was prominent in the panhandle ..!Edwards

Edwards won 11 counties in the panhandle..

and remember this ..in 2004 we were told ..there is nothing wrong with the voting machines..no sireee..look the other way..the Dixicrats did not vote for Kerry/Edwards..that is why Kerry/Edwards lost Florida...oh but flash forward and Edwards wins 11 of the Dixiecrat counties...

there is a dead rat in the room folks..and the flies are swarming ...

wake the hell up...

something happened to the progressive votes in the rest of the state for Edwards i would say..

why does no one but me find this ..more than odd???????????

fly

[LiberalFighter]

6. If the Panhandle wants to avoid disinterest in the election

they need to get as many of their voters to the polls 1 hour before closing so their votes are completed at the same time as the rest of Florida.